Exemption from Audit: Singapore Small Company Criteria

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Exemption from Audit: Singapore Small Company Criteria

Singapore Audit Requirements: running a company in most countries require auditing as a process to prove that everything is operating legitimately. Listed companies have a legal responsibility to go through audit in Singapore similarly.

The audit exemption is applicable if it is a private company with an annual revenue of SGD $5 million or less. This approach is being replaced by a new small company concept which will also determine exemption from statutory audit. Particularly, a company no longer needs to be an exempt private company to be exempted from audit.

A Singapore company satisfies the criteria as a small company if:

It is a private company meeting at least 2 out of 3 of the following criteria for the two previous consecutive years:

  • A total annual revenue: ≤ $10 million.
  • Total assets: ≤ $10 million.
  • Hired number of contracted employees: ≤ 50.

For a company which is part of a group or conglomerate:

(a)    The company must qualify as a small company; and

(b)    The entire group must satisfy the small group requirements for the audit exemption.

For a group to be a small group, it must meet at least 2 of the 3 quantitative criteria on a consolidated basis for the two previous consecutive years.

Where a company has qualified as a small company, it continues to be a small company for subsequent financial years until it is disqualified. A small company is excluded if:

(a)    It ceases to be a private company at any time during the fiscal year; or

(b)    It does not meet at least 2 of the 3 the quantitative criteria for the immediate previous two consecutive fiscal years.

Where a group has qualified as a small group, it continues to be a small group for subsequent financial years until it does not meet at least 2 of the 3 the quantitative criteria for the immediate past two consecutive financial years.

Provisions for existing companies

An existing company can qualify as a “small company” if it is a private company and meets the quantitative criteria in the first or second FY commencing on or after the date of commencement of the “small company” criteria.