Key Concepts
Understanding these core concepts will help you navigate Atlas effectively.
Entities
An entity is a client of your accounting practice. Atlas supports six entity types:
| Type | Example | Key Fields |
|---|---|---|
| (Pty) Ltd | TechStart (Pty) Ltd | CIPC reg number, directors, shareholders |
| Close Corporation (CC) | Smith & Sons CC | CK number, members |
| Trust | The Smith Family Trust | Trust number, trustees, beneficiaries |
| Partnership | J&M Partners | Partners, profit-sharing ratios |
| Sole Proprietor | Jane Doe t/a JD Consulting | Owner ID, trading name |
| Individual | John Smith | ID number, tax residency |
Each entity has a unique reference (e.g. ENT-2026-00042) and is assigned to an Account Manager.
Persons
A person is an individual who can be linked to multiple entities in different roles — director, member, trustee, shareholder, or key contact. Atlas maintains a central persons database to avoid duplication.
Obligations
An obligation is a tax or regulatory filing requirement with a due date. Common types include:
- VAT201 — Monthly/bi-monthly VAT return
- EMP201 — Monthly employer PAYE return
- EMP501 — Annual employer reconciliation
- ITR12 — Individual income tax return
- ITR14 — Company income tax return
- IRP6 — Provisional tax payment
- CIPC Annual Return — Company annual return
Obligations follow a lifecycle: Not Started → In Preparation → Ready for Review → Filed → Assessed → Complete.
Practices & Tenants
A practice (or tenant) is a single accounting firm using Atlas. Each practice has:
- Its own set of entities, users, and data (fully isolated)
- Configurable branding (logo, colours)
- Subscription tier (Starter, Growth, Enterprise)
- Independent settings and integrations
User Roles
| Role | Scope | Key Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Principal (Owner) | Full access | Billing, user management, all settings |
| Partner | Operational | All entities, approve invoices, review compliance |
| Accountant (AM) | Portfolio | Assigned entities, time tracking, compliance |
| Clerk (Staff) | Limited | Assigned entities, time entry, document upload |
| Admin | Technical | User management, configuration |
Engagements
An engagement links an entity to a specific service your practice provides (e.g. Annual Accounts, Tax Returns, Bookkeeping) with associated fee arrangements.
WIP (Work-in-Progress)
WIP refers to unbilled time entries recorded against an entity. WIP is converted to invoices through the billing module.