Corporate secretary
Corporate secretary services in Singapore
Company secretary support for Singapore companies: statutory records, resolutions, corporate changes and the ACRA annual return. The fee is confirmed before work starts.
What the engagement covers
| Deliverable | When | In this engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Register of members, and register of directors and secretaries | Kept through the year | Included |
| Register of registrable controllers, where the company must keep one | Kept through the year | Included |
| Resolutions, and minutes of the meetings named in the quote | When the matter is decided | Included |
| Copies of the Bizfile filings made for this work | After each filing | Included |
| ACRA annual return | Each year, after the financial year end | Included. For a non-listed company this is within seven months of the financial year end. |
| Annual general meeting papers, or the date the return asks for when the company is exempt | With the annual return | Included |
| Director, secretary or registered office changes | When the change happens | Included when the change is named in the quote. ACRA expects the Bizfile update within 14 days. |
| Shareholder changes and share issues or transfers | When the change happens | Included when the change is named in the quote. |
| Incorporation | Before the company exists | Not this engagement. The incorporation guide covers the setup. The secretary appointment starts once ACRA has registered the company. |
| IRAS tax returns | On the tax calendar | Separate. See corporate tax. |
| Financial statements in XBRL | With the annual return, if ACRA requires them | Separate, unless the quote adds them. |
| Nominee registers, an auditor appointment, or a change to the constitution | If the company needs them | Not in the standard scope. Quoted before that work starts. |
Coordinating your corporate secretarial and tax requirements helps you keep track of key filing dates across both services. The accounting engagement can sit on the same calendar. The fee is confirmed before work starts.
What ACRA requires
This section is general guidance from ACRA, current on its site as of 2026. It is not the contract for a particular company. The engagement is the table above.
Every company must have a company secretary. ACRA requires the secretary to be a natural person who is a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident, or someone who meets the local residency rules, and the secretary must not be the sole director. The secretary is appointed within six months of registration. The office cannot stay empty for more than six months. ACRA states that a director may be fined up to $1,000 if it does. The public note is on ACRA’s page on directors and the company secretary.
ACRA describes the secretary’s work as keeping the company’s information and registers, organising meetings and the notes of those meetings, reminding directors of annual filing dates, and passing on rule changes. The director remains responsible for filing on time.
The annual return is filed with ACRA each year while the company is live, including when it is dormant or IRAS has waived a tax return. For a non-listed company the deadline is within seven months after the financial year end. A listed company has five months. A company with share capital and an overseas branch register has a longer window. ACRA sets out the deadlines on its annual return deadline page. Officer changes are filed on Bizfile within 14 days. The appointment rule and those records are also explained in the company secretary requirements guide.
What to send
Share your latest annual return date and any outstanding corporate changes. We can review the information provided and identify the next steps. That date shows when the last return was filed. It does not, by itself, show that every register and every change is current.
Questions owners ask
Does every Singapore company need a company secretary?
Yes. ACRA requires one. The secretary must be a natural person who meets the local residency rules, and must not be the sole director. The appointment is due within six months of registration, and the office cannot stay empty for more than six months. That is the ACRA requirement. The Octo engagement is the scope in the quote.
What records does Octo keep?
The register of members, the register of directors and secretaries, the register of registrable controllers where the company must keep one, resolutions, minutes of the meetings named in the quote, and copies of the Bizfile filings made for that work.
Which filings are included?
The annual return, and the Bizfile updates for director, secretary, address, shareholder and share changes that are named in the quote. A later change is quoted before it is filed. Incorporation, IRAS tax returns and XBRL financial statements are separate.
When is the annual return due?
For a non-listed company, within seven months after the financial year end. A listed company has five months. A company with share capital and an overseas branch register has a longer window. The director remains responsible for filing on time. ACRA publishes the current deadlines.
What should I send to start?
The latest annual return date and any corporate changes that are still outstanding. Octo reviews that information and replies with the next steps and a fee. The date alone does not confirm that every record is current.
When does this start for a new company?
After ACRA has registered the company. The incorporation guide covers the setup itself.
Next step
Share your latest annual return date and any outstanding corporate changes.
We can review the information provided and identify the next steps. The fee is confirmed before work starts.