Submitting Foreign Assurance Information to the CIPC
The CIPC has issued Notice 75 of 2024 with updated guidance for accountants assisting clients with foreign assurance submissions, emphasising compliance with certification standards. With a 52% rejection rate for submissions from July to September 2024, understanding these requirements is crucial to streamline the process and avoid delays.
Common Challenges Noted
Certification Errors
Missing or incomplete names, designations, and signatures of Commissioners of Oaths or Notaries. The Commissioner of Oaths, Notary or person who apostilled the document MUST be identifiable, and cannot be different persons.
Stamps from police officials must include detailed information about the officer and station.
Documents must be certified within the last three months.
Incorrect Data Capture
Misspelled names, incorrect passport details, or improperly entered dates often result in rejections.
Failure to account for special characters or unnecessary spaces in names is another frequent error.
Document Quality
Poor legibility, unclear photographs, or missing translations for non-English documents are common issues.
Traceability Issues
Lack of physical address or rank information for officials certifying the documents.
Requirements as per Practice Note 2 of 2022
To avoid application rejection, the following certification requirements must be strictly adhered to:
South African Certification:
Commissioner of Oaths Details:
Full name, surname, designation, and business address.
Signature and date of certification.
Rank and rank number for police officials, along with station details.
Certification Standards:
Documents must be certified within the last three months.
Both sides of the South African ID card must be scanned and certified on the same page.
Only valid South African documents (no asylum or temporary resident documents) will be accepted.
International Certification:
Notary Public Certification:
A Notary Public seal or certification stamp must accompany documents.
Certification must include a certificate of authentication.
General Document Preparation:
Certification must be in English; translations are required for documents in other languages.
Only one ID or passport may appear on a single page.
Any questionable authenticity will result in rejection.
Practical Tips
Verify all details against the Practice Note requirements before submission.
Scan documents carefully to ensure clarity of text and images.
Ensure the certifier's information is clear and complete.
For non-English documents, engage qualified translators to certify translations.
For detailed guidance, refer to the CIPC website and read Notice 75 of 2024 and Practice Note 2 of 2022.
