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How do I update public-officer details for a company with SARS?
How do I update public-officer details for a company with SARS?
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Direct answer
To update a company's public-officer details with SARS, use the current Registration, Amendments and Verification Form, known as RAV01, through the authorised SARS channel. Confirm that the person making the change has authority, verify the company and public-officer information against reliable records, provide any evidence SARS requests and retain the result.
SARS's RAV01 guidance covers the amendment and verification of registered particulars. A public-officer update is a compliance record change, not merely an internal payroll or bookkeeping update. Do not assume it changes Companies and Intellectual Property Commission records, bank mandates, eFiling user rights or every other company record automatically.
What this means in practice
Start with the legal entity, not the user login. Confirm the company registration details, income-tax reference, current public officer, proposed public officer and the date the responsibility changed. Obtain appropriate company authority, such as a resolution or authorised instruction, before submitting personal information about the new representative.
Check the difference between three related but distinct items: the public officer or representative taxpayer recorded with SARS, the company's corporate records, and user access to its eFiling profile. A change in one may make it sensible to review the others, but they should not be treated as automatically identical. For example, an outgoing accountant's eFiling access should be revoked through the applicable access process, even if the public-officer details are also changing.
RAV01 changes may require verification or supporting documents. Prepare them from reliable originals and secure them appropriately. Do not upload more personal information than the current SARS prompt requires. Save the submission reference and check later correspondence for a request, verification result or rejection.
Step-by-step
- Confirm the company, relevant tax reference, current public officer and proposed public officer from reliable company records.
- Obtain written company authority for the change and keep it in the governance file. Check whether separate corporate-record or banking changes are also required.
- Ensure the authorised person can access the correct company taxpayer profile through the current SARS channel.
- Open the current RAV01 registration-amendment process and review the registered particulars before editing. Record any unrelated errors separately rather than changing them without evidence.
- Amend the public-officer or representative details only where the current form and authority support the change. Provide requested supporting documents through the secure SARS process.
- Submit and retain the confirmation, case number or receipt. Note the date, preparer, reviewer and source documents used.
- Review SARS correspondence and the company profile after processing. Separately update internal records and eFiling user access where appropriate.
Documents and records to keep
- Company authority for the public-officer change.
- Verified company and representative identification details.
- RAV01 submission result, case number and SARS correspondence.
- A dated internal log of the change and any separate access revocation.
Store personal details securely. A public-officer record can be necessary for tax administration, but it does not justify broad access to identity documents or credentials. Periodically review the authorised access list after any company governance change, resignation, appointment or change in adviser.
Important limits and exceptions
Do not represent that the update is effective until the relevant SARS profile or correspondence confirms the result. A change can be delayed by verification or rejected because information or authority is incomplete. Do not file a company return in another person's name simply because a change is pending.
An update with SARS does not automatically update CIPC, bank signatories, payroll contacts or commercial contracts. Identify each record owner and complete the applicable separate process. If a company is in liquidation, deregistration, dispute or an ownership transition, additional restrictions can apply.
When to get tailored advice
Obtain assistance where the existing public officer cannot be reached, authority is disputed, the company is under audit or has overdue returns, or the proposed representative is outside South Africa. Help is appropriate if the change coincides with a director resignation, liquidation or a change in beneficial ownership.