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Revoking a Section 18A certificate

In short: Open the certificate, click Revoke Certificate, enter a reason (required), and confirm. The certificate's number is prefixed with REVOKED-, it's soft-deleted, and you can still download or email it via E-mail Revoked Certificate. Revoking is how you delete, cancel or void a certificate — there's no separate delete.

Overview

Revoking is how you cancel a Section 18A certificate in ActiveDonor. There's no separate delete or void action — "delete certificate", "cancel certificate", "void" and "revoke" all mean the same thing here. A revoked certificate isn't erased: it's kept on record (soft-deleted) with a REVOKED- number and a reason, so you have a clean audit trail and can still reconcile it against SARS.

When to revoke a certificate

Revoke a certificate when:

  • It was issued in error (wrong donor, duplicate, or it shouldn't have been issued at all).
  • The donation was reversed (for example a bounced payment or refund).
  • The details were wrong on a certificate that's already been submitted to SARS and so can no longer be edited.

In the last case you revoke and re-issue: revoke the wrong certificate, issue a new corrected one, then declare the revocation to SARS (see below).

How to revoke a certificate

Step 1: Open the certificate

Open the certificate — the Section 18A Certificate # page for the one you want to revoke.

Step 2: Click Revoke Certificate

Click Revoke Certificate.

Step 3: Enter a reason

Enter a reason for the revocation. A reason is required — you can't confirm without one.

Step 4: Confirm

Confirm the revocation. ActiveDonor then:

  • Soft-deletes the certificate (it's not permanently erased).
  • Prefixes its number with REVOKED-.
  • Shows "Revoked on …" on the certificate page, with the Reason for Deletion you entered.

The Section 18A Certificate page with the Revoke Certificate button, the reason-for-revocation prompt, and a revoked certificate showing "Revoked on …" and the Reason for Deletion.

A revoked certificate is still downloadable

Revoking doesn't make the certificate disappear. After revoking you can still:

  • Download the certificate PDF (it's marked REVOKED).
  • Email it to the donor with E-mail Revoked Certificate, so the donor has a record that the certificate was cancelled.

You can revoke a certificate that's already with SARS — but not edit it

Once a certificate has been included in an IT3(d) submission to SARS, the Edit Certificate button is locked. Hovering it shows "This Section 18A cannot be edited as it has been submitted to SARS. Please revoke it and re-issue a new one."

Revoking is still allowed — it's only editing that's blocked. So to correct a submitted certificate, revoke it and issue a new, corrected one, rather than editing the original.

📌 Note: If you find the Revoke button itself unavailable, contact support — only the Edit lock after SARS submission is expected behaviour.

Revoking a certificate already reported to SARS

If the certificate you're revoking was already reported to SARS in an IT3(d) file, revoking it in ActiveDonor isn't enough on its own — SARS still has the original on record. You must also declare the revocation to SARS in a revoked IT3(d) submission. Revoked certificates feed the revoked IT3(d) flow — see Generating the IT3(d) file for SARS.

The full correction path for a submitted certificate is:

  1. Revoke the wrong certificate (it becomes REVOKED-…).
  2. Issue a new, corrected certificate.
  3. Declare the revocation in a revoked IT3(d) submission, and include the new certificate in the next normal IT3(d) submission.

Common issues & solutions

What you see What it means How to fix it
"…a reason is required" / can't confirm the revocation. A reason is mandatory. Enter a reason for the revocation, then confirm.
The Edit Certificate button is greyed out. The certificate has been submitted to SARS, so it's locked from editing. You can still revoke it and issue a new one — editing is what's blocked, not revoking.
I revoked a certificate but the donor already claimed it. The revocation hasn't reached SARS. Declare the revocation to SARS in a revoked IT3(d) submission — see Generating the IT3(d) file for SARS.
The Revoke button is unavailable. Not expected behaviour — only the Edit lock after SARS submission is. Contact ActiveDonor support.

FAQ

How do I delete or cancel a certificate? There's no separate delete — you revoke it. Open the certificate, click Revoke Certificate, and enter a reason. The number is prefixed REVOKED- and the certificate is soft-deleted (you can still download/email it).

Can I revoke a certificate that's already been submitted to SARS? Yes — revoking is allowed even after submission; only editing is locked. See How do I correct a Section 18A certificate that's already been submitted to SARS? for the revoke-and-reissue steps, and Why is the Edit or Revoke button greyed out on my certificate? for why Edit is disabled.

Can I still download or email a revoked certificate? Yes. The PDF is still downloadable (marked REVOKED) and you can send it with E-mail Revoked Certificate.

Can I re-issue a revoked certificate with the same number? No. A revoked certificate keeps its REVOKED- number, and the replacement is a brand-new certificate with its own number.

I revoked a certificate already sent to SARS — is that enough? No — you must also declare the revocation to SARS in a revoked IT3(d) submission.

  • Why is the Edit or Revoke button greyed out on my certificate?
  • How do I correct a Section 18A certificate that's already been submitted to SARS?
  • Section 18A issued and revoked reports
  • Issuing a single Section 18A certificate
  • Generating the IT3(d) file for SARS
  • Tracking IT3(d) submissions
  • Section 18A eligibility and required donor tax details

Need a hand?

If you need to revoke a certificate already reported to SARS and aren't sure how to declare the revocation, contact ActiveDonor support with the certificate number and we'll guide you through it.