Public Officer Appointment

What you need to know

A Public Officer is the representative taxpayer for a company which means they are contact person of the company for tax purposes. All actions carried out in this person’s capacity as a Public Officer are deemed to have been done by the company.

Without an appointed Public Officer, no registrations can be done with SARS from Tax Clearance to VAT and PAYE registrations.

You will need a active SARS e-filing profile to add your company to your profile to access other SARS services such as VAT and Import and Export.

Good to know

A Public Officer Appointment is registered at SARS

Price : R590
How long does it take? 6 - 8 weeks

Call Centre
021 595 4433

Email
info@swiftreg.co.za

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Public Officer?

The Public Officer for a company is the company’s representative for SARS and the person who is responsible for all matters relating to SARS. From May 2021, SARS introduced tighter measures for companies interacting with SARS and now require all companies to have a Public Officer appointed to the company in order to access their services.

Why do I need one?

Without a Public Officer you will not be able to access any of the SARS services such as Tax Clearance, VAT Registration, Import and Export License application to name but a few.

Isn’t the Company Director the Public Officer?

Although company’s Public Officer is often a company Director, SARS still requires the person to formally accept that appointment. This is most likely to mitigate for people who may be appointed as Public Officer without their knowledge and then bear the responsibility for the company with the tax authority.

What does the Public Officer do?

The Public Officer carries out actions on behalf of the company which are then deemed to have done by the company. This can be anything such as applying for Tax Clearance for the company to VAT registration or applying for an Import and Export License

How is the Public Officer appointed?

We apply to SARS on the Company’s behalf and require the person’s ID, a letter of consent and a proof of address document.

How do I change the Public Officer?

Much the same as an application where we apply to SARS on the Company’s behalf and require the new person’s ID, a letter of consent and a proof of address document.

I am a Foreigner, how do I appoint a public officer on my company In South Africa?

To access any SARS services or register for services such as VAT or import/export licenses, a company must first appoint a Public Officer.
This individual acts as the main point of contact between the company and SARS, ensuring all official correspondence is properly managed.

The Public Officer must be:

A resident of South Africa, and
A registered taxpayer with SARS.

Many companies choose to appoint their accountant or another trusted representative for this role.

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