Understanding ACRA: Its Roles and Responsibilities

Key Takeaways

• ACRA (the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) is Singapore’s statutory board for company registration, compliance, and financial reporting, operating under the Ministry of Finance.
• Every business structure — sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLPs, and companies — must register with ACRA before trading legally in Singapore.
• BizFile+ is ACRA’s online portal for incorporation, filings, and public company searches, handling over a million transactions a year.
• Since 9 June 2025, all corporate service providers must themselves be registered with ACRA under the Corporate Service Providers Act 2024 — a change that directly affects who you can trust with your compliance.
• From 6 May 2026, director-duty fines under the Companies Act rose from S$5,000 to S$20,000, with imprisonment now possible for serious breaches.
• Late annual return filings attract a S$300 penalty within three months of the deadline, rising to S$600 beyond that, with no grace period from 2026 onwards.
• Grof helps Singapore businesses manage the full ACRA compliance journey, from incorporation through annual filings.

Starting a business in Singapore means dealing with ACRA from day one, whether you’re a solo founder or scaling an SME. ACRA isn’t just a registration formality it’s the regulator that decides whether your company is legally allowed to operate, and its compliance requirements have become noticeably stricter through 2025 and into 2026.

This guide explains what ACRA is, what it actually does, how BizFile+ works, and what’s changed for 2026 so you know exactly what your business needs to do to stay on the right side of Singapore’s corporate registry.

What is ACRA and how does it work? 

ACRA stands for the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore. It is a statutory board under the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Singapore that serves several important functions. They oversee business registration, financial reporting, public accountants, and corporate service providers in Singapore. In addition to regulating these areas, ACRA is responsible for advancing the accountancy sector and establishing accounting standards for companies, charities, co-operative societies, and societies. By fostering a trusted and dynamic business environment, ACRA promotes innovation, growth, and contributes to positioning Singapore as the best place for a leading global business hub. 

Its primary role is to supervise corporate compliance, ensuring companies adhere to the necessary steps for registration and annual reporting. ACRA is responsible for monitoring financial reporting, disclosure requirements, and personal information protection. Through its online portal, BizFile login, ACRA provides public access to business information, financial statements, and company registration details, promoting business data transparency and regulatory compliance. Additionally, ACRA offers a convenient and efficient way for businesses to access and manage their information through the ACRA portal, BizFile+. This platform allows for the submission of statutory documents and retrieval of information about business entities, with over 1 million transactions taking place annually. 

ACRA was formed on 1 April 2004, through the merger of the Registry of Companies and Businesses (RCB) and the Public Accountants’ Board (PAB). That merger brought corporate compliance oversight and the regulation of statutory auditors under a single authority, which is why ACRA today handles both company registration and professional oversight of public accountants.

What Does ACRA Actually Do?

ACRA performs four core functions for every business operating in Singapore.

1. Business registration. Every new company, partnership, or sole proprietorship must register through BizFile+, ACRA’s online filing system.
2. Regulatory oversight. ACRA monitors ongoing compliance for both companies and the public accountants who audit them.
3. UEN provision. ACRA issues every registered entity a Unique Entity Number (UEN), the identifier used across Singapore’s government and banking systems.
4. Data collection and registry maintenance. ACRA maintains an accurate, publicly searchable register of directors, corporate secretaries, shareholders, and company details.

Who Needs to Register with ACRA?

Registration is mandatory for essentially every form of business activity in Singapore.

• Sole proprietorships — even single-owner businesses must register to trade legally and access basic business banking.
• Partnerships — general partnerships and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) both require ACRA registration.
• Companies — private limited companies and public companies must register before commencing operations.

There’s no benefit to delaying registration. Operating an unregistered business in Singapore exposes the owner to penalties and removes access to the legal protections that come with a properly registered entity.

BizFile+: ACRA’s Online Filing Portal

BizFile+ is ACRA’s digital platform for incorporation, statutory filings, and business information searches. It replaced the original BizFile system and now handles more than 400 online services, processing over a million transactions annually.

Businesses use BizFile+ for:

• Company registration — incorporating local companies, foreign entities, LLPs, and other business structures.
• Company information search — checking a business’s registration status, directors, and filing history.
• Information purchase — buying detailed company profiles and business records.
• Document filing — submitting annual returns, director changes, and other statutory updates.

ACRA Filing Requirements

Companies must submit specific information and documents to stay compliant:

• Financial statements — accurate, up-to-date accounts submitted according to the Companies Act.
• Company information — details of business activities, registered address, and directors.
• Personal information — names and identification details of directors and shareholders where required.

Ongoing compliance obligations include company registration, timely annual return filing, disclosure of structural or director changes, accurate financial reporting, and adherence to ACRA’s personal data protection guidelines.

You don’t need to manage this alone — a corporate secretary is legally required for every Singapore company and typically handles these filings on your behalf.

ACRA Fees and Penalties in 2026

Understanding ACRA’s fee and penalty structure matters more this year than in previous ones, because the rules have tightened on two fronts.

Late annual return filing. ACRA imposes an automatic late lodgement penalty: S$300 if filed within three months of the due date, rising to S$600 beyond that. As of 2026, ACRA has also removed the end-of-day grace period some companies previously relied on — the penalty now applies from the first day after the deadline, with no buffer.

Director-duty breaches. Under the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025, which commenced on 6 May 2026, the maximum fine for breaching directors’ duties under Section 157 of the Companies Act quadrupled from S$5,000 to S$20,000. Serious breaches can now also carry up to 12 months’ imprisonment.

Persistent non-compliance. Companies that fail to file for consecutive periods risk composition sums, court prosecution (with fines up to S$5,000 per charge), or being struck off the register entirely.

These changes reflect a broader shift: ACRA now expects directors to maintain genuine oversight of compliance, not simply delegate it and assume the job is done.

What Changed for CSPs and Companies in 2025–2026

Two regulatory developments matter for how businesses interact with ACRA and choose who handles their compliance.

The Corporate Service Providers Act 2024 took effect on 9 June 2025, requiring every business entity that provides corporate services in or from Singapore — company incorporation agents, nominee director providers, registered office providers, and corporate secretarial firms — to register with ACRA as a Corporate Service Provider (CSP). Operating as an unregistered CSP now carries a fine of up to S$50,000 and/or up to two years’ imprisonment, plus a further S$2,500 daily fine for continued non-compliance. This matters directly to business owners: when choosing who handles your incorporation or secretarial work, confirming their ACRA CSP registration is no longer optional due diligence — it’s a legal check.

The Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 (effective in phases from 6 May 2026) raised director-duty fines, mandated accurate digital registers of members, directors, and controllers, and introduced automatic director disqualification for individuals convicted under Singapore’s anti-money-laundering legislation.

How to Stay Compliant with ACRA in 2026

1. Register your business correctly the first time, choosing the right structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLP, or company) for your circumstances.
2. Appoint a corporate secretary within six months of incorporation — this is the role most directly responsible for keeping ACRA filings on schedule.
3. File annual returns before the deadline, remembering there’s no grace period from 2026 onward.
4. Keep statutory registers accurate and digital, in line with the 2025 amendments’ emphasis on record integrity.
5. Verify your corporate service provider’s ACRA registration under the CSP Act 2024 before engaging them.
6. Monitor director-duty obligations directly rather than assuming full delegation removes personal liability.

Common Mistakes Businesses Make with ACRA Compliance

Assuming registration is a one-time task. ACRA compliance is ongoing — annual returns, director changes, and shareholding updates all require timely filing throughout the company’s life, not just at incorporation.

Missing the removed grace period. Companies used to timing filings for the deadline day itself. That buffer is gone in 2026, and the S$300 penalty now applies immediately.

Engaging an unregistered corporate service provider. With the CSP Act 2024 now in force, using an unregistered provider exposes both the provider and, indirectly, your business’s compliance record to risk.

Treating director duties as fully delegable. Directors remain personally accountable under the Companies Act, and the 2026 fine increase makes this a costlier assumption to get wrong.

How Grof Helps with ACRA Compliance

Grof provides end-to-end support for Singapore’s ACRA requirements, from first registration through ongoing filings.

• Company incorporation — registering your business correctly with ACRA from day one.
• Annual filing management — preparing and submitting financial statements and annual returns on time.
• Corporate secretarial duties — managing statutory registers, board documentation, and BizFile+ filings.
• Regulatory monitoring — keeping your business ahead of changes like the 2025 Amendment Act and the CSP Act 2024.

Conclusion

ACRA is far more than an administrative registry — it’s the regulator that determines whether your Singapore business is compliant, credible, and legally protected. With director-duty fines up to S$20,000, a tightened annual return deadline, and a new CSP registration regime all now in force, 2026 is not the year to treat ACRA compliance as an afterthought.

Ready to register or stay compliant with ACRA? Explore Grof’s corporate services in Singapore and let us manage the filings while you focus on growth.

Frequently Asked Questions