Tax and SARS knowledge base
Company details to update with SARS before filing
Which company details should be updated with SARS before filing?
Last reviewed:
Direct answer
Before filing an ITR14, check that the company’s contact details, addresses, banking details and public-officer details are correct on SARS. SARS directs companies to verify and update these particulars through RAV01, usually through the Maintain Registered Particulars function on eFiling. Do this early: an incorrect or unverified company profile can delay filing, correspondence, refunds or banking verification.
Do not assume that a change at CIPC automatically updates SARS. In particular, a CIPC-registered company that changes its financial year end must follow the CIPC process first and should then check that the change has reached the ITR14 profile. Details in the company’s accounting file, CIPC record and SARS profile should tell the same story.
What this means in practice
The public officer or properly authorised representative should treat the SARS profile as a filing prerequisite, not a year-end administrative task. Compare what appears in eFiling with current company records before the tax computation is finalised. The most useful checklist is simple: who is the responsible representative, where should SARS send correspondence, which address is registered, and which bank account is recorded?
Contact details are important because SARS correspondence may trigger a response date. A stale email address or telephone number can leave the company unaware of a verification request, assessment or supporting-document notice. The public officer detail is equally important because SARS needs a recognised person for the company’s tax affairs. If an officer resigned, a change in the internal file is not enough. The SARS relationship must be corrected through the applicable channel.
Banking changes need particular care. SARS says that it may require a branch visit to verify a banking change completed through eFiling. A company should therefore avoid changing details just before a return deadline or a refund expectation. Keep current bank proof and the authority for the account available before starting the amendment. Do not let a bookkeeper upload a personal account or an account in a different entity’s name as a short-term solution.
Step-by-step
- Confirm the company identity.
Start with the registered name, registration number, income-tax reference number and tax types. Compare CIPC documentation, the most recent SARS correspondence and the eFiling profile. Escalate differences instead of choosing whichever record looks easiest to change.
- Review the public officer and representative access.
Confirm that the listed public officer is still eligible and that the person using eFiling has authority to act for the company. Retain appointment and authority records. If a professional adviser has access, the company should still keep internal control over who can receive SARS notices and approve amendments.
- Check contact and address particulars.
Verify correspondence address, physical address, email address and phone number against current company records. Include address changes after a move, changes of directors or administrators, and changes to the person responsible for tax correspondence.
- Review banking details and supporting documents.
Confirm the account belongs to the company and is still active. Prepare current bank confirmation, identity and authority material required by the RAV01 process. SARS may require verification, so leave enough time for a follow-up request.
- Deal with a financial-year-end change separately.
A company registered through CIPC should first inform CIPC and retain its confirmation. SARS says that, after approval, the ITR14 should update. If it does not, use the SARS branch or virtual-appointment route described in current SARS guidance rather than filing with a known incorrect year end.
- Save evidence and recheck the profile.
Keep copies or screenshots of the submitted amendment, supporting documents and SARS confirmation. Reopen the profile before filing to check that the changes were accepted, not merely saved.
Documents and records to keep
Keep the CIPC disclosure or registration information, public-officer appointment or authority documents, proof of the business address, current bank confirmation and records of any RAV01 submission. Retain SARS notices about verification and the final confirmed profile. If the financial year end changed, retain CIPC correspondence and a copy of the ITR14 that reflects the correct period.
These records help when a new employee, accountant or director takes over the work. They also make it easier to show why a change was made if SARS asks for support after the return is submitted.
Important limits and exceptions
This guide is about company profile details before an ITR14. It does not register a new tax type, transfer a tax type between parties, change ownership at CIPC or complete the return. Those tasks may have additional authority and supporting-document requirements.
Avoid treating an eFiling screen as proof that an amendment is complete. A saved request, a pending verification or a rejected document does not mean SARS has accepted the new detail. Banking and public-officer changes are sensitive. Get help where there is a dispute about authority, a dormant entity, an estate, liquidation or a suspicious profile change.
When to get tailored advice
Get assistance before filing if CIPC and SARS data differ, the public officer is unavailable, the registered bank account cannot be verified, or a financial-year-end change has not flowed through to the ITR14. Advice is also sensible where a company has multiple tax types, a complex group structure or an unresolved SARS verification.
TaxProof can help organise the supporting records and review the company profile checklist. We cannot approve an unverified SARS profile or decide a corporate-authority dispute.