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Annual Returns for Close Corporations (CC) in South Africa

Last updated: 2026-03-19

Close Corporations have almost identical annual return obligations to Pty Ltd companies. You must file an annual return with CIPC within 30 business days of your registration anniversary and an ITR14 income tax return with SARS after your financial year-end. The CIPC filing confirms your CC details (members, registered address) and costs R100.

One difference worth noting: CCs file the same CIPC annual return form as Pty Ltd companies on the CIPC e-services portal. Historically, CCs had a separate process, but CIPC now administers both entity types through the same system. Your CC registration number (CK format) remains unchanged.

CCs that have not filed annual returns for two or more consecutive years risk CIPC-initiated deregistration. If your CC has been deregistered due to non-compliance, you can apply for reinstatement by filing all outstanding returns and paying accumulated penalties. Given that CCs cannot be newly registered, losing your CC registration through negligence is particularly unfortunate — you would need to start fresh as a Pty Ltd.

Related reading: our CIPC annual returns guide.

Step-by-Step Process

  1. 1

    Check your CC anniversary date

    Your annual return is due within 30 business days of your CC registration anniversary. Find this date on your founding statement.

  2. 2

    Log into CIPC e-services

    Access the CIPC portal, select your CC, and verify that all member and address details are correct.

  3. 3

    File the annual return

    Submit the annual return online and pay the R100 filing fee.

  4. 4

    Prepare and file ITR14

    Prepare your CC financial statements and file the ITR14 income tax return with SARS.

  5. 5

    File provisional tax returns

    Submit two IRP6 provisional tax returns during your financial year.

Key Requirements

Key requirements
Requirement
CIPC annual return within 30 business days of anniversary
ITR14 income tax return filed with SARS
Two provisional tax returns (IRP6) per financial year
Annual financial statements (same requirements as Pty Ltd)
Member details kept current with CIPC

Important Deadlines

Important deadlines
Deadline
CIPC annual return: within 30 business days of registration anniversary
ITR14: within 12 months of financial year-end
Provisional tax: same schedule as Pty Ltd

Fees & Costs

Fees and costs
ItemAmount
CIPC annual returnR100
Late penaltyR100/month
Accountant fees for annual complianceR3,000–R15,000

Non-Compliance Penalties

Non-compliance penalties
Penalty
Late CIPC annual return: R100/month penalty
CIPC deregistration after 2+ years of non-compliance
Late ITR14: R250–R16,000/month administrative penalty
Provisional tax penalties: same as Pty Ltd

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the CC annual return process different from a Pty Ltd?
No. Since CIPC unified its systems, CCs and Pty Ltd companies file annual returns through the same online portal with the same fee (R100). The only difference is your entity type designation and registration number format.
What happens if my CC is deregistered for non-compliance?
You can apply for reinstatement within 7 years by filing all outstanding annual returns and paying accumulated penalties. However, since new CCs cannot be registered, losing your CC status means you would need to form a Pty Ltd if reinstatement fails.
Does a CC file the same tax return as a Pty Ltd?
Yes. CCs file an ITR14 with SARS, the same as Pty Ltd companies. CCs are taxed at the same 27% corporate rate. There is no tax difference between a CC and a Pty Ltd.

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