DORMANT COMPANIES · SINGAPORE
Accounting & tax for dormant Singapore companies.
Dormant does not mean dissolved, and it does not make annual obligations disappear. We keep the company’s ACRA record current, determine whether an IRAS dormant return or waiver applies, and make sure a small amount of income does not accidentally invalidate the dormant position.
Discuss your situationWhere the process usually starts to strain.
A practical path forward.
Confirm dormancy
Check whether the company carried on business or received any income during the basis period.
Keep ACRA current
File the annual return while the company remains live, even if it is inactive.
Resolve IRAS filing
File the simplified dormant return or assess eligibility for an ongoing filing waiver.
Before restarting
Restore bookkeeping and notify IRAS where a previous waiver is no longer valid.
Support shaped around this stage.
Incorporation & Corporate Secretary
Annual returns, registers and officer details maintained while the entity remains live.
Corporate Tax
Dormant return or waiver eligibility assessed against the company’s actual income and assets.
Accounting & Bookkeeping
A proportionate record-keeping scope for bank charges, statutory costs and any residual balances.
PRACTITIONER NOTES
What matters in practice.
- A live Singapore company must still file its ACRA annual return even if it is dormant or has an IRAS tax-filing waiver.
- For IRAS purposes, a dormant company carries on no business and receives no income for the whole basis period; interest income can change that conclusion.
- After an IRAS waiver, the company must notify IRAS within one month of restarting business or receiving income.
A SENSIBLE START
Essentials
Dormant entities need a deliberately narrow scope centred on annual compliance and record maintenance.
For dormant or small companies and early-stage startups.
Compare package detailsCommon questions.
Must a dormant company file an ACRA annual return?
Yes. As long as the company remains live on ACRA’s register, an annual return is required even when the company is inactive or has an IRAS waiver.
Must a dormant company file corporate tax?
Generally it files the simplified Form for Dormant Company by 30 November unless IRAS has granted a waiver from future corporate income tax returns.
Does bank interest mean the company is no longer dormant?
For IRAS purposes, receiving income such as interest means the company is not dormant for that basis period, even if it did not trade.
Other situations we help with.
Make the next finance step a clear one.
Tell us where the business is now. We’ll recommend a proportionate scope.
Book a consult