Late payment/Non-payment of corporate income tax (2025)
Singapore 
Updated on January 03 
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- 1. IRAS corporate income tax payment regulations
- 2. When is the deadline for paying Singapore corporate income tax?
- 3. Penalties for late/non-payment of Singapore corporate income tax
- 4. Penalty for late payment of Singapore corporate income tax
- 5. Procedure for requesting exemption from late payment penalty for Singapore corporate income tax
- 6. How to check tax balance and pay Singapore corporate income tax
- 7. What support does GLA provide to businesses in complying with Singapore corporate income tax?
- 8. Frequently asked questions about late/non-payment of Singapore corporate income tax
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In Singapore, most businesses pay their taxes on time; partly due to the rule of law in the country, and partly due to the severity of penalties for late/non-payment. In addition to fines, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) also applies enforcement measures if businesses continue to fail to meet their tax obligations.
The following article by GLA will provide businesses with information on penalties and IRAS's measures for late/non-payment of corporate tax.
1. IRAS corporate income tax payment regulations
Singapore businesses must comply with tax filing Singapore corporate income tax to IRAS annually. To comply with Singapore corporate income tax regulations, Singapore companies need to prepare and submit reports, corporate income tax return include:
- Estimated Taxable Income (ECI) Report Estimated taxable income (ECI): Singapore company estimated income statement report
- Form C/CS Lite (Singapore Corporate Income Tax Return): Accurately declare Singapore corporate income tax payable
2. When is the deadline for paying Singapore corporate income tax?
Businesses must submit Singapore corporate income tax Enterprises must pay taxes within 01 month from receiving the Tax Payment Notice (Notice of Assessment-NOA).
The enterprise must pay the tax amount as stated on the NOA even if the tax amount on the NOA is incorrect and the enterprise has filed an Objection to NOA. If the tax amount is subsequently adjusted, the excess tax (if any) will be refunded to the enterprise.
- Estimated Taxable Income (ECI) Report Estimated taxable income (ECI): within 3 months from the end of the fiscal year
- Form C/CS Lite (Singapore Corporate Income Tax Return): Due by November 30th of each year.
3. Penalties for late/non-payment of Singapore corporate income tax
Penalties Singapore businesses will face for late/non-payment Singapore corporate income tax include:
- Late payment penalty imposed on companies that are late in filing Singapore corporate income tax.
- Appointing third party organisations/individuals (such as banks, tenants or the business's solicitors) to pay tax to IRAS on behalf of the business; and/or
- Appointing third party organisations/individuals (such as banks, tenants or the business's solicitors) to pay tax to IRAS on behalf of the business; and/or
- Suing a business
In addition to the tax debt recovery measures, IRAS may also impose an additional penalty of 1% on overdue tax for each month of tax arrears.
4. Penalty for late payment of Singapore corporate income tax
4.1 Penalties for Singaporean enterprises that are late in paying Singapore corporate income tax
If the tax is not paid on time, the enterprise will be subject to a penalty of 5% and an additional penalty of 1% for each month from the tax payment deadline (up to 12% of the unpaid tax).
4.2. Letter of notice of late tax payment
Businesses will be notified of the 5% penalty via a Late Payment Penalty Notice. Payment must be made by the deadline stated in the notice, otherwise enforcement action will be taken by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).
4.3 Cancellation or termination of GIRO payment
If the GIRO payment fails due to insufficient funds in the bank account or the deduction amount is higher than the limit, etc., IRAS will cancel the GIRO package. In this case, the business will receive a Late Payment Penalty Letter and a GIRO Cancellation Notice Letter.
4.4. Additional penalties
An additional penalty of 1% per month may be assessed if tax remains unpaid 60 days after the 5% penalty is imposed. The 1% penalty will be assessed for each month of tax arrears, up to a maximum of 12% of the tax owed (including the 5% late payment penalty).
5. Procedure for requesting exemption from late payment penalty for Singapore corporate income tax
The process of requesting exemption from late payment penalty for Singapore corporate income tax must be done online via Exemption from payment of fines of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) at mytax.iras.gov.sg .
Businesses will need the following information to complete the online penalty waiver appeal:
- Year of review
- Information of the person designated by the Singapore company as an authorized representative
- Authorized applicant's contact phone number
- Authorized Applicant's Email Address
Businesses can apply for a late payment penalty exemption through the myTax Portal and will only be considered if the following conditions are met:
- The enterprise has paid the overdue tax in full, within the time limit stated in the Late Tax Payment Penalty Notice Letter; and
- This is the first time the business has filed a complaint; or the Business has filed tax reports and paid taxes on time for the last two years.
Businesses can see that although the Singapore Government has many policies to encourage entrepreneurship such as subsidies, income tax incentives, etc., once a business violates the law, especially tax laws, the Government will punish without mercy to ensure the strictness of the law.
Businesses need to be careful and pay attention to the issue of submitting tax reports, paying taxes on time and understanding and updating tax regulations so that business operations can run smoothly.
6. How to check tax balance and pay Singapore corporate income tax
Businesses can log in myTax Portal and select "View Account Summary” to check your current balance.
Please refer to Corporate Tax Payments to know the payment methods available.
7. What support does GLA provide to businesses in complying with Singapore corporate income tax?
GLA supports businesses in complying with Singapore corporate income tax payments, including:
- Prepare Estimated Taxable Income (ECI) report for Singapore company.
- Prepare Singapore corporate income tax return.
- Consulting and supporting businesses in declaring and performing other accounting and tax operations such as: Financial reporting for Singapore company, GST tax return, etc.
8. Frequently asked questions about late/non-payment of Singapore corporate income tax
8.1 When is the deadline for filing corporate income tax in Singapore?
Submission time corporate income tax in Singapore within 1 month from the date of the Notice of Assessment (“NOA”).
8.2 Can I apply for an extension to pay corporate income tax in Singapore? What is the procedure?
If Singapore businesses are having difficulty paying their taxes, they can apply for an extension of payment deadline through the digital service. Apply/Manage GIRO Plan at mytax.iras.gov.sg.
8.3 Can I apply for a waiver of late corporate income tax penalties in Singapore?
Businesses can file appeals for exemption from late corporate income tax payment penalties via digital service Exemption from appeal penalty in mytax.iras.gov.sg .
Businesses need the following information to complete the online penalty waiver appeal:
- Year of review
- Appointment of authorized appellant
- Contact number of authorized appellant
- Email address of authorized appellant
An appeal will only be considered if:
- The business has paid the overdue tax amount in full*, by the due date as stated in the late payment penalty notice; and
- No exemptions have been granted in the 2 calendar years to date.
*Payments must be recorded into the business tax account.
8.4 How are penalties and interest calculated for late payment of corporate income tax in Singapore?
If the tax is not paid on time, the enterprise will be subject to a penalty of 5% and an additional penalty of 1% for each month from the tax payment deadline (up to 12% of the unpaid tax).
8.5 How to avoid late payment penalties for corporate income tax in Singapore?
To avoid penalties for late payment of corporate income tax in Singapore, businesses need to pay attention to:
- Understand the corporate income tax filing schedule prescribed by IRAS.
- Remember important deadlines such as the deadline for filing your Estimated Income (ECI) and Corporate Income Tax Return (Form CS/C).
- Pay taxes on time as prescribed.
- Use IRAS's online tax payment methods to save time and effort.
To meet the above requirements, GLA has a team of professional Singaporean accountants who will support businesses in carrying out procedures, declarations, and paying corporate income tax in accordance with regulations and on time.
Highlights- Businesses need to comply with corporate income tax payments to avoid penalties from the Singapore Internal Revenue Service (IRAS).
- If the tax is not paid on time, the enterprise will be subject to a penalty of 5% and an additional penalty of 1% for each month from the tax payment deadline (up to 12% of the unpaid tax).
- GLA accounting team helps Enterprises submit ECI reports, corporate income tax declarations (C/CS) and pay corporate income tax on time.
This article was published by GLA on 09/08/2018. Copyright and accompanying content are intellectual property of GLA. All rights reserved.
The guidance and content are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific guidance and advice on accounting, tax, legal or other professional advice. Readers should consult professional advisors on specific issues.
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