Singapore

Books that work in Singapore

Bookkeeping for Singapore private limited companies — SFRS records, GST F5 workings, and the schedules your corporate secretary and tax agent need for ACRA and IRAS.

SFRS and SFRS for Small Entities GST F5 workings Two and a half hours apart
what we do

What we run for Singapore businesses

SFRS records

Books kept under the Singapore Financial Reporting Standards, or SFRS for Small Entities where the company qualifies for it.

GST F5 workings

Output and input tax schedules reconciled to the ledger each quarter, with zero-rated and exempt supplies separated for the return.

Payables and receivables

Supplier bills coded for approval, customer invoices and receipts allocated, and aged listings each month.

Payroll journals and CPF

Payroll postings and CPF contribution reconciliations, whether payroll runs through you, a bureau or us.

XBRL-ready statements

Financial statements prepared in a structure your corporate secretary can file in XBRL with ACRA, rather than reformatting them from scratch.

Year-end and audit support

Schedules and the audit file for exempt private companies and for those that need an audit, with queries answered directly.

the local rules

The filings your books have to support

We prepare the records, reconciliations and workings behind these. Your local licensed adviser signs and files them.

GST

GST is 9%. Registration is compulsory once taxable turnover passes S$1 million in a calendar year, with voluntary registration available below that. The F5 return is normally quarterly.

Corporate income tax

The headline rate is 17%. Estimated Chargeable Income is due within three months of the financial year end, and the Form C-S, C-S (Lite) or C follows by the annual deadline.

Exemptions worth having

Partial tax exemption and the start-up tax exemption scheme can cut the effective rate considerably for a young company — but only if the numbers behind the claim are clean.

ACRA filings

An annual return to ACRA, with financial statements in XBRL where the company is required to file them. The AGM and filing deadlines are fixed.

CPF and IR8A

Monthly CPF contributions for employees, and the annual IR8A employment income reporting. We reconcile the control accounts to what is submitted.

Audit exemption

Small companies meeting the size criteria are exempt from audit, but still have to prepare proper accounts. We prepare them either way.

Rates, thresholds and deadlines above are stated as a general guide and change from time to time. We confirm what applies to your entity on the scoping call, and we work alongside your local licensed adviser on anything that requires formal advice or a filing signature.

the systems

Software we work in for Singapore clients

Zoho Books

Our home ground. As a Zoho Advanced Partner we can implement it, migrate you onto it and then run the books on it — the same team does both.

Xero and QuickBooks Online

Both are widely used in Singapore and both suit us. We work inside your existing file, with your corporate secretary retaining their access.

Two and a half hours apart

Singapore is GMT+8 against India at GMT+5:30. Our full working day sits inside yours, so same-day turnaround is the norm rather than the exception.

Every set of books is a different amount of work.

Tell us your entity type, rough monthly transaction volume and the software you are on. We will come back with a fixed monthly fee.

Get a fixed monthly quote
how it works

How we work with you

step one

Scope and access

A call to understand the entity, the volumes and your filing deadlines. Scope and fee in writing before anything starts.

step two

Catch-up, then current

Any backlog is cleared period by period and reconciled, with a written note of every adjustment, before we take on the live month.

step three

Monthly close and handover

Books closed on an agreed date, reconciliations attached, reporting pack delivered, and the workings your local adviser needs sent on the same cycle.

questions

Common questions

Do you file with ACRA and IRAS for us?

No. Those filings are made by your corporate secretary and your tax agent. We prepare the books, the financial statements and the workings they file from, and answer their queries directly.

Can you prepare financial statements in XBRL?

We prepare the financial statements in the structure ACRA's XBRL requirements expect, so your corporate secretary can file them without rebuilding the numbers. The submission itself stays with them.

Do you handle GST?

We prepare the GST F5 workings each quarter, reconciled to the ledger, with zero-rated and exempt supplies separated out. Your tax agent or a director submits the return through myTax Portal.

Which standard do you keep the books to?

SFRS, or SFRS for Small Entities where the company qualifies. We confirm which applies to your entity on the scoping call.

What about CPF?

We reconcile CPF contributions and the payroll control accounts monthly, and provide the figures behind the annual IR8A reporting. The CPF submissions themselves are made by whoever runs your payroll.

We are a young company. Does the start-up exemption apply to us?

It may, and it is worth a great deal in the first three years. Whether you qualify depends on your shareholding and activity, which your tax agent will confirm — our job is to make sure the accounts support the claim cleanly.

Do we need an audit?

Small companies meeting the statutory size criteria are exempt, but still need properly prepared accounts. If you do need an audit, we prepare the audit file and deal with the auditor directly.

How do the working hours line up?

Singapore is two and a half hours ahead of India, so our entire working day sits inside yours. Queries raised in your morning are usually answered before your afternoon.

What does it cost?

It depends on transaction volume, GST registration, headcount and the reporting you need. Send us the contact form for a fixed monthly fee.

elsewhere

We also work with businesses in

United Arab Emirates · United States · United Kingdom · Australia

let us take a look

Tell us what your books look like today.

Send us your scope and we will come back with a fixed monthly fee and a start date.