“All companies (including external companies) and close corporations are required by law to lodge their Cipc Annual Returns with CIPC within a certain period every year.

An Annual Return is a statutory return in terms of the Companies and Close Corporations Acts and therefore MUST be complied with. Failure to do so will result in the Commission assuming that the company and/or close corporation is not doing business or is not intending on doing business in the near future. Non-compliance with annual returns may lead to deregistration, which affects that the juristic personality is withdrawn and the company or close corporation ceases to exist.” – CIPC

What you should keep in mind

Your company will be given 30 days before declaring it non-compliance from the date that you should file your annual returns with the Companies Act.

CIPC Annual Returns can only be filed electronically no walk in.

What happens if you don’t file your annual returns?

Non-compliance with annual returns may lead to deregistration, Which means they will deregister your company and you won’t be able to trade formally.

When it comes to CIPC annual returns theres an ANNUAL RETURN PAYMENT CALCULATOR which mean you dont just decide how much you will pay CIPC

The annual return payment due to CIPC is calculated as follows:

Where the turnover is: between R1 million and R10 million Amount Payable to CIPC R 450.00

Where the turnover is: Less than R1 million Amount Payable to CIPC R 100.00

Where the turnover is: Between R10 million and R25 million Amount Payable to CIPC R 100.00 Amount Payable to CIPC R 2 000.00

Where the turnover is: Above R25 million Amount Payable to CIPC R 100.00 Amount Payable to CIPC R 3 000.00

“Private or personal liability companies that are not required to have their financial statements audited, may elect to voluntarily file their audited or reviewed statements with their annual returns. If such companies choose not to file a full set of financial statements, they must file a financial accountability supplement with their annual return”

Who may file an annual return on behalf of a company or close corporation?

Due to the nature and the content required on an annual return, such must be filed by the company or close corporation or its duly authorised representative that is in a position to provide the required information.

When must a company or close corporation file its annual returns?

It is an annual filing and it differs for companies and close corporations. Companies must file (regardless as to whether it was active or not) within 30 business days starting from the day after its date of registration. Close corporations must file (again regardless as to whether it was active or not) starting from the first day of the month it was registered up until the month thereafter. It may still file after such period, but an additional penalty fee will be applicable.  

If a company or close corporation has filed its tax returns with SARS, is it still required to file annual returns with CIPC?

A clear distinction must be made between an annual return and a tax return. An annual return is a summary of the most relevant information regarding the company or close corporation and is filed with CIPC while a tax return focuses on taxable income of a company or close corporation to determine its tax liability to the State and is filed with SARS. 

 Compliance with the one does not mean that there is compliance with the other. It is two different processes, administered in terms of different legislation by two different government departments.

REMEMBER WE HERE TO ASSIST YOU WITH BOTH YOUR RETURNS. TALK TO US CLICK HERE