How to Deregister (Close) a Company with CIPC

Three ways a company stops existing

Route	When	Who starts it
Voluntary deregistration	No trading, no assets (or too few to liquidate), no outstanding liabilities	The directors or members, on e-Services
Deregistration for non-filing	Annual returns outstanding for two successive years	CIPC
Liquidation (winding up)	There are assets to distribute, or debts that can’t be paid	Shareholders (special resolution), creditors (court order), or a business rescue practitioner

Don’t just stop filing annual returns as a way of closing. It works eventually, but the company is only “deregistered”, not properly wound up. Directors stay exposed, SARS obligations continue until you have CIPC’s deregistration letter, and the company can be reinstated by a creditor through a court order.

When voluntary deregistration is allowed

CIPC’s conditions (section 82 of the Companies Act and the CIPC guide):

• the company or CC has ceased all business operations and has no assets, or has too few assets to make liquidation reasonably likely;
• this includes entities that never traded and have no outstanding liabilities;
• all affairs have been finalised: bank accounts closed, SARS and creditors settled, and contracts ended.

Directors and members can be held personally liable for anything left unresolved after deregistration. Submitting false information is a criminal offence (section 214) and will cause the filing to be withdrawn.

A creditor, service provider or other third party can’t apply for voluntary deregistration on the company’s behalf without a mandate from the company.

Before you apply: a closing checklist

1. Collect debts, pay creditors and settle director loan accounts.
2. Distribute or dispose of any remaining assets. If there are assets, consider liquidation instead.
3. File outstanding SARS returns (income tax, VAT and PAYE) and deregister for VAT and PAYE.
4. Cancel debit orders, leases, licences and domain names, and close the bank account last.
5. Update director contact details on CIPC, because consent is given by OTP.
6. Keep records: you need them if anyone objects or SARS asks questions later.

How to apply for voluntary deregistration on CIPC e-Services

1. Log in to e-Services → Home → Transact → More Services → Company/CC Voluntary Deregistration (under Business Registration).
2. Read the terms and the mandate. Clicking “I agree” confirms you are authorised to apply.
3. Click New Voluntary Deregistration → New Application and search the registration number (e.g. 2025/000123/07).
4. Confirm the company details and that the directors’ contact details are current. If not, decline and fix them with a CoR39 (or a CK2 for a CC) first.
5. Select the industry and capture the physical address where the business was administered. This is statistical only. The system verifies the address with Google Maps, and rural addresses sometimes need GPS coordinates.
6. Complete the assets and liabilities checklist, which confirms everything is finalised.
7. Select the directors or members who consented: at least 50% of active directors or members must consent.
8. Each consenting person receives an OTP. Enter the customer’s ID and the email or SMS OTP and submit. OTPs are valid for 96 hours.
9. The status changes to Deregistration Process and notifications go to directors and other stakeholders.
10. If no successful objection is received during the notice period, the company is finally deregistered. Download the documents from your application history.

How long does deregistration take?

Submission is immediate once the OTPs are verified. CIPC’s guide describes a two-month notification period for objections, and its service standards say finalisation takes about four months because of the legal notices involved. Plan for four months.

Objecting to a deregistration

A creditor or other interested party can object on e-Services: Voluntary Deregistration Objection → New Application. Give the reason, upload a certified ID and supporting evidence, and submit. CIPC’s back office reviews it. Settling everything before you apply is the best way to avoid objections.

Closing the company at SARS

CIPC deregistration doesn’t close your tax profile automatically. CIPC’s own guidance is that you can only finalise closure at SARS after formal deregistration at CIPC, using the deregistration letter. Make sure all returns are filed and the tax account is settled, then apply to SARS to deactivate the income tax, VAT and PAYE registrations.

Deregistration vs liquidation

Liquidation is for companies with assets to distribute or debts that can’t be paid. The Master of the High Court appoints a liquidator, who sells assets and pays creditors in the legal order of preference. CIPC records the filings and updates the status.

• Members’ voluntary (solvent) winding up: special resolution of shareholders, filed with a CoR40.1 (R250) plus the supporting CM forms.
• Creditors’ voluntary winding up: the company is insolvent, and shareholders resolve to wind it up.
• Compulsory liquidation: creditors apply to the High Court and must prove insolvency (liabilities exceeding assets, fairly valued).

If your company owes money it can’t pay, speak to an attorney or insolvency practitioner. Voluntary deregistration is not a way to escape debt, and directors can end up personally liable.

Frequently asked questions