ACRA currently lists S$15 to apply for a new business entity name and S$300 to register a new business entity, so the basic government company-registration fees total S$315. That figure is not the total cost of setting up and operating a Singapore company. Budget separately for any provider work, registered office, company secretary, nominee or resident-director arrangement, constitution or legal work, accounting, tax, licences, banking, payroll and annual compliance. Confirm what is included before comparing packages.

Anchor the budget to current ACRA fees

ACRA's current service-fee page lists S$15 for an application for a new business entity name and S$300 to register a new business entity. These are government transaction fees for the stated services. Keep the source and date with the budget because official fees and procedures can change.

Do not describe S$315 as an all-in incorporation price. It excludes professional or provider work and the resources needed to maintain the company after registration. If a proposed name is referred for review, if the business needs licences or if the ownership and activities require extra analysis, the timing and total budget may differ even though the base fee table is unchanged.

  • S$15 name application fee.
  • S$300 new business entity registration fee.
  • Source date and official fee link.
  • Separate allowance for non-standard review or approvals.

Separate government fees from provider fees

An incorporation provider may charge for preparing information, coordinating identity checks, supplying an address or secretary, making submissions or supporting post-registration steps. A package price may combine several items, while another quote may show only the filing service. Compare the same scope instead of comparing the headline number.

Ask for each item to be labelled as a government fee, provider fee, third-party cost, deposit or optional service. Confirm tax treatment, currency, payment timing, refund rules and whether fees recur. If a provider advances government fees, the invoice should still make the underlying amount and service charge understandable.

  • Government filing fee and pass-through treatment.
  • Preparation, filing and KYC coordination fee.
  • Included revisions and response support.
  • Optional, conditional and recurring items.

Budget for required company infrastructure

Every company needs the officers and address arrangements required for its actual structure. ACRA states that every company must have at least one director and one company secretary, with the secretary appointed within six months. A company also needs a registered office address. Foreign founders may need a compliant local-residency arrangement and should verify immigration, employment and authority questions separately.

The cost depends on what the founders already have and what a provider supplies. Record whether the quote includes the registered office, mail handling, named secretary, routine resolutions, officer changes, nominee or resident-director services, security deposits and handover. Do not assume a low first-year bundle remains the same on renewal.

  • Registered office and mail process.
  • Company secretary appointment and annual scope.
  • Director or local-residency arrangement where needed.
  • Deposits, indemnities and renewal pricing.

Add the legal, accounting, tax and licensing workstreams

A standard constitution and simple ownership may require less bespoke work than a company with investor rights, several share classes, regulated activities, founder IP issues or cross-border financing. Banking, employment, data, contracts, tax and licences are separate workstreams even when they appear on a provider's setup dashboard.

Build the budget from the intended day-one activities. Identify who will prepare accounts, maintain records, file tax returns, run payroll, review customer and employment contracts, protect IP and confirm sector approvals. Obtain specialist quotes where the operating facts need them; company registration does not itself approve a regulated activity or settle tax treatment.

  • Constitution, shareholders' arrangements and approvals.
  • Accounting, bookkeeping and tax compliance.
  • Employment, payroll and immigration support.
  • Licences, contracts, data and intellectual property.

Model recurring compliance and operating costs

The incorporation payment is only the start of the company lifecycle. ACRA currently lists S$60 for filing an annual return, but annual compliance may also involve accounts, tax work, secretary and address services, registers, resolutions and audit where the company is not exempt. Banking, insurance, software, payroll and local operations belong in the operating budget rather than the registration line.

Create a three-year view with one-time, annual and event-driven columns. Include price changes after an introductory year and conditional costs such as an audit, financing, share transfer, officer change or licence renewal. This makes it easier to compare a bundled provider quote with a modular one and reduces surprises after the company has already committed.

  • One-time formation and professional work.
  • Annual return, accounts, tax and corporate administration.
  • Recurring address, officer and operating services.
  • Event-driven transactions and contingency allowance.

Compare quotes with a common cost sheet

Give each provider the same fact pack: founder locations, proposed shareholders and directors, business activities, regulated markets, hiring plan, expected transactions and required launch date. Ask each provider to identify assumptions, exclusions, government and third-party charges, renewal rates, cancellation terms and what documents the company receives on completion.

Price matters, but the lowest headline fee may omit work the business actually needs. Compare the total verified scope, responsibility map, response time and handover rights. JurisLane's own fixed pilot fees, where shown on a service page, cover only the stated preparation scope; government, filing, tax, translation, local-counsel and third-party charges remain separate.

  • Same company facts and requested scope for every quote.
  • One-time, recurring and conditional price columns.
  • Assumptions, exclusions and third-party charges.
  • Deliverables, completion evidence and handover rights.

Sources and discussion

Related resources

Prepare the next step

Use JurisLane's company setup document checklist to define the owners, activities, documents and launch dependencies before requesting like-for-like incorporation and operating-cost quotes.

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Editorial note: This guide supports issue preparation and qualified review. Applicable requirements depend on the facts, entities, markets and current law.