CIPC annual returns and beneficial ownership

Every company and close corporation files an annual return every year, trading or not. It falls due within 30 business days of your incorporation anniversary, and beneficial ownership has to be lodged first or CIPC blocks the submission.
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Annual return packages

Fixed fees, quoted before we file. CIPC statutory fees are charged at cost on top.

Single Return

One year brought up to date

POA
One CIPC annual return filed
Beneficial ownership declaration
Confirmation of submission
Turnover band checked for you
CIPC fee paid at cost
Next year due date confirmed
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Catch Up

Every outstanding year cleared

POA
All outstanding returns filed
Beneficial ownership lodged
Securities register reconstructed
Late penalties calculated up front
CIPC disclosure certificate
Next year due date confirmed
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Annual Care

We watch the date, you carry on

POA
Annual return filed every year
Beneficial ownership kept current
Reminder before the window opens
Director and address changes included
Disclosure certificate on request
One point of contact at CIPC
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Re-instatement

Bring a deregistered company back

POA
CoR40.5 re-instatement application
Proof of trading compiled
All outstanding returns filed
Beneficial ownership lodged
CIPC fees paid at cost
Disclosure certificate once restored
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Worth knowing

Beneficial ownership comes first

Since 1 July 2024 CIPC will not accept an annual return until your beneficial ownership register is current. The system blocks the submission outright, and your deadline keeps running while you are blocked.
What CIPC charges

Every filing includes

Filed inside your window.

We track your incorporation anniversary and file within the 30 business days, so CIPC adds no late penalty to what you already owe.

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Beneficial ownership lodged.

The declaration, the securities register and the certified identity documents behind it, submitted before the return so nothing blocks.

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Proof in your hands.

Confirmation of submission from CIPC, and a disclosure certificate showing your company is compliant.

What CIPC charges

Set by turnover, paid at cost

Under R1 million

R100 to file. R150 if you file late.

R1m to R10m

R450 to file. R600 if you file late.

R10m to R25m

R2 000 to file. R2 500 if you file late.

R25m and above

R3 000 to file. R4 000 if you file late.

Close corporations

R100 up to R50 million turnover, with a R150 late penalty.

Common questions

When exactly is my return due?

Within 30 business days of the anniversary of your incorporation date, every year, whether the company traded or not. Close corporations get a wider window: the anniversary month of registration and the month after it.

What happens if I miss it?

A late penalty is added from the day after your window closes, and your entity is flagged non-compliant on the CIPC register. With returns outstanding for two successive years CIPC may refer the company for deregistration.

My company was deregistered. Can it come back?

In most cases yes. Re-instatement is a CoR40.5 application to CIPC at R200, supported by proof the entity was trading or held assets, plus every outstanding return and its penalty. We handle the application and the backlog together.

Does a dormant company still have to file?

Yes. The obligation attaches to the entity, not to its trading. A company that has never traded still files an annual return every year, at the R100 band, and still has to keep its beneficial ownership register current.

Not sure how many returns you owe? Send us the registration number.

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