Two-shareholder companies — most commonly structured as 50/50 joint ventures or equal co-founding arrangements — are a staple of the Singapore SME landscape. They are simple to set up, reflect genuine equality between business partners, and work well when both parties are aligned. When the relationship breaks down, however, the 50/50 structure becomes one of [...]
Every Singapore company must file an Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI) return with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) within three months of its financial year end. It is one of the most time-sensitive tax obligations in the Singapore corporate tax calendar — and one that many directors either miss, misunderstand, or leave entirely to [...]
Every Singapore company — whether a small family-run business or a multi-million dollar operation — must comply with the Annual General Meeting (AGM) requirements under the Companies Act (Cap. 50). Yet AGMs are one of the most commonly misunderstood areas of Singapore corporate law. Directors confuse the exemption with the obligation, private companies miss the [...]
If you are a founder, investor, or shareholder in a Singapore private limited company, drag-along rights are one of the most important — and most frequently misunderstood — provisions you will encounter in a shareholders' agreement. When structured well, they protect majority shareholders and make the company more attractive to acquirers. When drafted poorly, they [...]
The Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 (CALA 2025) commenced on 6 May 2026, marking the most significant upgrade to Singapore's corporate governance penalties in over a decade. Maximum fines for director breaches have quadrupled from S$5,000 to S$20,000. Imprisonment terms have been extended. Audit reports must now name the individual public accountant responsible. [...]
ACRA launched a formal review of Singapore's audit exemption framework in February 2026 — the first since the current thresholds were set in 2015. The public consultation closed on 17 April 2026, and as of June 2026, no outcome has been published. For companies that are near the existing thresholds, or for directors managing their [...]
The Corporate and Accounting Laws Amendment Act 2025 (CALA 2025) is being brought into force in phases. Phase 1 commenced on 6 May 2026, introducing several significant changes including the named audit partner requirement for audit reports and the new double-tier approval process for selective share buybacks. Phase 2 has not yet commenced, but the [...]
On 6 May 2026, the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 (CALA 2025) commenced. Among its most significant — and least-publicised — changes is a new two-tier approval requirement for selective share buy-backs. If your company is considering buying back shares from specific shareholders, the rules have changed and the approval bar is now [...]
On 9 May 2026, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) completed one of its most significant administrative overhauls in years: the migration of every registered business entity in Singapore from the Singapore Standard Industrial Classification 2020 (SSIC 2020) to the new SSIC 2025. If you have not yet checked your company's business activity code [...]
When an issue cannot wait until your company's next Annual General Meeting (AGM), an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) is the mechanism Singapore law provides for shareholders and directors to convene and make binding decisions in between scheduled meetings. Whether you are seeking shareholder approval for a major acquisition, amending the company constitution, or removing a [...]