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Striking off removes a company's name from the register at ACRA, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Once it is struck off, the company has been removed from the register and no longer legally exists. It is the usual route for a dormant company that has nothing left to do. ACRA changed the timeline for applications made from 20 October, and many older guides still show the earlier one. Details below were checked on .
Which companies qualify for striking off?
All of these must be true. Applying when they are not can count as a false declaration and lead to an investigation.
- The company has stopped trading, or never started business since incorporation.
- It has no unpaid debts or unresolved issues with any government agency.
- It has no loans (charges) on the charge register.
- It is not involved in legal cases in Singapore or overseas.
- It is not under regulatory action or disciplinary proceedings, ongoing or pending.
- It owns nothing and owes nothing: no property, debts or possible future claims.
- All directors, or a majority of them, agree to strike it off.
If your company still has assets, creditors or disputes, it does not fit. ACRA's business structure guide names the other closing route as a formal winding up.
What does it cost?
ACRA charges nothing for the strike-off application. Approval is immediate, or within 14 days when other directors must endorse it. You need no supporting documents. Cost only comes in if you hire a corporate service provider (CSP) to file it, or an accountant to clear final tax and accounts. Withdrawing a pending application is also free.
How do you apply, step by step?
ACRA lists six preparation steps before you open BizFile.
- Check the criteria above.
- Check for tax credits. If the company is dissolved, outstanding tax credits transfer to the Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office. Shareholders can claim from the Insolvency Office but may pay processing fees.
- Update company information. Fix the registered office address and company email so notices reach you.
- Clear court summons. Any must be resolved first.
- Prepare details. The UEN and the cessation date, if applicable.
- Apply. Log in to BizFile as a business user through Corppass (see Corppass), click "Deregister", choose "Local company", then "Apply to strike off business entity".
If the company has other directors, they must endorse the application within 14 days through their Bizfile notification, or it lapses. Endorsement is not needed if a CSP applied for you, but the CSP must confirm that most directors agreed.
What happens after you apply?
For applications made on or after 20 October, the timeline looks like this:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| ACRA review | If approved, ACRA sends a First Gazette notice to the registered office and officers' residential addresses, and publishes the name. Status becomes "Gazetted to be Struck Off". |
| Waiting period | Officers and interested parties have 60 days from the notice to object. |
| Objection | If accepted, you have two months to resolve it, or the process lapses. You can apply again after the objection clears. |
| Final Gazette | If no objection, ACRA publishes the Final Gazette Notification and the status becomes "Struck Off". |
The whole process takes at least 2 months after approval. For applications made before 20 October the process was at least three months, with a striking-off letter and a 30-day period for officers to object. Keep your registered addresses correct, because the notices go there.
What if the company is not dormant?
Then striking off is not the right tool. A company with debts or assets needs a different closure route, and ACRA notes that if the process fails and the company remains live, it must keep meeting its compliance requirements. That includes the annual return and corporate tax filings. You can apply to strike off while annual returns are outstanding and no court summons exists, as long as the criteria are met. ACRA advises you to follow the case until the company is struck off.
Can you bring a struck-off company back?
Within six years, yes. File a Court Order on BizFile and the status returns to live after processing. Directors should also remember ACRA's rule on repeat closures: directors of three or more companies struck off within five years can be disqualified for three or five years.
Who should handle it?
Where there is one director, one shareholder and no assets, many owners file this themselves. Where there are several directors, old tax issues or missing records, an accountant or the company secretary saves time. The private limited company page lists the duties a company carries until it is gone.
Independent guide
SingaporeCompanySetupGuide.com is an independent guide and not ACRA. We summarise the official process and show our check date. If you want a provider to prepare and file the application, use the quote form on this page and we will pass your request to suitable firms, which reply with their own prices.
Sources
- ACRA, Striking off a local company, https://www.acra.gov.sg/manage/companies/closing-a-local-company/striking-off/ (criteria, steps, timeline, restoration)
- ACRA, Penalties 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/ (director disqualification)
