Sole proprietorship
A business owned by one individual, company or limited liability partnership (LLP), registered under the Business Names Registration Act. It is not a separate legal entity, and the owner has unlimited liability.
- Entiva fee to form
- $189
- Government fees to form
- S$115
- Run plan
- $99 a month
- Steps to form
- 4
- Ongoing filings
- 3
- Ways to close
- 3
Who it suits, and what defines it.
Governed by the Business Names Registration Act 2014.
Who it suits
- Businesses with one owner, who can be an individual, a company or an LLP.
Key facts
- Legal status
- Not a separate legal entity
- Liability
- Unlimited for the owner
- Owner
- One individual, company or LLP
- Individual owner
- 18 or older; citizen, permanent resident or FIN holder
- Foreigners without Singpass
- Need a corporate service provider and a local representative
- Registration
- Renewed every 1 or 3 years
- Renewal fee
- S$30 for 1 year, S$90 for 3 years
- Statute
- Business Names Registration Act 2014
What the law requires.
4 rules, each in plain words.
An eligible individual owner
18 or over, a Singapore citizen, permanent resident or eligible FIN holder (foreign identification number), and not an undischarged bankrupt.
A CSP and a local authorised representative for foreigners without Singpass
Singpass is Singapore's digital ID. A corporate service provider (CSP) is a business registered with ACRA, the business registry, to file for others.
MediSave contributions up to date before renewal
The 3-year renewal needs no outstanding MediSave, or an instalment plan with at least 24 consecutive months of contributions.
Renewal opens 60 days before expiry
The registration may be cancelled 60 days after it expires, and trading after expiry is an offence.
How Entiva forms it.
4 steps. Entiva prepares and files each one, and collects every signature the law needs.
The steps
4 steps- 1Reserve the business name
ACRA charges S$15 and holds an approved name for up to 120 days.
- 2Register the business with ACRA
Entiva files on Bizfile, ACRA's online filing service, for 1 or 3 years. ACRA charges S$100.
- 3Set up Corppass for government services
Corppass is the entity's digital ID for ACRA, IRAS (the tax authority) and other government e-services. Apply from one day after ACRA issues the UEN, the registration number.
- 4Register for GST if needed
Goods and services tax (GST) is compulsory above S$1m taxable turnover and voluntary below it.
Documents
5- Consent from the owner and any representative to be registered
- Appointment letter for the authorised representative
- Beneficiary details, if the owner is a nominee or trustee
- ACRA notice of successful registration
- ACRA Business Profile
Who takes part
4- The owner is the business, so the owner is identified and recorded
- The authorised representative lives in Singapore and acts for an owner who lives abroad
- The beneficiary of a nominee or trustee owner is verified
- A company, LLP or trust owner is verified, with its directors and beneficial owners
What has to be filed, and when.
Entiva tracks every deadline from the day it is formed, and files before each one.
Every year, and as things happen
3 filings- Renew the business registration
Renewal opens 60 days before expiry; S$30 for 1 year or S$90 for 3
- File the GST return
1 month after each accounting period, if GST registered
- File employees' income records with IRAS
1 March each year, if there are employees
The changes Entiva handles.
Each change is prepared, approved, signed and filed.
The most common changes
10 changes- Appoint an authorised representative or owner
- Remove an authorised representative
- Change the business name, activity or address
- Update the owner's or representative's details
- Change the principal place of business
- Update other entity details
- Correct an error in a filing
- Convert to a limited liability partnership
- Order a Business Profile or certificate
- Correct employment income records
How it closes.
3 routes. The right one depends on whether it can pay its debts, and who starts it.
Cessation
The business stops.
- 1
Cancel the GST registration
- 2
File the final GST return
- 3
Cease the business on Bizfile
Conversion to a limited liability partnership
The owner wants limited liability.
- 1
Convert the business into an LLP
Restoration
The registration was cancelled after it expired.
- 1
Apply on Bizfile to restore the registration
What Entiva does for you.
From the first filing to the last.
Sole proprietorship
- Files the business registration on Bizfile for 1 or 3 years.Formation
- Renews the registration on Bizfile before it expires.Ongoing
- Files a new owner or authorised representative within 14 days, with no endorsement needed.People
- Files GST returns when the business is registered for GST.Ongoing
- Files the cessation on Bizfile once GST is cancelled and the registration is current.Closing
Build it with the API.
Every step on this page is an action in the Entiva API, with its documents, signatures and filing.
What it costs, item by item.
Every Entiva fee and every government fee, from forming it to closing it.
Forming it
$189one-off
- Government fees
- S$115
Closing it
Quoted before it starts
- Entiva fee
- Fixed, quoted first
- Government fees
- At cost
Included in the Run plan
- Renew the business registration
- File the GST return
- File employees' income records with IRAS
- Routine changes
- Every deadline tracked
Extra, at a fixed fee
- Register for GST if needed
- Convert to a limited liability partnership
Each extra is quoted before it starts, and nothing is done until you approve it.
Forming it
Entiva's formation fee is $189, one-off. Government fees are passed through at cost.
S$15 for every entity type, including VCCs.
Late registration risks a fine of up to S$10,000 plus a 10% penalty on GST due, with registration backdated.
Excludes steps marked only if needed.
Every year
The Run plan costs $99 a month ($1,188 a year).
S$30 for 1 year, S$90 for 3 years, non-refundable.
Changes
Routine changes are included in the Run plan.
ACRA states no fee for General Lodgement for companies; the quote assumes S$0.
S$60 for clerical, typographical and other errors. Revised financial statements cost S$200 and use a different process.
Add S$15 for the LLP name application.
Closing it
Closing is a fixed-fee project, quoted before it starts.
Add S$15 for the LLP name application.
S$0 for restoration.
Entiva fees are in US dollars. Government fees are in the currency each authority charges, passed through at cost when the filing is made. Taxes are separate.
Start with your first company.
We are onboarding a small group of founders and finance teams with entities in more than one country.