A COIDA Return of Earnings reports the employment earnings information required for the relevant Compensation Fund assessment. Reconcile actual payroll, prepare supported provisional earnings where required, apply the correct period’s rules and preserve the submission outcome. Check current official notices for filing dates, earnings limits and any outstanding-return instructions rather than reusing last year’s timetable.
Understand the purpose of the return
The Compensation Fund uses earnings information in its employer assessment process under COIDA. A Return of Earnings is therefore a specific statutory reporting task, not simply a copy of the salary expense in the annual accounts. The payroll ledger is an important input, but the return may require classifications, limits and separate actual and provisional information.
Identify the employer registration, relevant assessment period and business information before starting. Check that the return belongs to the correct legal employer. Where a group has several companies, a central payroll team must not assume that one combined schedule can be submitted under whichever registration is easiest to access.
The official 2026 earnings notice and CF-2A form show the fields and separate periods relevant to that published return. Use the current form and instructions for the return being prepared. This article explains a preparation method; it does not replace the employer-specific assessment, the current notice or the Fund’s instructions on an unusual case.
Check the current filing notice and outstanding years
Do not treat 31 March as an unchanging universal filing deadline. The legislation and notices allow the Commissioner’s communicated timetable to matter. The official 2026 season notice should be checked alongside later notices. A reminder for outstanding returns is not necessarily a new normal filing date for every future year.
For example, Notice 4140 of 2026, dated 8 September 2026, addressed outstanding 2025 and earlier returns and referred to submission before 31 October 2026. As at this article’s update date, that date has passed. It should not be displayed as a future opportunity or recycled as the annual deadline for a later assessment year.
Review all years shown as outstanding, not only the latest year. Prepare a list of returns, assessments and unresolved queries, with the relevant notice or account evidence for each. If access or an audit flag prevents a submission, record the problem and use the official assistance route. An internal spreadsheet marked “prepared” is not evidence that the Fund has accepted the return.
Build the actual earnings schedule from payroll
Start with the payroll history covering the required actual earnings period. Check the employee population, months worked, pay components and any changes in payroll systems. Reconcile the schedule to payroll control totals and accounting records, explaining differences rather than forcing the return to equal a single general-ledger account.
Review directors or members and other relevant categories according to the current form and rules. Do not exclude a person simply because their pay is processed separately from ordinary staff, or include every external service provider as an employee without considering the facts. Uncertain classifications should be resolved with appropriate advice and documented.
Apply the relevant earnings definition and maximum for the correct period. The 2026 form distinguishes the actual period ending in February 2026 from the following provisional period. This is a reminder to check the applicable limit for each column; it is not permission to use the newer limit retrospectively wherever it produces a lower assessment. Preserve the uncapped payroll totals and the calculation of any reporting limit.
Prepare provisional earnings as a supported estimate
Where provisional earnings are required, use a reasoned forecast rather than copying the actual total without review. Consider the current workforce, approved salary changes, expected recruitment, departures and material changes in activity. Keep the assumptions so the estimate can be explained later. Forecasts can be reasonable without being exact, but they should not be arbitrary.
An illustrative workshop expects to add a technician halfway through the next period. Its forecast should consider the expected employment period and remuneration rather than include a full year automatically or omit the planned hire altogether. If the appointment is uncertain, record the assumption and the basis used. The example concerns preparation discipline, not a guaranteed assessment outcome.
Keep provisional and actual data clearly labelled. A forecast spreadsheet should not overwrite historical payroll, and historical records should not be changed to make a later estimate appear accurate. When the next actual period is prepared, compare it with the earlier assumptions and explain significant differences. That feedback improves the quality of the next forecast.
Verify employer details and classification
Check the employer’s legal name, registration numbers, contact information, business address and nature of business against the records used for the assessment. A return can contain correct earnings but still be difficult to process if it relates to an outdated account or incorrect activity. Keep evidence of any official change request.
Business classification can affect the assessment process. Do not choose a lower-risk category simply because it appears cheaper, or assume that an old category remains right after the business changes materially. Describe the actual activity and ask for the appropriate official treatment where needed. A tax registration or CIPC industry description does not automatically decide every Compensation Fund classification question.
If a consultant assists, confirm the mandate and the information the employer is approving. The current form includes relevant consultant and declaration information. The employer should understand what is being submitted and retain a copy. Delegating preparation does not make unsupported information accurate or remove the need for a responsible review.
Review the declaration before submission
A useful review pack contains the employer details, actual earnings reconciliation, provisional assumptions, treatment of limits and a list of unresolved matters. The reviewer should be able to trace a sample of figures to payroll and understand significant movements from the prior year. Check arithmetic, period labels and the relevant categories separately.
Investigate unusual changes, such as a sharp reduction in staff costs while headcount is stable. There may be a valid explanation, including a business transfer or changed remuneration pattern, but it should be evidenced. Do not submit a convenient estimate as actual earnings merely because the records are difficult to obtain.
Read the declaration and keep the approved version. A later change should lead to a revised pack and appropriate approval, not an undocumented edit immediately before filing. Save the submission acknowledgment, reference and any message requiring further action. A screen capture of an incomplete form is useful working evidence but does not demonstrate completed submission.
Connect the return to the assessment and payment
Submitting a return and settling the resulting assessment are separate steps. Compare the assessment with the information submitted and investigate significant differences or unexpected classifications. Keep the assessment notice, calculation support and payment reference together so a future reviewer can follow the full process.
Where a correction or revision is needed, check the current route and time limit immediately. The published CF-2A materials contain instructions relevant to assessment revision. Do not assume that an informal email pauses every deadline or that resubmitting a spreadsheet automatically replaces an assessment. Preserve correspondence and obtain confirmation of the actual status.
A Letter of Good Standing is also a separate status document. Do not promise that filing one return automatically produces it, or that a payment proves every historical obligation is current. Verify the employer’s account and the Fund’s applicable requirements. When a client asks for a letter, use the official verification route rather than relying only on the appearance of a PDF.
Maintain the record pack throughout the year
The easiest return is prepared from information already controlled during the year. Keep employee changes, payroll reports and classification questions organised as they arise. A year-end hunt for missing pay periods or a former administrator’s password creates avoidable pressure and increases the chance of an unsupported declaration.
Record changes to business activities or employer details promptly through the appropriate process. A dormant or closed business should not assume that it can simply leave future returns blank. Check the applicable cessation or change requirements and obtain the relevant account confirmation. Different authorities have different closure processes; CIPC deregistration does not by itself settle every Compensation Fund matter.
Axia Finance can assist with the earnings schedules and reconciliation needed for a Return of Earnings within an agreed scope. Bring the employer registration, account history, payroll reports, prior return and assessment notices. For disputed liability, uncertain classification or enforcement questions, obtain appropriate specialist advice. The preparation goal is a return that can be explained and supported, not merely one that has passed an online form’s validation.
Common questions.
Is the Return of Earnings always due on 31 March?
No. Check the applicable legislation and the Commissioner’s current notice for the relevant return and period. Later reminders may concern specified outstanding years. Do not turn a historical season date or reminder into a permanent annual deadline.
Can salary expense be copied directly into the return?
Not without checking. Reconcile payroll to accounting, then apply the relevant earnings definition, employee categories, periods and limits. Keep both the original payroll total and the adjustments so the reported amount remains traceable.
Does a filed return guarantee a Letter of Good Standing?
No. Submission, assessment, payment and good-standing status are connected but separate. Check the employer’s account and the current official requirements. Resolve outstanding periods or account queries rather than assuming one submission clears the whole record.
Support for your next step.
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Continue with the payroll knowledge collection for related practical guides.
Sources and further reading.
Official references consulted for this guide. Rules and administrative processes can change; check the applicable period and your circumstances.
- Compensation Fund: 2026 Return of Earnings filing notice
- Government Gazette 55347: Notice 4140 of 2026, outstanding Returns of Earnings
- Government Gazette 54577: Notice 3910 of 2026 and CF-2A return
General educational information, current to 5 November 2026. This guide does not determine the legal, tax or accounting treatment of a particular person or transaction. Obtain advice appropriate to your facts before acting. Read our editorial approach.
