Singapore Incorporation Quotation: Questions Before You Accept

Which documents are you actually accepting?

Start with the quotation number, issue date, expiry date and the legal name of the contracting provider. Obtain the engagement terms, service schedule and any separate director or address agreement before accepting. Ask which document controls if an email promises something that the standard terms exclude. Keep one agreed version with its attachments; an attractive summary page cannot resolve contradictory clauses.

Check that the proposed entity is a standard Singapore private company limited by shares and that the ownership and business activity described are accurate. The underlying Singapore company registration requirements establish the people, address and company records that the filing must reflect. A quotation prepared for an individual shareholder may need revision when the actual shareholder is a corporate group.

Ask: “Which legal entity will perform the ACRA filing, and who is my contact when the information changes?” ACRA provides a Bizfile entity search for CSP status ; use the entity name or UEN and open its profile to inspect CSP information. Retain the result with the quotation. A trading name on a proposal should be reconciled to the contracting and filing entities.

This is also the point for checking the appointed corporate service provider if an introducer and the actual filing firm are different. Ask each party to confirm its responsibility. The accepted documents should identify every material deliverable and the party responsible for it.

Can you reconcile the price without counting a fee twice?

Ask for a currency, payment schedule and a line separating government charges from professional services. On 21 October 2026, ACRA’s company transaction fee schedule lists S$15 for the name application, S$300 for company registration and S$60 for an Annual Return filing. The first two total S$315; the Annual Return is a separate later transaction. A fee already included in a service price should not be added again in your comparison.

A scoped HSJGlobal example

For a standard private company, HSJGlobal’s approved Compliance Start baseline is S$1,280 for the first year and S$880 a year for renewal at the same scope. The first year includes S$315 of incorporation government fees and S$60 for the first Annual Return. The arithmetic is S$1,280 − S$315 − S$60 = S$905 for the remaining bundled services. That remainder is an allocation for comparison, not a separately purchasable incorporation fee.

The scope includes name screening, a standard constitution, registration submission, Business Profile and standard setup documents, plus 12 months of company secretary and registered address services, Corppass registration assistance and the first Annual Return preparation and filing. Renewal includes the applicable S$60 Annual Return government fee. It excludes bookkeeping, financial statements, corporate income tax and GST filings, resident director services, licences, work passes, certified translations and bank fees. Confirm that the actual quotation has the same scope before using these figures.

These SGD baseline prices were approved on 5 September 2026 and exclude GST. GST is additional only where HSJGlobal is legally required to charge it at the transaction date. IRAS states the current GST rate is 9%; request the invoice’s applicable GST treatment and taxable base. Do not automatically apply 9% to every amount labelled a government reimbursement. Record same-scope renewal separately from optional additions and any security deposit.

Once the parties and amounts are clear, test whether the services, dates and change rules support the same decision. A low first payment can still leave an essential responsibility unresolved.

Turn the answers into a quotation acceptance record

Use the record below beside the quotation. For each row, write the provider’s answer, the document and clause that supports it, and any action owner. An answer is usable when it can be checked against the accepted version. A salesperson’s reassurance without a matching term should become a request for clarification.

For statutory roles, distinguish a future appointment deadline from a missing incorporation prerequisite. ACRA’s director and company secretary requirements require at least one director meeting local residency rules at registration. The secretary must be appointed within six months; the sole director cannot also be that secretary. If secretary service is excluded, record who will make the appointment and fund the work. A clear exclusion can be acceptable when somebody owns the resulting obligation.

Classify each open item by consequence. A spelling correction can be resolved in a revised document. An unknown director arrangement or unbounded extra charge changes the acceptance decision. Written change approval should name who may approve additional work and how its amount and effect on timing will be recorded. The record is a practical purchasing control, not a substitute for legal review of disputed terms.

What starts the clock, and what proves delivery?

Ask when the provider’s delivery estimate begins: acceptance, cleared payment, completed identity checks, approved name, or receipt of all signed information? Have it identify what “complete documents” means for your ownership structure. Ask who checks the submission draft, how corrections are authorised and who updates you if further information is requested. Separate the provider’s preparation commitment from ACRA’s processing time.

ACRA’s current Bizfile incorporation guidance says most registrations are approved soon after payment; complex cases may take up to 15 working days, and registrations requiring referral approval take 14–60 days. These are conditional processing descriptions. A quotation should state the assumptions behind its own estimate and the response expected from you if a dependency changes.

Define the handover before paying. For an approved registration, ACRA identifies the incorporation notice, company UEN and a link to a free Business Profile as outcome evidence. Ask the provider to deliver those along with the agreed constitution and company records. For continuing services, request appointment confirmation, service start and end dates, and the person responsible for the first filing. A payment receipt establishes payment; approval and the agreed handover establish different parts of completion.

Which commercial answers should stop acceptance?

Ask for a revised offer if “all inclusive” sits beside compulsory unpriced services, if the renewal covers less than the first year without saying so, or if a deposit is mixed into the annual fee. For any deposit, obtain its amount, holder, purpose, permitted deductions, release conditions and process in writing. A description such as refundable does not tell you when release occurs or which deductions may apply.

If a nominee director is needed, ask who arranges the appointment, what information the director requires and how replacement works. Under the current Corporate Service Providers Act framework , commercial nominee appointments must be arranged by registered CSPs, with a fit-and-proper assessment. ACRA’s guidance on directors’ duties also makes clear that nominee status does not remove a director’s statutory responsibility. An offer of a responsibility-free director requires correction before you rely on it.

Read outcome promises literally. Bank application assistance should identify the documents and support delivered; it should not be priced or described as an assured account opening. The HSJGlobal baseline does not guarantee bank, licence, tax-residency or work-pass outcomes. If any of these matters is essential to the business, ask what happens commercially if that separate decision is delayed or unsuccessful. Obtain the actual cancellation and refund terms without assuming either approval or reimbursement.

Keep the named filing entity , the accepted scope and the payment recipient consistent, or obtain a documented explanation for any difference. If the provider cannot resolve a material contradiction, leave the quotation unaccepted while you obtain an amended offer or individual advice.

Accept the incorporation quotation after material gaps close

Accept when the identified quotation and attached terms reconcile the payable amounts, required roles, service dates, change approvals and delivery evidence. Resolve the items that affect eligibility, cost exposure or essential coverage first. Record who owns any deliberately excluded work and when that work must start.

Save the accepted version, written clarifications and payment schedule together. If a material answer remains verbal, contradictory or unlimited, request a revised quotation before committing. The useful endpoint is an agreement you can administer from incorporation through the quoted service period.