What's New - September 2025 | Zoho Backstage

September has been a different month for Zoho Backstage. Instead of rolling out a long list of new features, we focused on something just as important:

Performance, reliability, and stability

The event season is in full swing, and organizers are running larger and more complex events. Our goal this month was simple: make your experience faster, smoother, and more intuitive. 

That said, we do have a few updates to share with you.

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Tax Rules – South Africa

Accurate tax calculation is vital for ensuring compliance and transparency in event management. With the new Tax Rules feature for South Africa, you can now automatically apply the correct VAT rates to your events, making tax management simpler and more efficient. Zoho Backstage automatically configures tax rules based on your organization and event location, ensuring compliance with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) regulations.

This feature supports in-person, hybrid, and virtual events, helping organizers stay compliant while reducing manual tax management.

How do taxes work on South African events?

VAT registration thresholds

1. Businesses must register for VAT if their annual taxable sales exceed ZAR 1 million.
2. Businesses may choose to register voluntarily if their taxable sales are above ZAR 50,000.
   

VAT rates

1. Standard rate: 15%
2. Zero rate: 0%
   

VAT terms

1. VAT: Value-Added Tax
2. VAT Registration Number Label: TIN (Tax Identification Number)
3. VAT Registration Number Format: 10-digit number

In-person and hybrid events

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If an event is held in South Africa, the place of supply is considered within South Africa, and 15% VAT must be charged on ticket sales (unless exempt or zero-rated).

Virtual events

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For virtual events, the attendee’s location determines the place of supply. For foreign attendees, the transaction is treated as an export of service and is zero-rated.

How to use

To enable South Africa tax rules, configure your organization’s location:

1. Navigate to Portal Settings > Payments and Tax.
2. Select South Africa as the organization location.
3. The system automatically populates:
   
1. 2 default tax rates (15% and 0%).
2. 4 tax rules (in-person/hybrid, virtual, and two non-taxable rules).

Unlike other countries, South Africa Tax Rules are predefined. You can't edit existing rules or add new ones.

Applying Tax Rules to in-person and hybrid events

When South Africa is selected as the organization location, Zoho Backstage automatically applies the correct VAT (15%) to in-person and hybrid events. This ensures compliance with SARS requirements. A preview of the tax to be applied is shown during event publishing, so organizers know exactly what their attendees will be charged.

Applying Tax Rules to virtual events

For virtual events, Zoho Backstage automatically applies the zero-rated VAT rule for foreign attendees. South African attendees are charged the standard 15% VAT. This setup ensures accurate handling of local and international transactions without manual intervention.

1. Tax rules in Zoho Backstage are fixed for South Africa. They can't be edited or expanded.
2. Organizers can change the applied rule during event setup, but updates only affect new transactions. Existing transactions retain their original tax rule.
3. If the event location is set to any country other than South Africa, South African VAT won't be applied.
   

Plan availability: Included in the Essentials, Prem​ium, and Ultimate plans

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Full page floor plan  

We’ve taken the exhibitor experience to a whole new level with the introduction of the full page floor plan. This enhanced layout gives everyone including organizers, exhibitors, and attendees a more immersive and detailed view of the event venue.

For organizers, the full-page view provides better visibility and control when managing booth layouts and exhibitor placements. Whether you’re reviewing space allocation or showcasing your setup, the new Fit to Screen option lets you adjust the view instantly, making it ideal for large displays and on-site monitors.

Visitors can explore the floor plan in full-screen mode, view the exhibitor list, and discover details about each exhibitor. Signed-in attendees can further filter exhibitors by category and mark their favorites to plan their visit efficiently. Exhibitors can browse the directory or register directly from the same page, making navigation and engagement effortless.

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Plan Availability: All plans that include the Exhibitor management module

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Date & Time form field 

We’ve enhanced the existing Date field to support time preferences, giving you more flexibility when collecting scheduling details. By enabling the Include Time toggle, you can now capture both date and time within a single field.

Similar to the standalone Time field, organizers can configure properties to accept entries in either 12-hour or 24-hour format and even set restrictions within a specific time range. A default date and time value can also be defined to simplify form submissions.

The default time format for this field automatically aligns with your event’s configuration under Manage > Event Info, ensuring consistent formatting across your forms.

Plan availability: Included in the Ultimate plans

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With the event season in full swing, we’re focused on making your experience with Zoho Backstage faster, more reliable, and ready for every challenge. We look forward to bringing you more updates next month.

All the features and enhancements mentioned in this article are available across all Zoho Backstage-supported data centers.

If you need further assistance with our features, please contact support@zohobackstage.com. 

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• Jithan Raghuraj

  

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