Director Duties Under the Singapore Companies Act: A Comprehensive Overview
Every person who accepts an appointment as a director of a Singapore company takes on a comprehensive set of legal duties. These duties are derived from multiple sources: the Companies Act 1967, the common law, equity, and — increasingly — specific statutory regimes such as the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 and the Corporate [...]
Singapore Employment Pass Renewal in 2026: COMPASS, Timeline and Common Pitfalls
The Singapore Employment Pass (EP) is the primary work pass for foreign professionals, managers, and executives (PMEs) working in Singapore. For EP holders and their employers, the renewal process has become significantly more complex since the introduction of the COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) scoring system in September 2023, and again with MOM's 2025 and 2026 [...]
Understanding Drag-Along Rights in Singapore Shareholder Agreements
Drag-along rights are one of the most consequential — and most contested — clauses in any Singapore shareholder agreement. When properly drafted, they allow a majority shareholder to compel minority shareholders to join in a sale of the company on the same terms. When poorly drafted or improperly invoked, they become a source of shareholder [...]
Section 13O vs 13U: Comparing Singapore Family Office Tax Incentives in 2026
Singapore's two main family office tax incentive schemes — Section 13O (formerly 13R) and Section 13U (formerly 13X) — are the cornerstone of the city-state's appeal to ultra-high-net-worth families seeking a stable, tax-efficient base for their investment holding structures. Since the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) tightened the application criteria in 2023 and again in [...]
Winding Up a Singapore Company in 2026: New Rules, Timelines and What Directors Need to Know
The Corporate and Accounting Laws Amendment Act 2025 (CALA 2025) commenced on 6 May 2026, bringing significant changes to how Singapore companies are wound up. Alongside the earlier Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution (Amendment) Act 2025, which commenced on 29 January 2026, Singapore's winding-up landscape has undergone its most comprehensive update in years. For directors and [...]
ACRA’s New Practice Direction on Private Capital in Accounting Firms: What Singapore Directors Need to Know
On 6 April 2026, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) issued Practice Direction No. 1 of 2026 on External Private Capital Arrangements in Accounting Entities. This is the first time ACRA has issued formal regulatory guidance specifically addressing private equity (PE), venture capital (VC), and family office investment into Singapore's accounting and audit firms. [...]
Capital reduction (court vs solvency) — Costs and fees breakdown
Capital reduction (court vs solvency) — Costs and fees breakdown. For directors and company secretaries managing ACRA compliance. Practical 2026 walkthr...
Share buybacks under CALA 2026 — Costs and fees breakdown
Share buybacks under CALA 2026 — Costs and fees breakdown. For directors and company secretaries managing ACRA compliance. Practical 2026 walkthrough co...
Share transfers and stamp duty on shares — Costs and fees breakdown
Share transfers and stamp duty on shares — Costs and fees breakdown. For directors and company secretaries managing ACRA compliance. Practical 2026 walk...