Running a Singapore private limited company comes with a well-defined annual compliance calendar. Miss a deadline and you face fines from ACRA or IRAS, director disqualifications, or even company striking-off. The good news: with the right systems, Singapore compliance is manageable and predictable. This checklist covers every major obligation — monthly, quarterly, and annual — so you never miss a deadline.
Monthly Obligations (Every Month)
Several compliance requirements must be met every month, regardless of your company size or financial activity.
- CPF contributions: calculate and submit by the 14th of the following month for all SC/PR employees
- Skills Development Levy (SDL): submit with CPF contributions via CPF Board EZPay
- Monthly payroll records: maintain payslips and payroll journal entries for all employees
- Bookkeeping: record all bank transactions, invoices, and receipts — do not let books fall behind
- Invoicing: issue tax invoices with correct GST (if GST-registered); retain copies for 5 years
- CPF late payment: 1.5% per month interest on outstanding amounts; criminal penalties for persistent non-payment
Set up GIRO auto-debit for CPF so the 14th deadline is never missed due to banking delays.
Quarterly Obligations (GST Filers)
If your company is GST-registered, you have quarterly filing obligations on top of the monthly requirements.
- Q1 (Jan–Mar): GST F5 return due by April 30
- Q2 (Apr–Jun): GST F5 return due by July 31
- Q3 (Jul–Sep): GST F5 return due by October 31
- Q4 (Oct–Dec): GST F5 return due by January 31
- File via IRAS myTax Portal; pay GST owed by the same deadline
- Set up GIRO for GST payment to avoid late payment penalties (5% late payment penalty + 2% per month thereafter)
- Maintain tax invoices and purchase records to support input tax claims
- Quarterly GST reconciliation: match your accounting records to your F5 return before filing
If you're not yet GST-registered but your revenue is growing toward S$1M, monitor your trailing 12-month taxable turnover monthly. You must register within 30 days of crossing the threshold.
Annual Obligations: ACRA Filings
ACRA requires Singapore companies to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and file an Annual Return each year. The deadlines depend on your financial year-end (FYE).
- AGM: must be held within 6 months after the financial year-end for listed companies; private companies are exempt from AGM if they send financial statements to shareholders within 5 months of FYE
- Annual Return (AR) filing with ACRA: within 7 months of financial year-end (for companies with share capital)
- Financial statements must be included in the AR — either full unaudited FS or XBRL-tagged FS
- XBRL financial statements: required if company revenue exceeds S$500,000 and it is incorporated in Singapore (exemptions for smaller companies using simplified XBRL)
- Companies with revenue above S$10M and 50+ shareholders must have audited financial statements
- Director updates: notify ACRA within 14 days of any change to directors, registered office, or company particulars
- Share register: maintain an up-to-date register of members; update within 30 days of any share transfer or allotment
- ACRA late filing penalty: S$300 for late AR filing; escalating penalties for persistent non-compliance
Private limited companies with revenue under S$10M and fewer than 50 shareholders qualify for the audit exemption — financial statements need not be audited. However, they must still be prepared in accordance with Singapore Financial Reporting Standards (SFRS) for Small Entities.
Annual Obligations: IRAS Income Tax
All Singapore companies must file a Corporate Income Tax return with IRAS. There are two forms: Form C-S for smaller companies and Form C for larger or more complex companies. The tax filing deadline is November 30 of the Year of Assessment (YA).
- Form C-S: for companies with revenue below S$5M, not claiming special tax incentives, and not a foreign company filing under certain conditions — due November 30
- Form C-S (Lite): simplified version for companies with revenue below S$200K — reduced fields required
- Form C: full tax return for companies above S$5M revenue or claiming investment allowances — due November 30
- Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI): file within 3 months of financial year-end (can be before the main tax return)
- Corporate income tax rate: 17% (effective rate much lower due to exemption schemes and partial tax exemption)
- Startup Tax Exemption: first 3 years of assessment — 75% exemption on first S$100K of chargeable income, 50% on next S$100K
- Late filing penalty: S$200 composition amount per year of assessment; IRAS may raise estimated assessment if you don't file
- Corporate tax payment: due within 30 days of the Notice of Assessment (NOA) from IRAS
File your ECI early — even if it's an estimate. IRAS uses it for installment payment plans, and early ECI filing may qualify your company for Instalment Payment Plans.
Penalties for Missing Deadlines and What Nexub Tracks
Singapore's regulatory framework has clear, enforced penalties for non-compliance. Directors bear personal liability for many statutory obligations — meaning YOU can be personally fined or disqualified if the company misses filings.
- ACRA AR late filing: S$300 composition fine; escalating to S$600+ for persistent delay
- IRAS ECI/Form C-S late filing: S$200 fine; IRAS raises an estimated assessment (usually higher than actual liability)
- GST F5 late filing: composition up to S$10,000 per return; late payment: 5% of unpaid GST
- CPF non-payment: criminal prosecution; fines up to S$10,000 and/or imprisonment up to 7 years
- Director disqualification: ACRA can disqualify directors of repeatedly struck-off companies
- What Nexub tracks automatically: CPF submission reminders, GST F5 deadlines, ACRA AR and AGM deadlines, IRAS income tax filing dates, director KYC updates, and business license renewals
- Founderub compliance calendar: visual dashboard showing all upcoming deadlines with traffic-light status
ACRA and IRAS increasingly share data and cross-check filings. Inconsistencies between your ACRA annual return, IRAS tax return, and GST returns can trigger audits. Maintain consistent records across all platforms.
Never miss a Singapore compliance deadline
Nexub tracks your ACRA, IRAS, CPF, and GST deadlines automatically — and files them for you.
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