How to Register a Business in Singapore — A Founder's Guide

This guide is practical orientation, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change — verify current details at acra.gov.sg and iras.gov.sg before you commit.

Choosing a structure: sole proprietorship vs private limited

Most founders choose between two structures. A sole proprietorship is the simplest and cheapest: fast to register, minimal compliance — but it is not a separate legal entity, so you are personally liable for the business's debts, and it reads as less credible to enterprise customers and investors. A private limited company (Pte Ltd) is a separate legal entity with limited liability, can issue shares to co-founders and investors, and qualifies for Singapore's start-up tax exemptions. Nearly every venture that intends to grow, raise, or sell software chooses a Pte Ltd.

Registering with ACRA, step by step

All business registration in Singapore goes through ACRA (the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) via its Bizfile portal.

1. Reserve your name (S$15). Names are checked for conflicts and restricted words; approval is usually instant, and an approved name is held for 120 days.
2. Pick your SSIC code — the classification code describing your business activity. Some activities (finance, education, food) trigger referral to a regulating agency.
3. Prepare the registration details. For a Pte Ltd: at least one shareholder (1–50, individual or corporate), at least one director ordinarily resident in Singapore, a registered office address in Singapore, paid-up capital of at least S$1, and a company constitution (ACRA's model constitution works for most startups).
4. File the incorporation (S$300) through Bizfile with Singpass — or through a registered filing agent if you're a foreigner without Singpass. Most applications are approved the same day.
5. Receive your UEN and Bizfile profile. The Unique Entity Number is your company's identity for everything official from here on. ACRA issues a free business profile — your bank will ask for it.

What it costs and how long it takes

Government fees are modest: S$315 all-in for a Pte Ltd (S$15 + S$300), S$115 a year for a sole proprietorship. If you engage a corporate service provider for incorporation, a nominee director, a registered address, or company-secretary service, their fees come on top — typically a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars a year depending on what you need. Timelines: name approval and incorporation are usually same-day unless your activity requires agency referral, which can stretch to weeks.

After registration: the first 90 days

• Open a corporate bank account — traditional banks or the digital options (e.g. Aspire, Airwallex, Wise Business). You'll need your Bizfile profile and constitution.
• Appoint a company secretary within 6 months — mandatory for a Pte Ltd.
• Register for CPF as an employer before your first local hire — CPF contributions are payable for Singapore citizen and PR employees.
• Know your tax posture. Corporate income tax is a flat 17%, with start-up exemptions that substantially reduce tax on the first S$200,000 of chargeable income for your first three years. GST registration becomes compulsory only once taxable turnover exceeds S$1 million (voluntary before that).
• File on time: Annual Return with ACRA and Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI) + Form C-S/C with IRAS. Your company secretary or accountant tracks these dates.
• Set up the boring-but-vital stack: accounting from day one, a registered-address mail workflow, and a place where your corporate documents actually live.

You've registered — now build the product

Registration is the tutorial level; the actual game is building something customers pay for. That's the part we do. Aijutsu builds custom web applications for founders — production-ready, deployed, and handed over with runbooks and 100% of the IP — starting from $1,000 SGD, in as little as a week. If you're further along and weighing platform, cloud, or compliance decisions, a readiness sprint maps your options before you spend.