Registering your company is only step one — every company registered with CIPC has an ongoing legal duty to file annual returns, or risk being deregistered. Here's what that actually means.
An annual return is a yearly filing that confirms your company is still trading and updates CIPC on your company's basic details. It is not the same as filing tax returns with SARS — it's a separate, company-law requirement.
Annual returns must be filed within a specific window each year, based on the anniversary of your company's original registration date — not the calendar year or your financial year-end.
If annual returns go unfiled for an extended period, CIPC can move to deregister the company. A deregistered company can no longer legally trade, open bank accounts, or hold contracts — and reinstating it afterward is its own process.
Yes. Annual returns are required whether or not the company has actually traded, as long as it remains registered with CIPC.
Yes, through a re-instatement process with CIPC — though it takes longer and costs more than staying compliant in the first place.
No — annual returns go to CIPC and confirm your company's existence and details. Tax returns go to SARS and cover your actual income and tax position. Both are required, separately.
Browse our CIPC compliance services, or chat with us on WhatsApp and we'll file your annual returns before the deadline.