Company-record obligation
Annual returns belong to the CIPC administration of the entity. Their filing record should be retained with the company’s other statutory documents.
COMPANY SERVICES · SOUTH AFRICA
Get your company annual returns back in order
Know which CIPC annual returns are due, what information is needed and what completion evidence to keep. Vatco helps you assess the company’s filing position and prepare the required work, while distinguishing annual returns from SARS tax returns and any separate reinstatement process.
Your requirements · A clear scope · Your next step
YOUR SERVICE GUIDE
Annual returns filing
Annual returns filing
01
Review the statusIdentify the company and any outstanding filing years.
02
Prepare the informationConfirm turnover and related filing requirements.
03
File and keep proofRecord the completed years and remaining actions.
Start with the details that matter.
A clear place to start.Tell us what your business needs.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
CIPC annual returns are not SARS tax returns
A CIPC annual return confirms prescribed information about a registered company or close corporation. A SARS tax return reports tax information through a separate system. Completing one does not complete the other, even when both rely on information from the same accounting records. This distinction matters when a business says it has “filed everything” but its company-registration status still shows a problem.
- Start with the entity: Use the registration number and current CIPC position to identify the company or close corporation and the annual-return periods needing attention.
- Check the status: Establish whether the entity is active, in a deregistration process or already finally deregistered before deciding how the outstanding work should proceed.
- Choose the right route: A company that requires reinstatement needs that status assessed. It cannot simply be treated as an ordinary late annual-return filing case.
START WITH YOUR SITUATION
Find the right starting point for your business
An active company filing its next return
Use the correct reporting period, supported turnover and current ownership filing. Confirm the annual-return anniversary instead of substituting the SARS tax-return deadline.
A dormant company
Explain whether the entity will be kept or closed. A quiet bank account does not establish that the annual-return and other administrative responsibilities have ended.
An overdue or deregistered entity
Check current CIPC status before paying for ordinary filing. Final deregistration can require a separate reinstatement assessment and evidence, not only backlog returns.
COST AND INCLUSIONS
What affects the cost of annual returns filing?
Swipe across to compare all columns.
| Cost item | Amount or pricing basis | What this covers |
|---|---|---|
| Vatco preparation and filing | Quoted by entity, outstanding periods and record readiness | Professional fee is separate from the CIPC amounts below. BO preparation, accounting reconstruction and reinstatement are separately identified. |
| Company turnover below R1 million | R100 on time; R150 late | CIPC charge per applicable year under the Companies Act 2008 schedule. |
| R1 million to below R10 million | R450 on time; R600 late | CIPC charge per applicable year, using supported annual turnover rather than profit or a bank balance. |
| R10 million to below R25 million | R2,000 on time; R2,500 late | On time means within 30 business days after the anniversary date for this company-fee schedule. |
| R25 million or more | R3,000 on time; R4,000 late | Close corporations and older periods use their applicable schedules; confirm the entity-specific calculation before payment. |
Vatco’s professional fee is confirmed in your written quotation. The total depends on the agreed work; any VAT treatment should be stated in the quote.
PREPARE THE RIGHT FIGURES
Documents and information to prepare
Turnover must relate to the applicable period and be supported by appropriate records. Do not guess it from the bank balance, substitute profit or copy another year’s figure. Where figures are unclear, accounting preparation may be needed. A payment to a service provider is not evidence that CIPC accepted a return.
- Every entityCompany details and CIPC notices
Provide registration details and recent notices to establish the entity, anniversary and current status before calculating outstanding work.
- Previously filed yearsPrevious filing confirmations
Obtain annual-return receipts or confirmations from the prior administrator. A service-provider payment or verbal assurance does not prove that CIPC accepted the filing.
- Overdue or uncertain filingsYear-by-year backlog schedule
Record each period needing attention and the evidence missing for it. This schedule defines the scope and prevents duplicate or assumed filings.
- Each relevant financial periodAccounts and turnover evidence
Supply the applicable accounts or reliable turnover records and identify who approves the figures. Any required financial statement or accountability filing depends on the entity.
- Company ownership recordsBeneficial ownership filing and register
Check the required ownership submission and supporting records before assuming annual-return filing can proceed. Identify changes since the last declaration.
WHEN THE COMPANY HAS NOT TRADED
An inactive business still needs a status decision
Not trading is different from no longer existing. A company kept for future use may still have company and tax obligations. It is risky to ignore notices merely because the bank account is quiet or the business has never issued an invoice. Explain whether you intend to keep the entity, resume trading, sell it or close it.
- Overdue returns: Establish where the company sits in the CIPC process. A deregistration warning and a final deregistration record call for different next steps.
- Final deregistration: Reinstatement eligibility and evidence need their own assessment. Paying a backlog should not be assumed to restore every registration or resolve every consequence of the status.
- Closure decision: If the company is no longer needed, discuss closure. Voluntary deregistration and SARS tax deregistration are separate processes, and outstanding affairs may need attention first.
- Scope of the review: An annual-return review can identify a status or closure problem, but it should not be sold as a complete closure or restoration service.
THE FILING PROCESS
Turn an unclear backlog into a defined set of actions
A backlog is easier to manage when every period has a status. We separate returns that are already evidenced, returns that appear outstanding and years requiring further information. Where records disagree, the discrepancy is investigated before you are asked to approve figures or pay for an assumed duplicate filing.
- 01
Review the entity
Confirm the registration number and current status. Identify whether the instruction is a routine annual filing, a backlog exercise or a situation needing reinstatement advice first.
- 02
Confirm the requirements
Check the relevant periods, turnover information, ownership prerequisites and applicable supporting filings. Agree which preparation is included and which accounting or beneficial ownership work needs a separate instruction.
- 03
Prepare the fee position
Official filing charges and any late charges depend on the applicable CIPC requirements. The quote should distinguish these from Vatco’s service fees and avoid presenting a generic advertised amount as the total for every company.
- 04
Submit and retain evidence
Once the information is ready, complete the applicable filing steps and keep the available confirmations. The handover should identify each completed period, its evidence and any query or related obligation that remains open.
STAY ORGANISED
Keep a record that the next administrator can understand
After filing, store the confirmation against the relevant year with the figures and instructions used. Record who prepared the return and who approved the information. This creates a useful audit trail if a director changes, an accountant takes over or CIPC later asks about the filing. A folder of unrelated payment receipts is much harder to reconcile.
Agree who will monitor the next annual-return cycle and who will maintain beneficial ownership information when the business changes. A reminder helps, but it does not replace correct source records or clear responsibility. The estimated turnaround for your current instruction should be confirmed after the backlog and document readiness are reviewed; unresolved figures, ownership prerequisites or status issues can affect the sequence.
CONNECT THE NEXT PIECE.
Related support
for your business.
YOUR QUESTIONS. A CLEARER NEXT STEP.
Annual returns filing:
frequently asked questions.
01Must a company file annual returns if it did not trade?
Do not assume that inactivity removes the filing obligation. The company’s registration status and applicable CIPC requirements still need to be considered. Tell us whether it was dormant, never started trading or has stopped permanently. We can assess the annual-return position and identify whether keeping the company or pursuing a separate closure process matches your intention.
02Can you file several outstanding years?
We can review a backlog and identify the years that require attention, subject to the entity’s current status and the information available. Each period needs the appropriate figures and evidence. The scope should list the years being handled and distinguish official charges, late charges where applicable and any accounting or ownership preparation needed before filing.
03Are annual returns the same as annual financial statements?
No. Annual returns and financial statements have different functions, although the filing process may require financial information or an applicable supporting submission. The correct requirement depends on the entity and relevant rules. If the accounts are incomplete, that preparation should be identified separately rather than assuming a CIPC annual return creates a set of financial statements.
04Why is beneficial ownership relevant to my filing?
CIPC has connected annual-return filing with beneficial ownership compliance. An outdated or missing ownership filing can therefore be part of the work needed before the annual return is completed. The review should establish the actual ownership-record position, not simply ask you to confirm that the directors are unchanged, because directors and beneficial owners are not necessarily identical.
05Will filing overdue returns restore a deregistered company?
It depends on the company’s exact status. A company in a deregistration process and a company that is finally deregistered require different consideration. Final deregistration may require a separate reinstatement assessment and application. We check the status first and explain the sequence; paying for annual returns should not be presented as guaranteed reinstatement.
06What should I send with my first enquiry?
Start with the company registration number, the trading name if different, any notice you received and your understanding of the last completed filing. Mention whether you have turnover records or annual accounts for the relevant years. You do not need to estimate figures in the enquiry; the purpose is to identify the records needed for an accurate review.
Have a question about your situation?
USEFUL INFORMATION, CLOSE TO HAND.
Resources for
your next step.
Go deeper with guidance from the relevant authorities.
OFFICIAL RESOURCE
CIPC: annual returns and other company FAQs
Read official guidance on annual-return obligations and supporting financial information.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCECIPC: turnover validation and beneficial ownership
Review the connection between turnover information, annual returns and ownership filing.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCECIPC: beneficial ownership
Understand the ownership information relevant to the company’s compliance records.
Open the resourceLET’S FIND YOUR NEXT STEP.
Ready to discuss
annual returns filing?
Share your requirements with Vatco.
Confirm the scope, documents and fees before proceeding.