Question 1

Where does the compliance data come from?

Accepted Answer

We use officially published CIPC records — specifically the Beneficial Ownership Non-Compliance Entity Lists (covering 2.2 million companies) and CIPC Gazette Publications (AR deregistrations, voluntary deregistrations, and business rescue proceedings). These are public government records that we've indexed into a searchable database.

Question 2

What is beneficial ownership and why is it important in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

Beneficial ownership (BO) is a declaration telling CIPC who actually owns and controls your company — every person who holds 5% or more of shares or voting rights. South Africa introduced mandatory BO filing to fight money laundering and exit the international FATF grey list. Since 2024, CIPC blocks your annual return filing if your BO declaration is incomplete. Over 2 million companies are currently non-compliant.

Question 3

How do I check my CIPC compliance status?

Accepted Answer

Enter your company registration number on ClearComply and get an instant compliance health check in under 15 seconds. We check your Beneficial Ownership status, Annual Return filing status, deregistration risk, and more — all cross-referenced against 2.25 million CIPC records. No account needed for the free check.

Question 4

How do I fix a missing Beneficial Ownership declaration on CIPC?

Accepted Answer

Log in to CIPC eServices (eservices.cipc.co.za), click Transact, select Beneficial Ownership, click the blue hand icon next to your company, upload a mandate document, select your company type, enter beneficial owner details (anyone with 5%+ ownership), upload certified ID copies (less than 3 months old), submit, and verify with SMS and email OTPs. Most filings take 15-30 minutes. ClearComply provides a detailed step-by-step guide specific to your company.

Question 5

How do I file my CIPC Annual Return?

Accepted Answer

Log in to CIPC eServices or annualreturns.cipc.co.za, click Transact, select File Annual Returns, enter your registration number, enter your turnover as a whole number (no decimals), submit financial statements (FAS for most SMEs), add to cart, and pay by card. Important: you must complete your Beneficial Ownership declaration first or the system will block your AR filing. ClearComply shows you exactly what's outstanding and in what order to fix it.

Question 6

My company is on the CIPC deregistration list. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

If your company is on the AR deregistration list, CIPC is in the process of involuntary deregistration under Section 82 of the Companies Act. You need to file your outstanding Annual Returns as soon as possible to halt the process. If deregistration has been finalised, you can apply for re-registration using Form CoR40.5 — this typically takes 1-5 business days. ClearComply shows your deregistration status and provides a step-by-step re-registration guide.

Question 7

How is ClearComply different from what my accountant does?

Accepted Answer

Your accountant handles tax compliance (SARS). But most accountants don't monitor your CIPC filings, COIDA, UIF declarations, B-BBEE, or POPIA deadlines. ClearComply tracks all 12+ regulatory obligations in one dashboard with automated deadline reminders. Think of it as an information layer — we show you what's due and how to fix it, you or your accountant handles the actual filing.

Question 8

What compliance obligations does a South African company need to track?

Accepted Answer

South African companies must track: CIPC Annual Returns and Beneficial Ownership declarations, SARS Income Tax and Provisional Tax, VAT (if turnover exceeds R1 million), PAYE/UIF/SDL (if you have employees), COIDA Return of Earnings, B-BBEE verification or affidavit, POPIA compliance and data protection, and PAIA Section 51 Manual. Missing any of these can result in penalties ranging from R1,500 to R10,000+ or deregistration of your company.

Question 9

How much does ClearComply cost?

Accepted Answer

The CIPC compliance check is completely free — no account needed. Basic is R49/month or R490/year (that works out to roughly R40/month, saving you 2 months vs monthly billing). Enterprise for accountants starts at R899/month. Both plans include a 21-day free trial.

Question 10

Is my data safe with ClearComply?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We use bank-level encryption for all data in transit and at rest. We're POPIA compliant ourselves — we practice what we preach. Your documents are stored securely, and we never share your data with third parties. The free compliance check only uses publicly available CIPC records.

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