Company Tax Returns: Filing ITR14 and Staying Provisional-Tax Compliant
A company tax return is not an isolated annual form. It depends on the monthly accounting close, annual financial statements, tax computation, provisional tax estimates and SARS profile being aligned.
Last reviewed: 10 October 2026
Company tax return filing starts with the SARS filing requirements.
SARS corporate income tax applies to many entity types, including private companies, close corporations, co-operatives, body corporates, public benefit companies and dormant companies. The filing question should be answered from the company's facts, not from whether the business traded heavily during the year.
Resident companies and juristic persons
SARS lists companies and other juristic persons that meet the filing requirements, including companies that derived gross income over R1 000, held assets or liabilities over R1 000, had capital gains or losses over R1 000, or had taxable income, taxable turnover, an assessed loss or an assessed capital loss.
Dormant or low-activity companies
A company that appears inactive still needs its tax position checked. Dormant companies are included on the SARS Corporate Income Tax page, and a nil activity year can still require a return where the SARS filing requirement applies.
Close corporations and incorporated entities
Corporate income tax applies to a wide set of entities, including private companies, close corporations, co-operatives, body corporates and other entities listed by SARS.
Companies in provisional tax
SARS says companies automatically fall into the provisional tax system, so company tax return planning should not be separated from IRP6 estimates and payments.
A company tax return should be planned with provisional tax periods in view.
SARS says every company, excluding certain listed entity types on the SARS page, is required to submit provisional tax returns. The first provisional tax return is required six months from the start of the year and the second at year end. SARS also describes a third top-up payment after year end. That means the company tax return process should reconcile what was estimated and paid during the year, not only what is submitted at the end.
Company tax timing controls
- First provisional tax payment: within six months after the start of the year of assessment.
- Second provisional tax payment: on or before the last day of the year of assessment.
- Third top-up payment: after year end in the timing described by SARS, including seven months after February year end where applicable.
- ITR14 preparation: should be supported by the closed accounting records, tax computation and review of assessments or estimates.
Company tax return documents should prove the accounting result and the tax adjustments.
The ITR14 should not be prepared from a single summary figure. The return needs a trail from source records to trial balance, from trial balance to annual financial statements or working papers, and from accounting profit to taxable income.
| Document area | Review purpose |
|---|---|
| Trial balance and ledger | The starting point for the ITR14, tax computation and reconciliations. |
| Annual financial statements or working papers | Support for accounting profit, balance sheet items, directors' disclosure and tax-sensitive classifications. |
| Bank, loan and asset schedules | Evidence for balances, finance costs, capital allowances, disposals and related-party positions. |
| Revenue and VAT reconciliations | A control check between turnover, VAT201 submissions, management accounts and bank activity. |
| Payroll and PAYE records | Support for remuneration, PAYE, UIF, SDL, IRP5 and EMP501 consistency where the company has employees. |
| Prior SARS assessments and correspondence | Context for assessed losses, penalties, reduced assessments, objections, account balances and open SARS cases. |
Late company tax returns can create penalties, interest and profile problems.
LBA does not promise that penalties or interest will be waived. Remission or other relief depends on SARS, the law, timing, facts and evidence. The practical starting point is to identify the outstanding years, rebuild the records, file accurately and then decide whether any supported request is appropriate.
What can happen if a return is late
- Administrative penalties may arise where company returns remain outstanding.
- Interest and penalties can arise when provisional tax estimates or payments are late or inadequate.
- A non-compliant SARS profile can affect tax compliance status and third-party requirements.
- Outstanding returns can delay refunds, tender documents, finance applications and other compliance-sensitive transactions.
- Repeated filing gaps often point to deeper record, public officer, eFiling access or accounting close problems.
Company tax return support should connect bookkeeping, financial statements and SARS follow-through.
LBA's role is to make the company tax return process more controlled. That means reviewing the source records, closing the accounts, checking the tax computation, comparing provisional tax estimates and monitoring SARS after filing.
Review the company profile
Confirm the tax number, public officer, year end, banking details, registered particulars and eFiling access before the return is prepared.
Close the accounting records
Resolve unreconciled bank items, debtor and creditor balances, fixed assets, loans, payroll control accounts and VAT control accounts before the tax computation is finalised.
Prepare the tax computation
Translate accounting profit into taxable income by considering disallowable items, allowances, assessed losses, capital gains and other company-specific tax items.
Check provisional tax
Compare the company tax return position to first, second and top-up provisional tax estimates so underpayment and late payment risks are visible.
Review before submission
Read the ITR14 answers, schedules and declarations against the underlying records. A rushed return can create SARS queries after filing.
Monitor after filing
Track assessment, account movement, verification requests, penalties, interest or correspondence after submission.
Related support for the same control system
Common ITR14 and provisional tax questions.
These answers are drafted from the visible guidance on this page and the cited SARS sources.
What is an ITR14 company tax return?
An ITR14 is the company income tax return submitted to SARS for a company or other relevant juristic person. It reports the company's financial and tax position for the year of assessment and should be supported by accounting records, working papers and a tax computation.
Who must file a company tax return in South Africa?
SARS says every company or other juristic person that meets the filing requirements must submit a return. These requirements include gross income over R1 000, assets or liabilities over R1 000, capital gains or losses over R1 000, or taxable income, taxable turnover, an assessed loss or an assessed capital loss.
When are company provisional tax payments due?
SARS says companies automatically fall into the provisional tax system. The first payment is within six months after the start of the year of assessment, the second is on or before the last day of the year of assessment, and a third top-up payment may be made after year end in line with SARS timing rules.
What documents are needed for a company tax return?
The document pack normally includes a trial balance, annual financial statements or working papers, bank and loan schedules, asset registers, revenue and VAT reconciliations, payroll records where applicable, prior assessments and SARS correspondence.
What happens if a company tax return is filed late?
Late or outstanding company tax returns can create administrative penalties, interest, SARS correspondence and tax-compliance status problems. Remission is not automatic and any request must be based on the facts and SARS rules.
Can LBA prepare old outstanding company tax returns?
Yes, subject to an initial review of the years outstanding, accounting records, prior submissions, assessments, SARS profile, tax debt and whether specialist tax or legal input is needed for any complex matter.
SARS source note
Filing requirements, provisional tax timing and company tax context on this page were checked against SARS on 10 October 2026: SARS Corporate Income Tax, SARS Provisional Tax, SARS Guide to Provisional Tax.
Get the ITR14, records and provisional tax position reviewed together.
LBA can assess the current records, filing years, provisional tax estimates and SARS profile before recommending the next company tax return step.