This paper proposes the modeling and design of a controller for an inductive power transfer (IPT) system with a semi-bridgeless active rectifier (S-BAR). This system consists of a double-sided Inductor-Capacitor-Capacitor (LCC) compensation network and an S-BAR, and maintains a constant output voltage under load variation through the operation of the rectifier switches. Accurate modeling is essential to design a controller with good performance. However, most of the researches on S-BAR have focused on the control scheme for the rectifier switches and steady-state analysis. Therefore, modeling based on the extended describing function is proposed for an accurate dynamic analysis of an IPT system with an S-BAR. Detailed mathematical analyses of the large-signal model, steady-state operating solution, and small-signal model are provided. Nonlinear large-signal equivalent circuit and linearized small-signal equivalent circuit are presented for intuitive understanding. In addition, worst case condition is selected under various load conditions and a controller design process is provided. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed modeling, experimental results using a 100 W prototype are presented.