Beneficial Ownership submission
Beneficial ownership filing tells CIPC who actually owns or controls your company, meaning anyone who directly or indirectly holds 5% or more of it, not just what your official shareholding documents say. Since 1 July 2024, CIPC won't process your annual return at all if this information is missing or out of date.
R800
Includes your securities register, interest register, mandate and disclosure documents
Filed with CIPC
Usually alongside your annual return
What this service includes
- Setting up your supporting documents: securities register, interest register, mandate and disclosure forms
- Filing your Beneficial Ownership declaration with CIPC, correctly matched to your actual ownership structure
- Reporting any ownership changes within the required 10 business days of the change happening
- Coordinating the filing with your CIPC annual return, since the two are effectively linked now
Who counts as a beneficial owner
This isn't limited to direct shareholders. Anyone who owns 5% or more through another company, a trust, or another layered structure counts, which is exactly the kind of ownership arrangement this register was introduced to make visible. If your company has any shareholding that isn't a straightforward individual holding shares directly, it's worth having someone check the structure properly rather than assuming it's obvious.
The deadline that catches most people out
New companies must file their Beneficial Ownership information shortly after registration, a tight window most first-time directors don't know about. Existing companies file annually, usually alongside the annual return, but the CIPC hard stop means a company that's behind on this one filing is effectively also failing its annual return.
How it runs
- We review your company's actual shareholding and ownership structure, including any indirect holdings
- We prepare your securities register, interest register, and supporting disclosure documents
- We file the Beneficial Ownership declaration with CIPC
- We monitor for ownership changes during the year and file updates within the 10 business day window
Common questions
Who counts as a beneficial owner?
Anyone who directly or indirectly owns 5% or more of the company's shares or voting rights, or otherwise exercises effective control, even through another company or trust.
What happens if this isn't filed?
CIPC blocks your annual return submission entirely, which puts you at the same deregistration risk as simply missing the return.
How often do I need to file Beneficial Ownership information?
Annually, alongside your annual return, plus within 10 business days of any change in who owns or controls 5% or more of the company.
Does a small company really need to worry about this?
Yes. There's no size or turnover exemption. Even a small, simply structured Pty Ltd needs its Beneficial Ownership filed to keep its annual returns unblocked.
R800
Includes your securities register, interest register, mandate and disclosure documents
Usually needed with this
CIPC annual returns
R500
CIPC company registration
R800
CIPC company amendments
R500