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o support young enterprises, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) offers a Tax Exemption Scheme for New Start-Ups. For its first three consecutive Years of Assessment (YAs), an eligible qualifying company receives: A 75% exemption on the first S$100,000 of normal chargeable income. A 50% exemption on the next S$100,000 of normal chargeable income. Note: To qualify, the company must be incorporated in Singapore, tax resident in Singapore for that YA, and have no more than 20 individual shareholders.

Once ACRA issues your digital Certificate of Incorporation and Business Profile (which features your Unique Entity Number or UEN), your company is official. However, you aren’t ready to trade just yet. Your immediate next steps include:

  • Opening a Corporate Bank Account: Most local banks require the physical presence or digital identity verification of the directors.

  • Setting up statutory registers: Safekeeping registers for directors, secretaries, and registrable controllers.

  • Acquiring Business Licences: Regulated sectors like food & beverage, travel, employment agencies, and education require separate specialized licenses before launch.

Incorporating is easy; staying compliant keeps you alive. Every Singapore company must meet annual statutory requirements to avoid penalties from ACRA and IRAS:

  • Annual General Meeting (AGM): Listed companies must hold an AGM within 4 months of their FYE, while private companies must hold it within 6 months.

  • Annual Returns (AR): Must be filed with ACRA within 5 or 7 months after the FYE, depending on whether the company is listed or not.

  • Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI): Filed with IRAS within 3 months of the financial year-end, unless the company qualifies for an ECI filing waiver.