CIPC Warns of Penalties for Compliance Checklist Non-Compliance

Posted 11 June 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Company Law

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: In terms of the Companies Act, No. 71 of 2008, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) has issued Customer Notice 28 of 2026 to address widespread non-compliance with mandatory annual Compliance Checklist submissions.

The CIPC has observed that an increasing number of companies have failed to submit their annual Compliance Checklists within the required timeframes. In terms of Notice 9 of 2020, issued on 5 March 2020, it is mandatory for designated categories of companies to submit this checklist annually.

Failure to submit the checklist timeously constitutes non-compliance with the Companies Act, No. 71 of 2008 and undermines the corporate regulatory framework. The CIPC has warned that it may issue formal Compliance Notices requiring urgent remedial action. Failure to comply with a Compliance Notice may result in further enforcement action, including the imposition of administrative penalties.

The CIPC previously issued Customer Notice 53 of 2025 on 12 December 2025, urging companies to complete the checklist accurately. The Compliance Checklist is a free standalone service that must be accessed and completed online by logging onto the CIPC’s E-Services website, navigating to the “Other/More Services” icon, selecting “Business Maintenance”, and clicking on the “Compliance Checklist” link.

Click here to download Customer Notice 28 of 2026.

Click here to download Customer Notice 53 of 2025.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct individual obligations; your role is to maintain active, secure access to the CIPC E-Services portal to facilitate submissions on behalf of your firm and clients.
  • For your business: Review your firm’s corporate governance calendar to ensure your own annual Compliance Checklist is submitted timeously alongside your annual return to avoid administrative penalties and CIPC enforcement actions.
  • For your clients: Conduct an urgent audit of your client portfolio to identify companies that have failed to submit their checklists, and immediately file the outstanding checklists via the CIPC portal to pre-empt the issuance of formal Compliance Notices.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/cipc-non-compliance-with-the-annual-compliance-checklist-submission

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