Under the Companies Act (Cap. 50), every Singapore-incorporated company must have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. For foreign founders who do not yet hold Singapore residency or a valid long-term pass, this creates an immediate structural challenge at incorporation. The solution used by many foreign entrepreneurs is to appoint a [...]
The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) is a supporting organisation at the UGCNS MSME Day 2026, to be held on 18 June 2026 at the SGX Auditorium in Singapore. The event is a free gathering aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and focuses on compliance, regulatory updates, and business growth. ACRA's participation in [...]
The Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 (CALA 2025) is the most significant overhaul of Singapore's corporate and accounting legislation in recent years. Phase 1 commenced on 6 May 2026, bringing with it enhanced director duty penalties, expanded disqualification grounds, the named audit partner requirement, and a new double-tier approval structure for selective share [...]
When a Singapore company wishes to repurchase shares from a specific shareholder rather than proportionally from all shareholders, this is known as a selective share buyback. From 6 May 2026, the rules governing such transactions changed significantly. The Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 (CALA 2025) introduced a mandatory double-tier approval structure — requiring [...]
From 6 May 2026, Singapore audit reports must identify by name the public accountant primarily responsible for the audit engagement. This change — introduced by the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 (CALA 2025) — marks a significant shift in how audit accountability is demonstrated in Singapore. For company secretaries, audit committee members, and [...]
A court-supervised scheme of arrangement is one of Singapore's most powerful tools for corporate restructuring and compromise. It allows a company to reach a binding agreement with its creditors or shareholders — even over the objection of a minority — through a process sanctioned and supervised by the Singapore High Court. This article provides a [...]
Changing a company's financial year end (FYE) in Singapore is a straightforward process — but it must be done correctly through ACRA and within the constraints of the Companies Act. Whether you are aligning your company's reporting cycle with your parent company overseas, improving cash flow timing, or simply correcting an FYE that was set [...]
A shareholders' agreement is one of the most important legal documents a Singapore private company can have. It governs the relationship between shareholders, protects minority investors, structures decision-making and determines what happens when the unexpected occurs — a founder exits, a shareholder dies or investors disagree. Yet many Singapore SMEs and startups operate without one, [...]
Foreign businesses looking to establish a presence in Singapore face an important early decision: should they set up a branch office, a subsidiary company or a representative office? Each structure has a different legal character, tax treatment, regulatory burden and suitability for different business objectives. Getting this choice right from the start avoids costly restructuring [...]
A scheme of arrangement is one of the most powerful and flexible tools in Singapore company law. It is a court-supervised mechanism that allows a company to reach a binding compromise or arrangement with its creditors, shareholders, or both — even over the objection of a minority who voted against it. Once sanctioned by the [...]