FGTS refunds: follow the money through to recovery

The Ministry of Labour reports that analysis of FGTS Digital reversal requests has begun. Employers should monitor their requests and, where approval has been granted, may request reimbursement to their bank account.

For finance teams, this creates a practical reconciliation task. Our recommendation is to maintain a register linking each request to the employee, payroll period, original payment, amount claimed and current status.

Assign responsibility for checking the portal, gathering supporting documents and confirming the bank receipt. Treat a submitted request, an approved reversal and a completed reimbursement as separate milestones.

Before clearing a receivable, reconcile the money received against the approved amount and document any difference. This avoids leaving recoverable balances unattended or recognising a recovery before it has been completed.

Original MTE announcement: 13 July 2026. Reversal approval and the subsequent refund request are separate steps.

Source: Official guidance, 13 July 2026.

Original editorial illustration created for Ewaider&Co.