A shareholding percentage reconciliation needs actual share numbers, the relevant share class and the date of the comparison. A percentage-only spreadsheet can conceal rounding and denominator differences. Ask the secretary to trace the controlled holding records before anyone uses it for a corporate decision.

Hands signing a document at an office desk
Illustrative photograph by Pavel Danilyuk.

Establish the basis

Identify the company, holder and whether the percentage concerns one class or all issued shares. Note the total used and the point in time. Do not mix a current register with a cap table prepared before a later allotment or transfer.

Keep issued shares separate from proposed options, convertible instruments or an illustrative fully diluted presentation unless the reviewer specifically asks for that basis.

Rebuild the arithmetic transparently

Show the actual holding, relevant total and calculation alongside the displayed percentage. Preserve fractional rounding information rather than reverse-calculating a convenient share number from a rounded figure.

Ask the secretary about any mismatch with the company records. This arithmetic schedule does not decide voting rights, beneficial ownership or whether a legal threshold has been met.

Example: three holders each show one third

A spreadsheet rounds every holding to the same percentage, but the issued share total does not divide equally. Obtain the actual numbers and issue or transfer evidence. Do not add or remove a share merely to make the display symmetrical.

Keep the accepted schedule linked

Retain the source date, class, denominator and reviewer explanation. Update a presentation table only after the underlying discrepancy is resolved. Another director should be able to understand what the percentage measures without assuming it proves every right attached to the shares.

Related practical guidance

For the surrounding records and responsibilities, see maintaining statutory records, the company secretary role, company recordkeeping.

Official guidance: ACRA company guidance.

Help with your company records

For corporate secretarial and company administration support, contact Raffles Corporate Services at [email protected] or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. Tell us which records or process need attention so we can discuss the relevant next steps.