Singapore SSIC Codes: Business Classification and Registration

Read the classification version before the code

SSIC is a national classification used for statistics and administrative records. Its five-digit sub-class is the level used for ACRA activity selection. The DOS publication page provides the current structure, detailed definitions, alphabetical index and correspondence tables with SSIC 2020. Use the index to find candidates, then read the definition and exclusions before accepting one.

Older records need particular care. The official Myinfo Business and EDH transition notice states that these services began returning SSIC 2025 codes on 9 May 2026, with changes including splits, mergers and revised numbers or descriptions. A different number therefore does not, by itself, prove that a company changed its business.

Keep the classification edition beside the selected code. When a previous filing, a new dropdown and an adviser's list disagree, compare both the wording and version before asking someone to refile. A correspondence table is a starting point for that comparison, not evidence that every successor description fits the operation.

Separate principal output, secondary sales and internal support

The DOS activity definitions distinguish the principal activity by its contribution to value added. Where that information is unavailable, alternatives include output, sales or employment measures. A secondary activity supplies other goods or services to third parties; ancillary work supports the unit itself. Maintaining your own accounts does not automatically make accountancy a second customer service.

Use one consistent comparison basis across the candidate activities. Save the period, figures and assumptions used. Comparing one activity's sales with another activity's employee count gives the reviewer no coherent reason for their ranking. If a forecast is necessary, label it as a forecast rather than presenting it as trading history.

The SSIC 2025 application principles also explain that ownership, legal form and internet delivery do not determine the classification. The principal activity follows the hierarchy from section down to sub-class using the top-down method. A complex business should not simply pick the largest isolated product line without considering that hierarchy.

For an illustrative online seller, ask who owns the goods and what the customer pays for: its own stock or intermediation for other sellers. “Online” cannot resolve that distinction. Internal order-tracking work alone does not establish an external software service.

Record a defensible activity-to-code match

Create a dated selection card for the person approving the activity description and the person filing it. This is an editorial planning tool, not an ACRA form or a requirement to upload every supporting document. Its purpose is to expose the unresolved question before the code becomes part of the company record.

Test the card by asking a colleague to explain the choice without hearing the founder's sales pitch. Can they identify what is sold, why the leading activity ranks first and which official scope supports the number? If not, revise the commercial description or resolve the definition gap. Adding more keywords rarely repairs missing business facts.

The output, ranking and permission questions converge at this point: the same commercial evidence can support a code choice while leaving a separate operating approval unresolved.

Put the selected activities into the right filing

ACRA's SSIC selection instructions direct applicants to search under Business activity and select one primary code plus one secondary code where applicable. Preserve the exact selected descriptions in the handoff card. The broader Singapore company registration process also covers the entity, officers, ownership and incorporation documents; completing the activity fields addresses only one part of that work.

For a new name application

Under ACRA's name-application guide , eligible individual applicants use Singpass; existing position holders or corporate service providers (CSPs) use the applicable business login through Corppass. Foreigners must engage a CSP to register a business. Prepare the proposed name, entity type, activity selection and valid email address.

1. Open the new business entity name application and confirm the entity and company type.
2. Select the primary activity under “SSIC and industry name”; add the optional secondary activity if justified.
3. Check the application, make the declaration and pay the S$15 name-application fee, which is non-refundable on rejection or withdrawal.
4. Retain the acknowledgement, receipt and transaction ID. Check the approval notification and reserved-name expiry; an approved name must be used for registration within 120 days.

A pending review remains a pending name application. It is not an incorporation result. Keep any request for clarification with the selection card so the next filer can see what was explained and what the agency decided.

For an existing activity record

ACRA's entity-update guide requires local companies to report changes within 14 days of the change; foreign companies have 30 days. An authorised officer or CSP can use Business User login via Corppass, confirm the entity, then open Entity information → Business activities → Edit. Select the activity, enter its effective date and review and confirm. Retain the confirmation and Bizfile inbox notification. ACRA lists this update as free with immediate processing.

The same guide provides General Lodgement (Others) for additional activities beyond the primary and secondary fields, with the relevant codes. Avoid treating the normal two-field layout as an absolute prohibition on reporting any further activity. If the operational change also affects permissions, changing activities and reviewing licence impact should be coordinated before the revised service launches.

Trace approvals beyond the activity record

Classification and operating permission require separate completion evidence. ACRA's referral-authority list makes the distinction practical: a proposed name or business type can trigger review by another agency. For example, it lists architectural services under SSIC 71111 and separately identifies business names that suggest an architect. Checking only the code can therefore miss a name-based issue.

ACRA says referral review may take up to 15 working days and will advise if more time is needed. Its list also expressly warns that ACRA approval does not remove applicable licensing requirements, including in the commodity-trading examples. Keep the referral outcome, incorporation outcome and any operating licence in separate entries in the project record.

GovTech's description of GoBusiness explains that its e-Advisers provide guidance on permits and licences. Use that route to identify the relevant service and then verify the actual conditions with the responsible agency. Record the activity and premises being assessed; a recommendation screen is not the licence itself.

Apply the same discipline to tax questions. An SSIC entry describes an activity; it is not a determination of tax residence, Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration or a particular tax treatment. Where a tax result matters to the launch plan, document the relevant Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) assessment separately rather than assigning that conclusion to the code.

Resolve the evidence gap before choosing the SSIC route

If the output and current definition match, approve the selection card and carry its exact descriptions into the appropriate filing. If the company already exists and its activity has changed, assign the update and preserve its effective date. If only the edition or wording differs, investigate the mapping before recording a business change that did not occur.

Where two definitions still compete, resolve the factual distinction with the founder and seek classification clarification from DOS where needed. Where the uncertainty concerns a referral or licence, take that question to ACRA or the relevant authority. Choose the route from the unresolved evidence, then keep the resulting decision with the company's activity record.