Annual return
- Purpose
- Update the corporate record and lodge required company information
- Timing
- Generally 7 months after FYE for a non-listed company
- Portal
- Bizfile
ACRA annual return · Singapore
Annual return filing support, without the year-end scramble.
Standard gets the accounts and filing information into shape, checks the deadline, and coordinates the handoff needed for your ACRA annual return.
Quick answer
A non-listed Singapore company generally files its annual return with ACRA within seven months after its financial year end. The return is separate from IRAS corporate tax filings and may require financial statements, depending on the company’s circumstances.
Work backward from the deadline
The annual return is the last step, not the first.
Filing becomes straightforward when the company record and year-end accounts are ready. The process below separates accounting work from corporate filing so the missing piece is visible early.
- 01Deadline
Confirm the filing date
Check the financial year end, company type, AGM position, and any extension before planning the close.
- 02Accounts
Close the financial year
Complete bookkeeping, reconcile material balances, resolve director transactions, and prepare year-end schedules.
- 03Statements
Determine what must be filed
Assess the financial-statement and XBRL position and prepare the applicable accounting outputs.
- 04Bizfile
Review the company record
Confirm officers, registered office, shares, company status, AGM details, and other pre-filled information.
- 05Handoff
File through the right party
A director, company secretary, or appointed corporate service provider can submit the annual return through Bizfile.
Filing packetPREPARED
Year-end ledgerReconciled ✓
Financial statementsAssessed ✓
Company particularsReviewed ✓
AGM positionConfirmed ✓
Filing handoffReady ✓
What Standard handles
Get the accounting layer ready for filing.
Standard can clean up the bookkeeping, reconcile the year, prepare financial statements and supporting schedules, check filing inputs, and coordinate with the company secretary or corporate service provider where that role is required.
- Current or catch-up bookkeeping for the financial year
- Bank, card, receivable, payable, loan, and material balance reviews
- Financial-statement compilation and XBRL-readiness assessment
- Deadline, company-information, and filing-input checklist
- Separate planning for ECI and corporate income tax filing
Do not mix up the filings
ACRA annual return vs IRAS corporate tax return
They use some of the same accounting records, but they are different obligations with different authorities and timelines.
Corporate income tax
- Purpose
- Report estimated and final taxable income
- Timing
- ECI and annual return dates follow separate tax rules
- Portal
- myTax Portal
Already overdue?
Start with the records, not the penalty clock.
ACRA currently states that late lodgment penalties are $300 when the filing is up to three months late and $600 when it is more than three months late. Further enforcement can apply, so an overdue company should confirm its position and complete the missing accounting work promptly.
Discuss an overdue filingFAQ
Before the annual return is filed
Key questions about deadlines, dormant companies, and the accounting records behind the filing.
When is an ACRA annual return due in Singapore?
A non-listed Singapore company generally files its annual return within seven months after its financial year end. A listed company generally files within five months. Different timing can apply to companies with a branch register outside Singapore, so confirm the deadline against current ACRA guidance and the company’s facts.
Is an ACRA annual return the same as a corporate income tax return?
No. The ACRA annual return updates the public corporate record and may include financial statements. Corporate income tax returns and ECI are separate filings made with IRAS. A company may have to complete both workflows.
Does a dormant company still file an annual return?
ACRA states that all companies, including dormant companies, must file annual returns. A dormant company may qualify for different financial-statement requirements, but dormancy does not by itself remove the annual-return obligation.
What information should be checked before filing?
Confirm the financial year end, company type and status, registered-office and officer information, share information, AGM position, and whether financial statements or an online declaration are required. Resolve changes through the correct Bizfile service before filing where necessary.
Can Standard help if the books are not ready?
Yes. Standard can assess the bookkeeping period, reconcile the accounts, organise year-end records, prepare the accounting outputs needed for the filing workflow, and confirm whether corporate-secretarial or XBRL support needs to be coordinated separately.
This page is general information only and is not legal, tax, corporate-secretarial, or accounting advice. Requirements depend on the company’s facts; check current ACRA and IRAS guidance and confirm the filing scope before acting.
Bring the year end and filing into one plan
Tell us the company’s financial year end, bookkeeping status, next deadline, and whether a company secretary is already involved. We will confirm the accounting work and the right filing handoff.
Request an initial call