Glossary of Singapore company and tax terms

Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority: Singapore's registrar of companies and regulator of corporate service providers.

Annual general meeting, due within six months of year end. Private companies can dispense with it.

The yearly filing with ACRA confirming company details, due within seven months of year end.

Annual Performance Report: an Indian filing on an overseas investment, built on the foreign company's accounts.

ACRA's online portal for registering and filing.

Country-by-country report: a group-level tax filing for large multinational groups.

An IRAS certificate confirming a company is Singapore tax resident, used to claim treaty benefits.

The points framework for Employment Pass applications. Applicants need at least 40 points.

The company's rulebook. Many companies use the ACRA model constitution.

A business registered with ACRA to provide corporate services such as filings and nominee directors.

The company's digital identity for government e-services, managed by up to two administrators.

Central Provident Fund: mandatory contributions for Singapore citizen and PR employees.

Directors' resolution in writing: a decision signed by directors without a meeting.

Estimated Chargeable Income: an early estimate of taxable profit, due within three months of year end.

Enterprise Singapore's business grant that replaced EDG, PSG and MRA in September 2026.

The work pass for foreign professionals, managers and executives.

A private company with fewer than 20 members and no corporate shareholders, with lighter filing.

The simplified corporate tax return for smaller companies.

Singapore's two accounting frameworks. Listed companies use SFRS(I); unlisted companies may choose FRS.

Interbank direct debit, used to pay tax in up to 10 interest-free instalments.

Goods and Services Tax, 9%. Registration is compulsory above S$1 million of taxable supplies.

A check that assets, especially goodwill, are not carried above what they can recover.

Singapore's e-invoicing network, now required for new voluntary GST registrants.

Tax clearance form an employer files at least one month before a non-citizen employee leaves the job or Singapore.

The annual employee income return, due by 1 March.

Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.

Group transfer pricing documentation describing the group's business and policies.

A director appointed to meet the residency requirement, arranged only by a registered provider.

Overseas direct investment from India, filed through the investor's bank.

The global minimum tax for groups with revenue of EUR 750 million or more.

Place of effective management: where key decisions are really made, used to decide tax residence.

Splitting an acquisition price across the assets acquired, including intangibles.

The company's official Singapore address. It cannot be a P.O. box.

A person with significant control over a company, recorded in a register.

A temporary, non-trading presence of a foreign company for market research, registered with Enterprise Singapore for up to three years.

Singapore fund tax incentives commonly used by single family offices.

A private company meeting two of three size criteria, exempt from audit if its group also qualifies.

Real people, decisions and spending in a country, which tax authorities test.

Pricing transactions between related companies as if they were independent.

Unique Entity Number: the company's identifier in Singapore.

Variable capital company: a Singapore corporate fund vehicle, managed by a MAS-regulated fund manager, that can hold ring-fenced sub-funds.

The data format for filing financial statements with ACRA.

The year in which income of the previous financial year is taxed.