Last updated
Forming a Singapore company costs S$315 in government fees to ACRA: S$15 to apply for the name and S$300 to register the company. A corporate service provider (CSP), a local resident director and a registered office are extra, and ACRA charges S$60 a year for the annual return. Fees checked on ACRA's fee page.
SingaporeCompanySetupGuide.com is an independent guide, not ACRA and not a provider. If you send the quote form we pass your request to suitable providers, and a provider may pay us a referral fee.
What does ACRA charge to form a company?
| ACRA service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Apply for a new business entity name | S$15 |
| Register the new business entity | S$300 |
| Total to form the company | S$315 |
The S$15 name fee is non-refundable, even if the name is refused or you withdraw. An approved name is held for up to 120 days. After that it goes back to the pool. You must register within that time.
Check ACRA's fee page again before you pay, since fees can change.
What do you have to pay for on top of ACRA?
Some items are legal requirements. Others are choices.
| Item | Required? | What ACRA says |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate service provider | Yes for foreigners | Foreigners must engage a CSP to reserve a name and register |
| Local resident director | Yes | At least one director who meets local residency rules |
| Company secretary | Yes | Appointed within six months of registration |
| Registered office address | Yes | Singapore address, open to the public in business hours |
| Share capital | Yes, but no set minimum | Minimum number of issued shares is one |
| Accounting and bookkeeping | Yes in practice | Companies prepare financial statements |
| Audit | Only if not exempt | See audit exemption |
| Trade mark | Optional | IPOS charges per class, see trademark registration |
Providers set the price for each service and ACRA does not publish them. Their packages differ in what they include, so ask for each line separately: formation, resident director, secretary, address and first-year accounting. This guide does not print a provider figure unless we have read it on the provider's own page, with a date.
What does a company cost each year?
| Item | Amount | Body |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return filing | S$60 | ACRA |
| Extension of time to file accounts or hold an AGM | S$200 | ACRA |
| Late annual return | Penalties up to S$600 | ACRA |
| Corporate income tax | 17% of chargeable income | IRAS |
Non-listed companies file the annual return within seven months after the financial year end. The company must file it even if it is dormant. A late filing, or a missing company secretary, risks a fine.
The tax bill depends on profit, not on the setup. A new company can claim the start-up exemption in its first three years of assessment: 75% off the first S$100,000 of normal chargeable income and 50% off the next S$100,000. From the fourth year the partial exemption takes 75% off the first S$10,000 and 50% off the next S$190,000. Read more at corporate tax.
What does a foreigner pay that a resident does not?
A foreigner cannot register alone. ACRA says they must engage a CSP, and every company needs a director who meets the local residency rules. A foreigner without a citizen, permanent resident or pass-holding partner therefore pays for a resident director too. ACRA says that person is fully responsible, with penalties of up to a S$5,000 fine, two years in jail and a five year ban if duties are not met, so the cost is not only the annual fee. See nominee director.
If the owner wants to live and work in Singapore, the company is separate from the pass. Work passes have their own fees at MOM. See employment pass and register a company as a foreigner.
Can you do it yourself and pay only S$315?
If you are a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident or a qualifying pass holder, you can reserve the name and register through Bizfile with Singpass, as the director or secretary. The cost is the S$315. You then still need a secretary within six months, a registered office and a way to file the annual return and tax. The process is on company registration and company incorporation.
What do other sites quote, and why do the totals differ?
Provider cost pages often show a first year total that ranges widely. One lists full-service packages at a few thousand dollars, another quotes a starting price for registration alone. Those numbers come from different scopes. Some include a resident director and some do not. Some add the secretary and a year of address service. A low headline price can leave out the items in the table above, so line them up before you compare.
We do not average provider prices into a range here. A range needs published prices from at least two providers that we have read and dated, and we will add one when we have them.
How do you keep the cost sensible?
- Reserve the name only when you are ready to register, since the S$15 is not refunded.
- Ask providers to price formation, director, secretary, address and accounts as separate lines.
- Check whether you qualify for audit exemption before you buy an audit.
- Put filing dates in a calendar. The late-return penalty and the S$200 extension fee are avoidable.
- Do not pay for a trade mark, a holding structure or an offshore-style set-up unless you have a reason for it. Start with the basics in set up a company in Singapore.
Want real figures for your case? Use the quote form on this page and tell us who the owners are and where they live. We pass the request to providers and you compare their written quotes.
Where can I see the prices side by side?
Provider prices for the same job are in the incorporation price comparison, sorted from lowest to highest.
Sources
- ACRA, service and transaction fees for companies: https://www.acra.gov.sg/manage/companies/service-transaction-fees/ (S$15, S$300, S$60, S$200).
- ACRA, registering a local company via Bizfile: https://www.acra.gov.sg/how-to-guides/setting-up-a-local-company/submitting-your-application-to-acra (S$300, processing time, registered office, minimum shares).
- ACRA, reserving a business name: https://www.acra.gov.sg/register/business/choosing-reserving-a-business-name/reserving-bizfile/ (S$15 non-refundable, 120 days).
- ACRA, requirements and rules for foreigners: https://www.acra.gov.sg/register/business/requirements-eligibility/ (CSP, local resident).
- ACRA, choosing directors and key officers: https://www.acra.gov.sg/how-to-guides/setting-up-a-local-company/appointing-directors-company-secretary-and-other-key-personnel (secretary, director duties and penalties).
- ACRA, annual return deadline: https://www.acra.gov.sg/manage/companies/legal-requirements-common-offences/filing-annual-returns-companies/deadline-requirements/ (seven months, S$600 penalty).
- IRAS, corporate income tax rate and exemptions: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/corporate-income-tax/basics-of-corporate-income-tax/corporate-income-tax-rate-rebates-and-tax-exemption-schemes (17%, exemptions).
