CIPC Issues Warning on Compliance Checklist Accuracy

Posted 15 December 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category CIPC

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: In terms of section 168(2) of the Companies Act, No. 71 of 2008, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) has issued Customer Notice 53 of 2025 regarding the mandatory and accurate completion of the Compliance Checklist.

The CIPC has identified a trend of inaccurate or careless reporting in checklist submissions, which serve as formal declarations by company directors and officers. Under section 168(2) of the Act, the Commission’s Corporate Governance, Surveillance and Enforcement Unit (CGSE) is actively monitoring these submissions to initiate proactive investigations into suspected non-compliance.

The Compliance Checklist comprises 24 questions covering key requirements of the Companies Act, No. 71 of 2008 and its regulations. Each question requires a response of “Yes,” “No,” or “Not Applicable,” along with supporting comments. The Commission emphasizes that the accuracy of these submissions is not a formality but a statutory duty for directors and company secretaries that contributes to corporate transparency.

Click here to download Customer Notice 53 of 2025 — Compliance Checklist.

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

  • For yourself: You must ensure that any professional guidance provided for the completion of the checklist is supported by a thorough audit trail to mitigate the risk of being associated with false declarations.
  • For your business: Your firm should implement a quality control step to verify that the “Yes/No/N/A” responses for each of the 24 questions are consistent with the client’s actual statutory records.
  • For your clients: Directors must be informed that the CIPC is using these declarations to trigger proactive enforcement cases, and inaccurate reporting may result in legal consequences under the Commission’s investigative powers.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/cipc-accurate-completion-of-compliance-checklist

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