The company’s public record
Annual returns, officers, addresses and other filed particulars should be reviewed before submission, not copied forward without question.
Company records · filings · governance
Company secretarial services that keep every entity in order
Your company does not stay compliant because a reminder exists. The filed details, statutory registers, resolutions and ownership records have to tell the same story. We coordinate that work for local businesses, foreign-owned companies and multi-entity groups.
- Annual filing control
- Decision and ownership records
- Jurisdiction-specific responsibility
Updated 17 September 2026
Example governance workspace
Entity record
Active review
HC
Private company
Holding Company
Annual cycle · ownership records · board actions
Statutory registersOwnership and officers reconciled
Current
Annual returnInformation checked before filing
Ready
Board decisionDirector approval requested
Action
More than deadline reminders
What a company secretary is really protecting
The job is to keep the legal record of the company usable. When the registry, internal registers, signed decisions and actual ownership no longer match, routine banking, due diligence or investment work becomes harder than it needs to be.
The company’s internal record
Registers, resolutions, meeting records and share documents should explain who owns, controls and has authority to act for the company.
The evidence behind decisions
A filing is only one step. The approval, supporting documents and final acknowledgement need to remain together as part of the corporate trail.
Director responsibility
A service provider can prepare, remind and coordinate. Directors remain responsible for giving accurate information, approving decisions and meeting the duties imposed on them by the company’s law.
The title does not mean the same thing everywhere
Check the legal role before buying a “global” package
Some countries require a formally appointed company secretary. Others make the role optional or use a different compliance model. We confirm the office, residency rule, filings and responsible provider before quoting.
SGSingapore
Statutory role required
ACRA states that every company must have a company secretary and that the appointment must be made within six months of registration. The secretary must meet the local eligibility rules and cannot be the same person as the sole director.
Check ACRA guidance ↗HKHong Kong
Statutory role required
Every private company must have a company secretary. An individual secretary must ordinarily reside in Hong Kong; a corporate secretary must have its registered office or place of business there.
Check Companies Registry guidance ↗UKUnited Kingdom
Private-company role usually optional
A UK private company is not generally required to have a secretary, although its articles may require one. Public companies must have a secretary. Filing and record duties still remain even where no secretary is appointed.
Check Companies Act section 270 ↗USUnited States
Different compliance model
Requirements are state-specific. A registered agent receives official and legal documents; that appointment is different from an internal corporate officer called a secretary. Annual reports and franchise obligations also need separate handling.
See Delaware registered-agent guidance ↗Define the retainer before signing
What is included, what is event-based and what is separate
“Company secretary included” is not a complete scope. Ask which appointment is covered, which filings and resolutions are included, how many entities are managed and what happens when ownership changes.
| Work item | Annual retainer | Event-based scope | Point to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance calendar | Usually included | Not normally needed | Which filings and renewal dates are tracked? |
| Annual return and routine annual approvals | Often included | Late or corrective filings may be extra | Is the government filing fee included? |
| Statutory registers and beneficial ownership records | Routine maintenance | Complex ownership changes | Who verifies the ownership chain? |
| Board and shareholder resolutions | A stated number may be included | Unusual or transaction documents | Drafting limit and legal-review boundary |
| Director, address or business-detail changes | Routine updates may be included | Urgent, overdue or disputed changes | Registry fee and effective date evidence |
| Share allotment, transfer or capital change | Rarely unlimited | Usually quoted separately | Tax, stamp duty and legal advice may be separate |
| Registered address, accounting, tax, audit or legal opinion | Not automatically included | Separate service or professional | Named provider, fee and responsibility |
One sentence that prevents most fee disputes
Ask the provider to state: “The annual fee includes these named appointments, these recurring filings, this number of routine resolutions or changes, and these government or third-party charges.”
Indicative HSJGlobal professional fees
Three starting scopes for one company or a growing group
Prices are annual starting points in US dollars. The written proposal confirms the jurisdiction, named appointment, included filings, event limits, government charges and renewal price.
01Local company
Essential Secretariat
For one straightforward, owner-managed private company with simple ownership.
FromUS$390/ year
- Annual compliance calendar
- Routine annual-return coordination
- Basic statutory-register maintenance
- Annual approval or AGM document pack where applicable
- One routine officer, address or detail update
Foreign-owned company
02Most selected
International Company Care
For one foreign-owned company needing broader records, governance and local coordination.
FromUS$890/ year
- Everything in Essential
- Named secretary or local-provider coordination where available
- Ownership and beneficial-owner record review
- Up to four routine board or shareholder resolutions
- Up to two routine company-detail updates
03Multi-entity
Group Governance Desk
For a group that needs consistent calendars, authority records and decision evidence.
FromUS$2,400/ year
- Starting scope for up to three straightforward entities
- One coordinated compliance calendar
- Entity-by-entity officer and ownership map
- Quarterly governance status review
- Corporate-action tracker and group reporting
Usually priced separately
Share transfers or allotments, capital reduction, restructuring, restoration, strike-off, legal opinions, certification, notarisation, apostille work, overdue filings and disputed records.
Not assumed to be included
Government fees, registered address, registered agent, resident director, accounting, tax returns, audit and third-party or locally licensed professional charges unless the proposal says otherwise.
From handover to annual cycle
A record-led process with a named next step
We start with what the registry and corporate books say today. That prevents a new provider from repeating an old error or filing a change against an incomplete ownership record.
-
01Diagnose
Confirm the entity and role
Check the jurisdiction, entity type, current secretary or agent, financial year, owners and immediate deadlines.
Output: responsibility map -
02Baseline
Reconcile the company record
Compare registry details, registers, share documents, officer records and the latest signed decisions.
Output: exception list -
03Calendar
Set the recurring cycle
Map annual returns, approvals, renewals and information requests, then assign preparation and approval dates.
Output: compliance calendar -
04Action
Document each change
Prepare the approval route and supporting documents before making the registry or internal-record update.
Output: signed action file -
05Evidence
Close the loop
Retain the filed form, acknowledgement, updated register and final documents together, then set the next due date.
Output: completed record
Changing provider?
A resignation letter is not a complete handover
We ask for the current registers, incorporation and share documents, latest annual return, beneficial ownership records, signed resolutions, filing credentials or access route, outstanding invoices and a list of work still in progress.
Compare providers properly
Six questions worth asking before the first renewal
A low first-year price can become expensive when annual filing, routine changes, document access or transfer-out work sits outside the package.
Who is actually being appointed?
Identify the named secretary, corporate provider, registered agent or coordinator and the jurisdiction where each role applies.
Which recurring filings are included?
List the annual return, confirmation statement, ownership register, renewals and routine approval documents separately.
Which government fees are included?
Do not assume a package price includes registry charges, late fees, certified copies or local professional disbursements.
How many changes or resolutions are covered?
Ask about directors, addresses, business activities, share matters, dividends, bank resolutions and signing-authority updates.
How do you receive the company records?
Confirm access to registers, signed resolutions, filed forms and acknowledgements during the engagement and on transfer-out.
What renews, and at what price?
Separate introductory pricing from the second-year secretary, address, agent, filing and document-storage fees.
Frequently asked questions
Questions to settle before the engagement begins
If a filing is already overdue or a director, shareholder or address change has already taken effect, mention the exact date in your first message.
What do corporate secretarial services include?
The usual scope includes a compliance calendar, annual return support, statutory register maintenance, board and shareholder documentation, company detail changes and filing records. The exact role differs by jurisdiction and written engagement.
Is a company secretary mandatory in every country?
No. Singapore and Hong Kong companies generally require a company secretary, while a UK private company is not normally required to appoint one. In the United States, registered agent and state filing obligations are separate from the corporate officer title of secretary.
Can HSJGlobal replace an existing company secretary?
Usually, subject to jurisdiction, due diligence and a complete handover. We first check the resignation and appointment steps, current registers, filing history, outstanding fees, company records and any overdue matter.
Are government filing fees included?
Not automatically. The written proposal states which government charges, local provider fees, named appointments, registered address services and transaction-specific work are included or excluded.
Can you help with director, shareholder or share capital changes?
Yes, where available. Routine officer and company detail updates may fall within an annual plan, while share transfers, allotments, capital reductions, restructurings and complex ownership changes are normally scoped separately.
Does this service include accounting, tax or legal advice?
Not automatically. Corporate records may support those engagements, but accounting, tax returns, audit and legal advice have different responsible professionals. We identify any connected work separately.
How much do corporate secretarial services cost?
Our indicative starting fees are US$390 per year for Essential Secretariat, US$890 per year for International Company Care and US$2,400 per year for a Group Governance Desk. Final pricing depends on the jurisdiction, entity type, owners, filings and corporate actions.
What should we prepare for onboarding?
Prepare the incorporation documents, current registry extract, constitution, registers, share certificates, latest annual return, beneficial ownership records, signed resolutions, current provider details and a list of outstanding changes or deadlines.
Start with the entity, not a package name
Tell us which company records need to stay current
We can review an existing arrangement, prepare for a provider change or scope ongoing support. We will separate mandatory appointments and filings from optional administration, then confirm the annual and event-based fees in writing.
A short description is enough to begin.
Have these details ready
- 1
EntityCountry, legal form and registration number
- 2
Current providerSecretary, agent or address arrangement
- 3
Next deadlineAnnual return, renewal or overdue matter
- 4
Planned actionAny director, ownership, address or capital change
