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If your Singapore annual return is late, ACRA charges S$300 when you file within three months of the due date and S$600 when you file later. The amount is added in Bizfile at the point of filing. The fee does not remove your other duties, and ACRA can still act on the late filing. Facts here were checked on against ACRA's own pages.
How much is the ACRA late filing penalty?
The late lodgement penalty applies to annual lodgments due on or after .
| When you file | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 months after the due date | S$300 |
| More than 3 months after the due date | S$600 |
ACRA says the penalty is applied automatically when you submit the late return through Bizfile. The amount depends on the date you file, so waiting only makes it larger. Some older pages still show a different tier structure for foreign companies. ACRA's current page uses the two amounts above.
When is the annual return due?
For a non-listed company, ACRA sets the annual return at seven months after the financial year end. The AGM is due within six months. A company with a 31 December year end therefore holds its AGM by 30 June and files by 31 July. The annual return and AGM page covers the steps, and annual filing deadlines gives the full calendar.
Can you ask for more time?
Yes, but before the deadline. ACRA charges S$200 for an extension of time to file accounts or hold an AGM, and the extension is 60 days. It is cheaper than the late penalty only if you apply in time and then really file within the new date. A company with no accounts ready by month six is the usual case.
What happens beyond the penalty?
The S$300 or S$600 is only the first step. ACRA can also take enforcement action.
| Action | What ACRA says |
|---|---|
| Composition sum | At least S$500 per breach. A late AGM and a late annual return count as two breaches |
| Prosecution | Fine up to S$10,000 per charge, plus a possible default penalty |
| Court summons | Sent by registered mail. The director or an authorised representative must attend |
| Debarment | A director who has not lodged required documents for three months or more cannot take new appointments as director or company secretary |
| Striking off | ACRA can remove a company that does not file |
A composition sum settles the matter without a court case, but it is still a record against the company. The court route puts the director in front of a judge.
Can late filing get a director disqualified?
It can. ACRA lists two routes:
- Three or more filing offences within five years lead to a five-year disqualification.
- Three or more companies struck off within five years lead to three years for a first time and five years for a repeat.
While disqualified, a person cannot act as a director or manage any local or foreign company. The list of grounds, the notification duty and the permission process are on disqualified director. If a company has already been struck off, strike off shows how the process works.
What changed for striking off from 20 October?
ACRA says that for striking off letters before the objection period is 30 days. For letters on or after that date it is 15 days. That leaves less time to reply when a company has not filed, so check the registered address and the Bizfile inbox. The legal duty to keep an address open is on registered address.
How do you stop it happening again?
- Write the year end, AGM date and annual return date in one place when the company is set up.
- Ask the secretary to send reminders at least two months before each date.
- Check whether the company qualifies for an audit exemption, since accounts are the usual cause of delay.
- If a director is leaving, make sure the person who files knows the dates. Directors remain responsible for duties, see director duties.
Independent guide
SingaporeCompanySetupGuide.com is an independent guide and is not ACRA. We do not file returns or waive penalties. If you want a firm to catch up on late filings and bring the company up to date, fill in the quote form on this page. Your details go to suitable providers, and each sends its own quote.
Sources
- ACRA, Penalties and enforcement action for late annual return filing, https://www.acra.gov.sg/manage/companies/legal-requirements-common-offences/filing-annual-returns-companies/penalties-enforcement-late-annual-return-filing/ (S$300 and S$600, composition, court fine, disqualification)
- ACRA, Enforcement actions against companies and directors for annual return filing breaches, https://www.acra.gov.sg/compliance/offences-of-not-holding-agm-or-filing-ars-late-or-not-laying-up-to-date-accounts-at-agm/AGM-and-annual-return-breaches/enforcement-actions-against-companies-and-directors-for-annual-return-filing-breaches (debarment, striking off, objection period)
- ACRA, Filing annual returns, https://www.acra.gov.sg/manage/companies/legal-requirements-common-offences/filing-annual-returns-companies/ (S$200 extension, 60 days)
- ACRA, Deadline requirements for annual returns, https://www.acra.gov.sg/manage/companies/legal-requirements-common-offences/filing-annual-returns-companies/deadline-requirements/ (seven and six month deadlines)
