Singapore Companies Act Amendments 2026: Key Changes Businesses Need To Know

On October 6, 2026, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) announced that the next phase of amendments under the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 will take effect on October 20, 2026. The changes refine how companies file their annual returns, manage their registered office, and go through striking-off and restoration, while removing several outdated requirements under the Companies Act.

Below is a summary of the key amendments and what each change means in practice, helping company directors, shareholders, and business owners in Singapore stay compliant ahead of the commencement date.

Updated annual return filing requirements

One of the key changes concerns annual return filing. Company officers, such as directors or company secretaries, or a corporate service provider (CSP) filing on the company’s behalf, will need to complete two additional steps in Bizfile when submitting the annual return.

Confirming the particulars of key officers and members

When filing, companies will need to confirm that the latest particulars provided to ACRA are accurate for their directors, chief executive officers (CEOs), company secretaries, auditors, and relevant members. These particulars include names, identification details, nationality, contact address, appointment dates, registered office address, and shareholding details, where applicable. Companies limited by guarantee will need to confirm the total number of members last provided to ACRA through Bizfile.

New disclosure on the CEO role

The annual return eForm will include an additional question asking whether any individual is performing the role of CEO in the company. Business owners should therefore be clear about who holds executive responsibility for the company, even where that person does not carry the formal title of CEO.

Reduced regulatory burden for companies

The amendments also remove certain filing and meeting requirements and give companies more flexibility in managing their registered office.

Removal of outdated filing and meeting requirements

The requirement to file a statement in lieu of prospectus under prescribed circumstances will be abolished. Public limited companies with a share capital will also no longer need to convene statutory meetings or prepare statutory reports.

More flexible registered office hours

Companies will no longer be required to keep their registered office open and accessible to the public for a specified minimum number of hours on each business day, giving them more flexibility in deciding its opening hours.

However, companies must still make their records available for inspection in accordance with the law. Anyone who wishes to inspect company records must give the company reasonable notice, after which the company must make the records available for at least two hours during each of the relevant business days. Any change in registered office address must also still be filed with ACRA within 14 days after the change.

Streamlined striking-off and restoration processes

The striking-off and restoration processes for companies, limited liability partnerships (LLPs), variable capital companies (VCCs), and VCC sub-funds will be streamlined, and the regulatory framework for restoration will be strengthened.

Shorter timelines for striking off

The timelines for both voluntary and Registrar-initiated striking-off will be shortened. For voluntary striking-off, the Gazette notice may be published as early as the same day the notice is sent to the company. For Registrar-initiated striking-off, it may be published as early as 15 days after the letter is sent to the company.

An entity will be legally dissolved or restored on the date and at the time the Registrar strikes off or restores its name on the register. The Registrar will publish the name, date, and time of the striking-off or restoration in the Government Gazette.

Stronger safeguards for restoration

Applications to restore a struck-off entity, whether made to the Court or to the Registrar, must be refused if the restored entity is likely to be used for an unlawful purpose or for purposes prejudicial to public peace, welfare, or good order in Singapore, or if restoring it would be contrary to national security or interest.

Changes for public accountants and accounting firms

Two further changes apply to the accountancy sector. Public accountants will be able to renew their registration for one, two, or three years, instead of renewing annually. Professional indemnity insurance (PII) requirements will also be extended to accounting firms operating as sole proprietorships or partnerships, on top of public accounting corporations and accounting LLPs. The required coverage is the highest of S$1 million, S$500,000 per public accountant in the firm, or 2.5 times the firm’s gross income for the last financial year, capped at S$50 million.

The bottom line

Keeping up with regulatory changes is an important part of running a company in Singapore. With BBCIncorp’s corporate secretarial services, you can rely on our team to support your company’s ongoing compliance needs, from annual return filing to other key statutory requirements, so you can focus on running and growing your business.

If you need assistance with corporate compliance in Singapore, feel free to reach out to us at service@bbcincorp.com.

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