On or before the 31st of March each year, you are required to submit the above form to the Department of Labour. This is legislated under the COMPENSATION FOR OCCUPATIONAL INURIES AND DISEASES ACT (NO. 30 OF 1993).
This Act replaces the Workmen’s Compensation Act and provides for compensation for disablement caused by occupational injuries or diseases sustained or contracted by employees in the course of their employment and for death resulting from injuries and diseases. The benefits are paid from the Compensation Fund, which gets its money from compulsory contributions, paid by employers. All employers carrying out business within the Republic of South Africa are required to register. If you require more information regarding this Act, please contact Karen.
Each March, this information must be supplied to the Commissioner by the employer (company) on the W.As 8 Return of Earnings form and each business must submit a separate return.
For 2012, the Submission deadline has been extended to 31 May 2012. The Return of Earnings forms (ie W.As 8) was apparently sent out on 2nd April 2012. Compensation Fund officials have apologised for the delay / non-communication / non-answering of phones and email / ignoring of Employers and Payroll Authors etc. (no reason given!).
There are a number of changes and additions to this submission. We are now required to declare the number of employees employed on a monthly basis and the earnings to a maximum of R 277 860.00 per employee per annum, for the tax year March 2011 to Feb 2012. There is still a significant amount of robust discussion around the monthly reporting of the earnings on the form, when the limit is still an annual one and how this is to be reported. We have consulted with and been directed by the Payrolls Authors Group who have been in discussion with the Department of Labour on how to best satisfy these requirements for this tax year.
A list of each employee employed during this period, for whom you have paid compensation, their name and identity number is to be attached to this form. This is a new requirement that employers are to be aware of. Please remember when submitting claims that the Commissioner will have a declared record of all employees for the 2011/2012 tax year.
Permanent, temporary and casual employees are to be included in this return. If you have casual or temporary employees that you do not put on your payroll that we do not have records for, please send this information to Kacey, so they can be included along with the payroll information for the year. The directors or members are to be reflected separately on the report.
You are also required to make an estimation of the remuneration and number of employees monthly for the next tax year that will begin shortly. This enables the Commissioner to budget for the following year and to fix the new OID limit. If you have not requested this service from us in the past and require us to complete and submit this return on your behalf, please contact Kacey on [email protected]. If we have submitted from you in the past then Kacey will contact you via email for the details we require. The cost for this service is R500.00.
Once completed we will deliver your return to the Department of Labour and have a copy stamped with proof of submission. Once you have been assessed by the Department, you will be posted an assessment notice from the Commissioner at your registered address and you will need to pay this amount within 30 days of receiving the assessment, there are 3 ways to pay.
Paying by Cheque
Employers can send a cheque to: The Compensation Commissioner, PO Box 955, Pretoria, 0001. If they send a cheque, employers must include the remittance advice part of the notice of assessment with the cheque. Employers should also write their reference numbers on the back of the cheque.
Paying by Direct Debit
Employers can pay the amount directly into the Compensation Fund account at any ABSA branch. A deposit slip with the banking details of the Compensation Fund is attached to the notice of assessment that employers receive. The deposit slip also has a unique deposit reference number printed on it. If employers use another deposit slip, they must make sure that they include the reference number on that slip.
Paying by Internet Banking
The reference number is the number printed on the deposit slip they receive with the notice of assessment. The banking details of the Compensation Fund are also printed on the deposit slip.
Please keep copies of all payments.