DORMANT OF INACTIVE COMPANY RETURNS SUBMISSIONS

 

Annual Returns Submissions for an ‘inactive’ company?

An inactive company (also called dormant) is one that…

1. Isn’t trading or doing business
2. Has no income and no significant expenses
3. Isn’t making or receiving payments
4. Might not even have a bank account

What returns do dormant / inactive companies still need to submit?

1. CIPC Annual Returns

2. SARS Tax Returns

3. BEE Certificate (optional but recommended)

4. CSD Renewal

5. CIDB Renewal

Even if you’re not trading, having a valid BEE certificate can make future tendering or partnerships easier.

And if you want to start trading again, it’s one less thing to worry about.

Why does this matter if you’re not making money?

Think of your registered company like a car in your garage.

You’re not driving it, but it still needs to be licensed and insured to stay roadworthy.

Skipping returns doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.

In fact, non-compliance can cause bigger problems down the line, like…

1. Penalties and late fees from CIPC and SARS
2. Deregistration of your company (even if you didn’t intend to close it)
3. Trouble reinstating the company if you want to trade again later
4. Red flags when applying for funding, tenders, or contracts

What happens if you just… ignore it?

You might think, “Well, I’m not using the company, who’s going to notice?”

The answer: the CIPC and SARS will notice.

These systems are automated.

So, if you don’t file your returns…

1. The CIPC will begin deregistration after a few months of non-compliance 
2. SARS may issue penalties or flag your company as non-compliant
3. You might struggle to open a business bank account, get funding, or apply for future opportunities

 

Please Note: Beneficial Ownership Declaratins (BOREG) and Foreigner Assuarance Verification (for passport holders) needs to be done in order to file your CIPC Returns. Registered Representative Profile (RR) needs to be activated inorder to file Sars Returns. these are a once off process. Please check for prices for these