Plain answers to the questions Singapore business owners ask about tax, audit, cash and company rules. Newest first.
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Latest video: does my company need an audit this year
Short videos by Henry Chow, Public Accountant. Some use an AI-generated presenter. The advice is general.
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What is my company worth?
How Singapore owners value a private company. See a worked example from profit to price, and when you need a written valuation.
Read the article →Which accounting records must I keep, and for how long?
You are clearing the storeroom before your lease ends in December. Four boxes hold invoices from financial year 2021, and the shredder is booked for Friday. Your company closes its books on 31...
Read the article →Which business expenses am I allowed to claim?
Your director paid S$24,000 last year for a family holiday and the running costs of a private-plated car. Your bookkeeper filed both under business expenses. IRAS rejects both. On the example below...
Read the article →What is ECI and when must I file ECI for my company?
Your company closed its books on 31 December 2026 with S$1,200,000 in revenue. In February, a reminder about ECI arrives. You have filed no tax return yet, so you wonder why IRAS wants a number now...
Read the article →Does my company need an audit this year?
Your company turned over S$11.2 million last year and employs 42 people. Year end is close, and you wonder whether an audit bill is coming. The answer sits in a short test in the Companies Act. Many...
Read the article →Tax points for a new Singapore company in its first three years
A newly incorporated company in Singapore receives a larger tax exemption for its first three Years of Assessment. You keep the benefit only when you meet the conditions in each of those years. Check...
Read the article →Company tax return checklist: what to gather and file before 30 November
A company tax return goes smoothly when the paper is ready early. Work through these steps in order. They apply to every Singapore company, whatever the year end. 1. Find your Year of Assessment (YA)...
Read the article →Selling online from Singapore: income tax, GST and the records you need
You sell on Shopee, Lazada, Shopify or Instagram, and the money lands in your bank a week later. Singapore taxes this income like any other business income. Three questions decide your tax position...
Read the article →Six tax mistakes small Singapore companies make
Most tax trouble in a small company starts with a habit. Here are six, with the fix for each. 1. Filing ECI and returns late ECI is due within 3 months after your financial year end. The return (Form...
Read the article →Singapore tax vs Malaysia tax: what to compare before you sell or set up in Malaysia
Many Singapore owners look at Malaysia for customers, staff or a second company. Start by comparing the taxes you would face. This article covers company income tax, sales taxes and e-invoicing...
Read the article →How do you protect your small Singapore company from staff fraud?
WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL FRAUD? Most owners of small companies trust their staff, and most staff deserve this trust. A small team also means one person often handles the cash, the invoices and the books...
Read the article →Missing trader fraud: how a bad supplier puts your company's GST claim at risk
You buy goods for S$100,000 plus 9% GST and pay the supplier S$109,000. You claim S$9,000 of input tax. Months later IRAS asks about your supplier. The supplier collected GST from you and never paid...
Read the article →Year-end tax planning for your Singapore company: what to settle before your financial year closes
Your company closes its books on its own financial year end. Check the date in your accounts. Many companies use 31 December, but your date is your own. Every tax date below counts from your year...
Read the article →When should you change your accountant, and how do you choose the next one?
Your accountant files your returns, keeps your books and explains your numbers. When one of those jobs slips, you pay for the mistake. Here are the signs which tell you to leave, the cost of one...
Read the article →GST reverse charge in Singapore: does your company owe GST on overseas services?
Your company pays a monthly software fee to a supplier in another country. The invoice shows no Singapore GST. You might think no GST applies. Whether you owe GST on this payment depends on your own...
Read the article →GST customer accounting: who declares the GST on phones, memory cards and software?
You sell 40 mobile phones to a GST-registered retailer for S$12,000. You add no GST to the invoice. Your buyer declares the GST instead. This is customer accounting, which has applied since 1 January...
Read the article →Which monthly accounting routine keeps your Singapore company on time?
A tidy month takes a few hours. A messy year takes weeks and costs fees. Five habits keep your books ready, and the Singapore deadlines after your year end then arrive without a scramble. Five...
Read the article →How Singapore company tax works for YA2026: rate, reliefs, forms and due dates
Your company earns profit in one year and pays tax on this profit in the next. Year of Assessment 2026 (YA2026) covers the financial year ending in 2025. This guide walks through the rate, the...
Read the article →Do you need a partner to launch? Sole proprietorship, partnership, LLP or company compared
You do not need a partner to launch. One person registers a sole proprietorship or a company alone. Add a partner only when this person brings money, skills or customers you lack. Your real decision...
Read the article →GST cash flow for exporters: zero-rating, import GST and the schemes which help
You import goods, sell them overseas and charge your customers no GST. At the border you still pay 9% import GST. Nothing comes in from customers to offset this payment. Your cash sits with IRAS...
Read the article →How do you keep a project on budget? A cost control method for Singapore contractors
You signed a contract for S$500,000 and your own estimate of cost was S$400,000. Six months later the site is busy and you do not know whether you still earn S$100,000. Most overruns show up in the...
Read the article →How to start a Singapore private limited company: five steps and your first-year deadlines
You have decided to run your business through a Singapore company. Five steps take you from idea to a company which files on time. Costs and dates are current as at October 2026. Step 1: Test your...
Read the article →How do you cut business costs in Singapore without hurting your company?
Your profit is lower than last year and you want to cut costs. Cut the wrong cost and you lose customers or good staff. Cut the right one and nearly the whole saving adds to your profit. Start with...
Read the article →Five mistakes Singapore business owners make in their first two years
Few new businesses fail because the idea was bad. Most lose money through habits formed in the first two years. These five show up again and again, and each has a fix you start this week. 1. Mixing...
Read the article →Six accounting terms every Singapore business owner should know
Your accountant uses these six terms in every meeting. Once you know them, your own financial statements start to make sense. Cash versus profit Profit is revenue less costs for the period. Cash is...
Read the article →Which business expenses does your Singapore company deduct, and which does IRAS refuse?
Your tax bill follows your profit, and your profit follows the costs IRAS accepts. Owners ask me about this every year. The answer starts with one test and a short list of exclusions. The test IRAS...
Read the article →Salary or dividends: how should you pay yourself from your Singapore company?
Your company made a profit of S$150,000 this year and you want to take money out. A S$60,000 salary leaves you S$3,150 better off than paying yourself dividends only, before CPF. The gap comes from...
Read the article →"My company is profitable, so why is my bank balance low?”
Your accounts show a profit of S$120,000 for the year. You open your bank app and see a balance up by only S$6,225. You feel confused, and you are not alone. Profit and cash measure two different...
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