A compliant company needs more than one annual submission. Directors should monitor CIPC annual returns and beneficial ownership, SARS income tax and provisional tax, VAT where applicable, employer declarations, statutory company records and changes to directors, addresses or shareholders. The best control is a single calendar linked to accountable documents and proof of submission. Read through our Company Compliance Checklist to see if your company is compliant.

Corporate records

• Current Memorandum of Incorporation
• Accurate securities register and share certificates
• Board and shareholder resolutions
• Director and registered-address records
• Beneficial ownership register and organogram
• Copies of CIPC submission confirmations

CIPC recurring obligations

Confirm the company’s anniversary date and file the annual return within the applicable period. Review beneficial ownership first because CIPC can block the annual return if that information is not current.

For the current official requirements, refer to SARS’s Budget 2026 guidance, CIPC’s beneficial ownership and annual-return guidance, and the Department of Employment and Labour’s UIF guide.

Use the latest approved financial information for turnover and determine whether audited statements, reviewed statements or a Financial Accountability Supplement must be submitted.

SARS income-tax cycle

• Maintain an active registered representative or public officer
• Submit first and second provisional-tax returns where required
• Submit the annual ITR14 within 12 months after financial year-end
• Reconcile accounting records to the return
• Retain supporting documents and assessments
• Review statements of account and correspondence

VAT controls

From 1 April 2026, the compulsory VAT registration threshold increased to R2.3 million in taxable supplies, while the general voluntary threshold increased to R120,000, subject to the detailed rules and exceptions.

Businesses should monitor taxable supplies on a rolling basis, issue compliant tax invoices, reconcile output and input tax and respond to verification requests with organised documents.

Employer compliance

• Register for PAYE, SDL and UIF where applicable
• Run payroll from approved hours and employee data
• Submit EMP201 declarations and payments by the monthly deadline
• Complete interim and annual EMP501 reconciliations
• Issue IRP5 or IT3(a) certificates after an accepted reconciliation
• Submit UIF declarations and maintain UI-19 information
• Register for COIDA and complete Return of Earnings processes
• Retain employment and payroll records for the required periods

Event-driven updates

Some duties arise because something changes, not because a date arrives. Examples include appointing a director, transferring shares, changing the registered address, hiring the first employee, passing a VAT threshold, changing a public officer or adding a trustee.

Build a notification process so that compliance advisers are told before the event is implemented.

Monthly management review

• Are all statutory deadlines in the next 60 days assigned?
• Do the bank, accounting and payroll records reconcile?
• Has SARS or CIPC issued correspondence?
• Have directors, shareholders, trustees or addresses changed?
• Are employee master data and tax reference numbers complete?
• Are proof-of-submission files stored centrally?

A useful compliance file structure

Create folders for CIPC, SARS income tax, VAT, payroll, UIF, COIDA, trusts and contracts. Within each folder, use subfolders by year or period containing source documents, working papers, submission receipts, assessments and correspondence. The structure should allow another authorised person to understand the status without relying on one employee’s inbox.

Quarterly director review

Directors should receive a short quarterly compliance report listing completed work, open risks, deadlines, missing information and decisions required. This turns compliance into a governance process rather than a collection of emergency submissions.

Why a compliance retainer can help

A retainer creates continuity. Instead of discovering each problem after a bank, tender or regulator raises it, the business reviews deadlines and changes throughout the year.

LMW Financial Solutions offers structured support across CIPC, SARS, payroll and administrative compliance, with the scope agreed according to the client’s actual risk and workload.

Need practical assistance?
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this checklist the same for every company?

No. Tax types, employee obligations, industry rules, ownership structures and financial reporting requirements differ.

How often should a company review beneficial ownership?

Review it whenever ownership or control changes and before the annual return.

When is an ITR14 due?

A company’s ITR14 is generally due within 12 months after its financial year-end.

Why keep proof after a return is filed?

Submission receipts, assessments, payment records and supporting documents are needed for audits, verifications, disputes and third-party requests.