Annual Returns at CIPC

What is a CIPC Annual Return?

A CIPC annual return is a mandatory submission that all companies including CC (close corporations) in South Africa need to file each year, whether they’re trading or not. You can see it as a yearly fee to keep your company registered. Furthermore, it’s a way to provide the CIPC with your latest business information.

CIPC Annual Returns Fees Explained:

Your CC’s or Company’s total invoice for Annual Returns Filing Fee consists of two fees:

1. CIPC Fee: The normal outstanding CIPC fee, PLUS penalties which is only applicable when payment is late.
2. Submission Fee: A once-off admin fee to submit your return(s) correctly with the CIPC.

(1) Apply: Upon application you will receive an invoice of R490. However, this is purely our Submission Fee to file your returns for 1 year. Also see the application form above.

(2) Filing: We will file your Company’s Annual Returns using the information you have given us. CIPC will then confirm your Company’s CIPC Fees, which we will add to your invoice. To explain, here follows the factors making up your final invoice total:

• Years. The number of years for which your returns are due.
• Turnover. Your Company’s turnover for the given year – if it is more than R1 million for the financial year, CIPC’s fees start to increase.
• Penalties. CIPC will penalise any late filings (only if applicable).
• Deregistration. If your Entity is already reflecting as “Deregistration Process” CIPC can deregister your Company / CC at any moment, thus Annual Returns need to be submitted urgently to prevent final deregistration.

(3) Delivery: We will process the Annual Return Submission and receive your Annual Return Certificate within 2 working days from CIPC. After that, your Certificate will be made available on your Customer Account. In addition, we will notify you via email as well.

The fee payable to the CIPC every year is calculated based on your company’s annual turnover for that particular period.

Here is an example: companies with a turnover less than R1 million pay R100 if they file within 30 business days of their anniversary date (the date your company was registered on). However, this fee increases if filed later because of the penalties being added. It’s always best to check the latest fee structure with Company Partners to avoid surprises.

Firstly, to stay Compliant: To apply at any Government Institution or Regulating (e.g CSD), you need to ensure that your Company is always compliant with CIPC. This will also ensure that there are no delays when applying for a business loan at the bank as the bank account can be frozen due to non compliance at CIPC.

Secondly, no penalties or Deregistration: Submitting your Annual Returns at CIPC every year, will prevent you from having to pay penalty fees for late submission as it is required by law.

Most importantly, it will also keep your company status Active and prevent your Company from going into a Deregistration status at CIPC which can also result in suppliers revoking your credit facility.

Read more about CIPC Annual Returns here.

Yes. If the deregistration is due to annual return non compliance, the deregistration process will be cancelled if all outstanding annual returns are filed while it is still in such status. However, the status could change at any time which results in a final deregistration. Please complete the above online form immediately for us to correct this matter. Click here for more information to deregister your Company/CC.

Yes, ALL Companies and Close Corporations (CCs) are required by the South African law to file their annual returns with the CIPC on an annual basis and also within a prescribed time period. We can assist you with this process (even if you have not done so over the last few years) – please complete and submit our easy online form above to start.

Your annual return is for CIPC to confirm whether your Company or Close Corporation (CC) is still in business or trading, or if your Company / CC will be in business in the near future.

Plus, timely submissions can save you from incurring additional fees in the form of penalties. Showcasing your CIPC compliance is also important to apply for Tenders and Contracts.

The whole process can be completed within 1 – 2 working days. There will be no need for you to create your own CIPC admin panel and/or pay money over to CIPC, because we take care of everything for you and make the payment to CIPC for your outstanding annual returns.

Yes, your company’s Annual Returns must be up to date in order to deregister your company.

Read more about Annual Returns here.

Read more about retrieving your Company Documents here.

<a ” href=”#annual-return”>Click here to apply now!

Consider setting reminders on your calendar or mobile phone, alternatively work with a professional service that can handle the filing for you. This way, you can focus on your business operations, knowing that your compliance needs are in expert hands.

We break down the various Compliance documents for your Company in our 12 Part Series. 

You can view our Annual Returns brochure here.

Before you are required to pay Annual Returns you will first need to register a company.

Explore our 12 part series where we guide you, starting with How to Start a Business.

Also consider reading How to Register a Company Online in South Africa.