������ý

Companies in ������ý must pay their corporate taxes, but they also need to file them before making payment. How does the filing process go, especially if you are unfamiliar with the procedure? It can be confusing if you are not a tax expert, or if you have not done this before. There are certain guidelines that businesses must adhere to as they file their corporate tax in ������ý. We take you through the corporate tax filing process below.

---

How is Corporate Income Taxed in ������ý?

Firms in ������ý are taxed on their chargeable income, which is the taxable revenues after removing permitted expenses and other allowances. Taxable income can be a company’s profits from:

• Their business
• Investment income (dividends or interest)
• Royalties
• Premiums
• Other revenue gains

How Do I File Corporate Tax in ������ý?

Filing your corporate income taxes in ������ý involves a few steps, starting from your estimated chargeable income filing to making payment. We look at these steps:

File Your Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI)

When you pay your corporate income taxes in ������ý, you should start with filing your ECI form. It is an estimate of your business’ profits that can be taxed after subtracting the tax-allowable expenses for a Year of Assessment (YA). Some companies will be exempt from filing the ECI form, so they can skip this step. Related Read: Guide to Understanding Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI) »

Does My Company Need to File the ECI?

Typically, firms in ������ý must file their ECI within 3 months after the end of a financial year, unless they qualify for the filing waiver or are specifically not required to do so. Businesses with yearly revenue of S$5 million or below with no estimated chargeable income for the YA do not have to file their ECI. Companies that belong to any of these categories are also exempt from ECI filing:

• Foreign universities
• Approved CPF unit trusts and allocated unit trusts
• Real estate investment trusts given the tax treatment under , whereby if the stated condition is fulfilled, a lower tax rate or no taxes will be charged
• Overseas ship owners or charterers who have, or will submit the Shipping Return through their ������ý shipping agent
• Special cases that have been allowed the waiver

How Do I Calculate the ECI?

An important point to note is that you must not include the tax exemption for new start-up businesses or partial tax exemption when filing your ECI. It is because IRAS will do so and compute the amount automatically. Remember to indicate if your business qualifies for the income tax exemption scheme for new start-ups in the digital service, .

How Do I File the ECI?

Before you file your ECI, you must ensure that you are appointed by your company as an ‘Approver’ for Corporate Tax in . You should also prepare your firm’s UEN or Entity ID, and your Singpass. Head to the to begin filing, and remember to declare your business’ revenue at the same time.

---

File Your Yearly Corporate Income Tax Return

Proceed with filing your company’s income tax return after filing your ECI form. Companies in ������ý must file their annual corporate tax return, which reflects their real income. They have to file their returns under either of these 3 options:

1. Form C-S
2. Form C-S (Lite)
3. Form C

Form C-S and Form C-S (Lite) are more simplified versions of Form C, where companies are not required to submit their financial statements and tax computation. They only apply to companies incorporated in ������ý with yearly revenue of S$5 million and below (Form C-S) or S$200,000 and below (Form C-S (Lite)). These businesses must also be taxed at the current corporate income tax rate of 17% and are not claiming specified special schemes in the YA.

When is the Corporate Tax Filing Deadline?

The corporate tax filing deadline is 30 November. ������ý files corporate tax returns on a preceding year basis. Hence, for YA 2023, this will refer to the basis period between 1 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022.

Obtain a Notice of Assessment (NOA) From IRAS

After you have filed your ECI and corporate tax returns, IRAS will review them and issue your business with an NOA by 31 May of the next year. The NOA is a comprehensive statement of your company’s tax liabilities. At the same time, it is a chance for your business to object to its tax assessment if it wants to.

Pay Your Corporate Income Tax

Once your company has determined that it does not have any objections and is agreeable to the assessed corporate tax, it must make payment within 30 days.

What Payment Methods Are Available for Paying Corporate Tax?

There are several payment options for companies paying their corporate income taxes:

1. (preferred method for payments and refunds with up to 10 months of interest-free installments)
2. PayNow QR
3. AXS
4. Internet Banking Bill Payment
5. Internet Banking Fund Transfer
6. Telegraphic Transfer
7. SingPost

---

Let a Trusted Team of Tax Experts Take Care of Your Corporate Tax Filing

Nobody wishes to risk non-compliance and getting penalised in any manner. Many companies that lack competent staff to file their corporate taxes choose to outsource to a third-party taxation professional. InCorp’s taxation team has handled numerous corporate tax filings for different types of businesses, and we are well-positioned to help you with yours! Related Read: 9 reasons InCorp is your go-to Corporate Services Provider »

More on Business Blogs