CAC annual returns, explained without the jargon
What an annual return is, who owes one, when it is due, and what it costs to be late.
What it actually is
An annual return is a short filing that tells the Corporate Affairs Commission your business still exists and still trades. It is not a tax return and it has nothing to do with profit. A business that made nothing all year still owes one.
Who owes one
Every entity on the CAC register: business names, limited companies and incorporated trustees.
When it is due
Business names file by 30 June each year. Companies file within 42 days of the annual general meeting, and a newly incorporated company gets its first grace period of 18 months.
What happens if you miss it
Penalties accumulate for each year outstanding. More importantly, CAC will refuse to process any other filing, a change of directors, a name change, a certified true copy for a tender, until arrears are cleared. Businesses usually discover this at the worst possible moment, in the middle of a bid.
What to do now
- 1Check whether your last return was filed and in which year.
- 2If there are arrears, clear them together rather than one at a time.
- 3Put 30 June in a calendar that will actually alert you.
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