What is COID and Why Every Employer Must Register
COID — the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act — governs the Compensation Fund, which pays medical and disability benefits to employees who are injured, contract a disease, or die as a result of their work.
Registration is compulsory for every employer in South Africa with one or more employees — full-time, part-time, or fixed-term. Registration must happen as soon as you employ your first worker. Operating without COID registration means you are personally liable for all medical costs and compensation if an employee is injured at work — which can be financially devastating.
Many business owners only discover they are not COID-registered when an injury occurs. By then it is too late — the Fund will not cover an unregistered employer, and you face the full cost of medical treatment, disability compensation, and potential legal action personally.
Annual Returns of Earnings — Due Every March
Every registered employer must submit a Return of Earnings (W.As.8) to the Compensation Fund by the end of March each year. This return reports your total employee earnings for the previous year, which the Fund uses to calculate your annual assessment fee (levy).
At Your Accountant®, we prepare and submit the Return of Earnings using the payroll data we already manage for you — accurately reconciled to your actual payroll figures and submitted before the deadline every year.
Why Good Standing Matters
Being in good standing with the Compensation Fund means your employees are covered for workplace injuries — fully, immediately, without dispute. It also means you can obtain a Letter of Good Standing from the Department of Labour — often required for government tenders, certain contracts, and large client onboarding.
- Employees are covered for workplace injuries and occupational diseases
- You are protected from personal liability for workplace injury costs
- Letters of Good Standing available when required for tenders
- No penalties or interest for late returns
COID compliance is one of those things that costs nothing to get right — and everything to get wrong. We manage it for all our employer clients so they never have to think about it.
— Chris Schutte, Founder · Your Accountant®What Your Accountant® Handles For You
- Initial COID registration with the Compensation Fund for new employers
- Annual Return of Earnings (W.As.8) preparation and submission
- Payroll log submissions reconciled to actual payroll figures
- Assessment fee calculation and payment management
- Letters of Good Standing when required for tenders or contracts
- Monitoring of deadlines and proactive submissions — no reminders needed from you
Frequently Asked Questions
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