Every Singapore private limited company operates under a dual compliance regime: ACRA governs company law obligations (annual returns, corporate secretarial records, the company constitution), while IRAS governs tax (Estimated Chargeable Income filings, corporate tax returns, and financial statements in the format IRAS and ACRA require). These are not optional, and they run on fixed statutory deadlines regardless of whether the company is actively trading. For founders and SMEs, that administrative load is real and recurring.
- Every Singapore Pte Ltd must appoint a corporate secretary within six months of incorporation.
- IRAS requires an Estimated Chargeable Income filing within three months of the company's financial year end.
- ACRA requires at least one locally resident director for every Singapore-registered company.
- Annual returns must be filed with ACRA within a statutory window tied to the company's financial year end.
- Singapore companies above a certain threshold must file financial statements in XBRL format with ACRA.
Every Singapore Pte Ltd has the same mandatory obligations
It does not matter whether your company turned over a million dollars last year or zero. ACRA requires a corporate secretary to be appointed within six months of incorporation, an annual return to be filed within a fixed window, and proper registers to be maintained. IRAS requires an Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI) filing within three months of the financial year end, a corporate tax return, and financial statements prepared to the correct standard. Miss any of these and the company accumulates penalties. Duellix covers the full set: incorporation, corporate secretarial, accounting, bookkeeping, unaudited financial statements, XBRL filing, ECI filing, and corporate tax. You do not need to piece together separate providers for each obligation.
A named account manager, not a ticket queue
Most corporate service firms route client queries through a shared inbox. Duellix assigns a named account manager to each client and commits to a same-day response. If you send a question about your annual return deadline or a payroll query on a Tuesday morning, you hear back that day. Onboarding is built around the communication channels you already use, including WhatsApp and Slack, so there is no friction in the relationship. For founders running lean, that responsiveness is not a nice-to-have; it is what keeps compliance from becoming a distraction.
Overseas founders can incorporate without relocating
Singapore law requires at least one locally resident director, which blocks many overseas founders from incorporating on their own. Duellix provides a nominee director service to satisfy that ACRA residency requirement, and pairs it with a registered office address, so a foreign entrepreneur can have a fully compliant Singapore Pte Ltd without being physically present. The incorporation covers name reservation, the company constitution, and ACRA filing. Once the entity is live, the same team handles the ongoing secretarial and accounting obligations, so there is no handoff gap between setup and compliance.
Bookkeeping and accounting built around Xero
Duellix runs its bookkeeping and accounting work on Xero, which means clients have real-time visibility into their financials rather than waiting for a quarterly report. The service covers everything from transaction-level bookkeeping through to management accounts, unaudited financial statements, and XBRL filing for submission to ACRA. For SMEs that have outgrown a spreadsheet but are not ready for an in-house finance function, this is the practical middle ground: professional-grade accounts, prepared to the standard IRAS and ACRA require, without the overhead of a full-time hire.
Payroll and EOR for companies with Singapore-based staff
Running payroll in Singapore means calculating CPF contributions correctly, issuing payslips, and keeping employment records in order. Duellix manages that process for incorporated companies. For overseas businesses that need to employ Singapore-based staff before they have a local entity, Duellix also offers an Employer of Record (EOR) arrangement, acting as the legal employer on the client's behalf. It is a practical way to have boots on the ground in Singapore without the lead time of setting up a full subsidiary first.
The compliance calendar for a Singapore Pte Ltd does not pause between busy seasons, and the cost of missing a deadline is borne entirely by the company.
How Duellix takes on your compliance
Tell us where you are starting
Whether you are incorporating from scratch, taking over from an existing provider, or picking up a dormant company that has fallen behind on filings, the starting point is a conversation. We map out what your entity needs, what is outstanding, and what the immediate deadlines are. Same-day response means this does not sit in a queue.
We handle incorporation or onboard your existing entity
For new companies, we file the name reservation, draft the company constitution, and complete the ACRA incorporation filing. For existing companies, we transfer the corporate secretarial register and accounting records to our systems. Either way, a named account manager is assigned at this stage.
Ongoing bookkeeping and payroll run in the background
Transactions are recorded in Xero on an ongoing basis. Payroll is processed each cycle with CPF contributions calculated correctly. You have access to management accounts whenever you need them, and nothing waits until year-end to be reconciled.
Year-end accounts and tax filings are prepared on schedule
As the financial year closes, we prepare unaudited financial statements and the XBRL filing for ACRA. The ECI is filed within three months of year-end, and the corporate tax return follows. Annual return filing with ACRA is handled within the statutory window. You do not need to track these deadlines yourself.
You stay informed without managing the detail
Your account manager keeps you updated on anything that requires your input or signature. Queries come back to you through WhatsApp, Slack, or email, whichever you prefer. The goal is that compliance runs in the background while you run the business.
Benefits
Same-day response, every time
Duellix commits to a same-day response time for every client query. For founders managing a Singapore entity alongside everything else, that means compliance questions do not sit unanswered while deadlines approach.
One team covers the full compliance stack
Incorporation, corporate secretarial, bookkeeping, payroll, ECI filing, corporate tax, and XBRL: all handled by the same firm. You do not need to coordinate between a secretary, an accountant, and a tax agent.
Overseas incorporation without a local presence
The nominee director and registered address services mean a foreign founder can satisfy ACRA's residency requirements and have a fully compliant Pte Ltd without being physically based in Singapore.
Real-time financials through Xero
Bookkeeping runs on Xero, so management accounts are available when you need them. No waiting until year-end to understand where the business stands.
Honest about what you actually need
Duellix explicitly does not sell services clients do not need. If your entity's obligations are straightforward, you are told that, not upsold into a package built around someone else's complexity.
Who this works for in Singapore
Overseas founder incorporating in Singapore remotely
A founder based outside Singapore wants to set up a Pte Ltd to access the market or raise from Singapore-based investors, but cannot relocate. Duellix provides the nominee director and registered office address to satisfy ACRA's residency requirements, handles the incorporation filing, and then takes on the corporate secretarial and accounting obligations from day one. The entity is fully compliant from the moment it is incorporated, with no gap between setup and ongoing administration.
SME switching from an existing corporate services provider
A Singapore-registered SME is frustrated with slow response times and a lack of clarity from its current provider. The company's annual return is coming up and the accounts are behind. Duellix takes over the corporate secretarial register, catches up the bookkeeping in Xero, and files the outstanding obligations. The owner gets a named account manager who responds the same day, and the compliance calendar is no longer something they have to chase.
Overseas company hiring Singapore staff before incorporating
A foreign business wants to hire a Singapore-based team member to develop the local market before committing to a full subsidiary. Through Duellix's Employer of Record arrangement, the staff member is employed legally under Duellix's entity while the overseas company retains day-to-day management. When the overseas company is ready to incorporate its own Singapore entity, Duellix handles that transition as well.
Founder who needs compliance handled without distraction
A Singapore-based founder running a growing startup has the company incorporated but is spending too much time on bookkeeping, payroll, and chasing tax deadlines. Duellix takes over the full compliance stack: bookkeeping in Xero, payroll processing, ECI filing, corporate tax return, and annual return filing. The founder's attention goes back to the business, not to IRAS deadlines and ACRA filing windows.
Common questions about corporate services in Singapore
Does a dormant Singapore company still need to file annual returns and tax?
Yes. A Singapore Pte Ltd that is not trading still has statutory obligations: the annual return must be filed with ACRA within the required window, and an ECI and corporate tax return must be submitted to IRAS. The company constitution and corporate secretarial registers must also be maintained. Duellix covers all of these regardless of whether the company is actively trading.
Can a foreigner incorporate a Singapore company without being physically present?
Yes, provided the company has at least one locally resident director. Duellix's nominee director service satisfies that ACRA requirement, and the registered address service provides the company's official Singapore address. The incorporation filing, name reservation, and company constitution are all handled by Duellix, so the founder does not need to be in Singapore at any point during the process.
What is the difference between the ECI filing and the corporate tax return?
The Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI) is a preliminary estimate of the company's taxable income, filed with IRAS within three months of the financial year end. The corporate tax return (Form C or Form C-S) is the full submission, filed later in the year with the completed financial statements. Both are mandatory for Singapore companies, and Duellix handles both as part of its corporate tax service.
What is an Employer of Record and when does it make sense for a Singapore hire?
An Employer of Record arrangement means Duellix acts as the legal employer for your Singapore-based staff while you retain day-to-day management of their work. It is used by overseas companies that want to hire in Singapore before they have incorporated a local entity. It avoids the lead time of setting up a subsidiary while keeping the employment relationship fully compliant with Singapore employment law.
Does Duellix work with companies that are switching from an existing provider?
Yes. Duellix onboards companies that are transferring from an existing corporate secretary or accounting firm. The process covers taking over the corporate secretarial register, migrating accounting records, and identifying any outstanding filings that need to be caught up. A named account manager is assigned from the start of the transfer process.