What Can a Public Officer Do?

Most of us have never heard of a public officer, especially if we aren’t in the corporate world, which could lead to the question; what can a public officer do?

The world of a public officer is one that is very serious, and they play an exceptionally important role in a company, taking on the sole responsibility for all the tax affairs of the company.

Would you want SARS as your ultimate boss? They’re pretty frightening if you don’t behave in the way they expect you to if you have sole responsibility for all tax affairs for your company, of that you can be certain.

One wrong step and you could cost your company more penalties than they’d be happy with, pay one tax bill too late and that’s where the trouble begins.

Being a public officer definitely means taking a proactive approach towards all your responsibilities and communications with SARS, which keeps your company in good standing.

What can a public officer do?

A public officer can register you, the company owner, as an employer, as well as register you as a tax payer. 

There are other registrations or, if necessary, de-registrations involved in what a public officer can do, such as VAT, PAYE, UIF, Income Tax, as well as the submission of every form of tax return, such as annual and provisional tax returns.

In additions to this, a public officer will also be responsible for the company’s monthly employees’ tax declarations and reconciliations.

The major role in all that a public officer does is to make sure that they submit and pay all taxes due to SARS on time. Late submissions or late payments will inevitably lead to penalties, which can be pretty stiff, depending on which tax has been neglected.

The public officer is the open channel of communication between SARS and the company, keeping them updated on any changes that take place within the company.

This can include verifying bank details, accepting notices that may be served against a company, keeping SARS updated on any changes to the registered address or even a name change.

Must you have a public officer?

That’s an unequivocal yes in South Africa! If you open for business and have already been trading for one month, it’s time to register a public officer with SARS. The same applies to any company that acquires a company office in South Africa, within the same time frame.

Should you work with a high profile secretarial services platform firm such as Kilgetty Statutory Services, they are able to offer all the public officer services to any company, right across the board.

Feel free to peruse their impressive background and range of services here.

This includes stepping in to assist with the provision of a public officer, should all the directors of any company that has been incorporated in South Africa aren’t residents of South Africa, carrying the tax load for them with Kilgetty Public Officer Services.

Contact Kilgetty to find out more about public officer services from this exceptionally professional team, or to find out about outsourcing your  Company Secretary Services and Corporate Services to this talented team.

If you’d like all your statutory obligations tackled in a pro-active, streamlined and tailored-to-your-budget manner, this is the team for you. 

Kilgetty handles these services for JSE listed companies, small to medium businesses and small start-ups.

Win with Kilgetty on your side, while you focus on growing your business and wealth, the right way.