Small Claims Tribunal Singapore: Can Your Company File, the Claim Limit and How a Claim Runs

Short answer: Yes. A Singapore company can file a claim at the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) for disputes over the sale of goods, services, certain property damage and short residential tenancies. The limit is S$20,000, or S$30,000 if both sides sign a Memorandum of Consent. You must file within 2 years, and lawyers cannot appear.

If a customer has not paid an invoice of a few thousand dollars, or a supplier delivered defective work, going to the Small Claims Tribunal in Singapore as a company is often the cheapest way to get a binding order. This guide covers eligibility, the claim limit and fees, filing through the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS), who speaks for the company, and enforcement.

Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.

What is the Small Claims Tribunal, and can a Singapore company use it?

The SCT is a tribunal within the State Courts that resolves low-value disputes quickly and cheaply, without lawyers. The Singapore Courts confirm that an individual or a corporate entity may file, so a company can be a claimant as well as a respondent.

The legal basis is the Small Claims Tribunals Act 1984 and the Small Claims Tribunals Rules; the Rules of Court 2021 do not govern SCT hearings. Under section 12 of the Act, the tribunal’s primary function is to bring the parties to a settlement. If that fails, a tribunal magistrate decides the dispute on the substantial merits and justice of the case, without being bound by legal technicalities or the strict rules of evidence (section 28). For a business owner, the outcome turns on clear documents and a clear explanation, not on legal drafting.

Which business claims can the SCT hear?

The SCT hears only “specified claims” listed in the Schedule to the Act. The Singapore Courts’ eligibility page lists these types:

• A contract for the sale of goods, such as unpaid invoices for products delivered or defective goods bought.
• A contract for the provision of services, such as unpaid fees for work done or a renovation carried out badly.
• Damage to property, except damage arising from the use of a motor vehicle or caused by a neighbour.
• A tenancy agreement for residential premises not exceeding 2 years (not industrial or commercial leases).
• Unfair practice claims against a supplier under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, motor vehicle deposit refunds, and certain other statutory claims.

The SCT cannot hear employment matters (these go to the Employment Claims Tribunals), disputes over your office or shop lease, or claims against a respondent outside Singapore, because section 5(1)(b) requires service in Singapore. If your own company is in liquidation, it needs permission from the Official Receiver or liquidator to start a claim; if the respondent company is in liquidation, you need the High Court’s permission to proceed.

What is the small claims tribunal limit in Singapore?

The SCT limit is S$20,000. It rises to S$30,000 only if both parties sign a Memorandum of Consent. These figures are the “prescribed limit” and “prescribed extended limit” in section 2 of the Act, and section 5(4) allows the higher limit by signed memorandum.

Three rules decide whether your claim fits:

• How the value is measured. Under section 2(2), for a contract claim the value is normally the amount you claim. But if you are claiming to rescind the contract, or claiming a progress payment under it, the value is the whole contract value. A S$12,000 progress payment under a S$45,000 contract is therefore outside the SCT.
• No splitting. Section 8 prohibits splitting or dividing a claim into separate SCT proceedings just to bring each part within the limit. Three invoices under one contract cannot be filed as three claims to get around the cap.
• Abandoning the excess. Under section 9, if the respondent will not sign a Memorandum of Consent, you may abandon the amount above the limit so the SCT can hear the claim. The order then fully discharges the whole claim, so the abandoned portion is lost for good.

Choose your forum before filing. Under section 6, once a claim is lodged with the SCT, it cannot be pursued in another court unless the SCT claim is withdrawn or abandoned, and a claim already pending or decided in another court cannot be brought to the SCT.

SCT or Magistrate’s Court: which should your company use?

If the amount is within S$20,000 (or S$30,000 with consent) and the dispute is a goods, services or other eligible claim, the SCT is usually faster and cheaper. Above that, or for an ineligible claim type, the claim goes to the Magistrate’s Court, which hears civil claims up to S$60,000 under the simplified civil process of the Rules of Court 2021.

For larger claims, our guide to recovering unpaid debts from another Singapore company explains the court route. Court proceedings outside the SCT are conducted by a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor; if you need one, you can speak to a lawyer before deciding.

How to file a small claims tribunal claim in Singapore: step by step

All SCT claims are filed online through the CJTS. The Singapore Courts set out this sequence:

1. Take the pre-filing assessment on the CJTS. It checks whether the SCT can hear the claim and gives you a pre-filing assessment ID, which you need to file.
2. Prepare your documents as PDF files (see the documents table below), including the Letter of Authorisation and both companies’ ACRA business profiles.
3. File the Claim Form on the CJTS under the Online Applications tab, and pay the filing fee. The claim is processed only after payment.
4. Choose a consultation date and time, then save and print the claim and the Notice of Consultation.
5. Serve the claim and Notice of Consultation on the respondent within 7 days of filing. For a company, you can hand it to staff or slip it under the office door, or send it by registered post to the respondent’s ACRA registered address.
6. File a Declaration of Service on the CJTS before the first consultation, with proof such as the registered post slip.
7. Consider eNegotiation or eMediation on the CJTS; an online settlement avoids attending court.
8. Attend the consultation with a registrar. If it settles, the registrar can record a consent order. If not, the registrar may fix a hearing (which can happen within 24 hours), arrange further consultations, refer the parties to mediation, or discontinue a claim that falls outside the SCT’s jurisdiction.
9. Attend the hearing before a tribunal magistrate. Both sides present their case and evidence, and the tribunal magistrate makes an order.

Attendance is compulsory. An absent claimant risks dismissal; an absent respondent risks a default order.

Who appears for the company, and what documents does it need?

A company presents its own case through an officer or full-time employee, backed by a Letter of Authorisation and current ACRA business profiles. Section 23(3) of the Act bars representation by an advocate and solicitor or by any other agent, paid or unpaid.

Under section 23(2)(c) and 23(5), a company may be represented by a director, chief executive, manager, secretary or other similar officer, or a full-time employee. Under section 23(4), that person must know the case and have authority to bind the company. Send someone who handled the transaction and can agree a settlement on the spot. A debt collector or consultant cannot appear for you; if you are thinking of outsourcing collection first, see our guide to the Debt Collection Act 2022.

The division of work is simple. Your corporate secretarial provider can pull ACRA profiles, confirm who the officers are and prepare the authorisation; your accountant can produce the statement of account and invoice trail, since the tribunal expects you to explain every invoice making up the claim. Anything outside the SCT, such as larger claims, enforcement and High Court appeals, is conducted by a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor.

Small claims tribunal Singapore fees and timeline for a company

Filing fees are set by the Singapore Courts and are higher for companies than for individuals. The “other entity” rates, which apply to companies, partnerships and sole proprietorships, are shown below.

Assumptions: fees are those published by the Singapore Courts on 11 October 2026 and may change. Filing fees are not refunded if a claim is withdrawn, discontinued or dismissed. The main hidden cost is management time, as an officer or employee must attend each session.

Example: a company claiming S$8,000 in unpaid service fees pays S$100. A company claiming S$25,000 under a Memorandum of Consent pays 3%, which is S$750.

What happens if the other company ignores the SCT order?

An SCT order is final and binding (section 40), but the SCT will not collect the money for you. Under section 36, the order can be enforced in the same way as a judgment or order of a District Court, so the winning company must start enforcement proceedings in the civil courts itself.

For enforcement proceedings started on or after 1 April 2022, the Rules of Court 2021 apply to SCT orders. Options include examining the debtor company under oath about its assets, and an enforcement order attaching debts that third parties owe to it. The winning party, not the court, must start them, and where a company wants representation they are conducted by a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor. Our guide to enforcing a court judgment against a Singapore company explains each option.

Other points after the order:

• Appeals are narrow. Under section 38, an appeal to the General Division of the High Court lies only on a question of law or on jurisdiction, and only with permission from the District Court. Findings of fact cannot be appealed. A company must be represented by a lawyer at the High Court appeal hearing unless the court permits otherwise.
• Filing an appeal does not stop enforcement (section 42). The party must still comply unless a stay of execution is ordered.
• A default order made in your absence cannot be appealed. Instead, apply to set it aside within 1 month (section 41).
• If the debt proves irrecoverable, review your accounting treatment. See our articles on provisioning for bad debts and GST bad debt relief.

No ACRA lodgement is triggered by an SCT order itself, but keep the order with the company’s records alongside the related invoices and correspondence.

Common mistakes companies make at the SCT

• Filing too late. The SCT cannot hear a claim filed more than 2 years after the cause of action accrued.
• Measuring the value wrongly. Progress payment and rescission claims are valued at the full contract value, which can push them over the limit.
• Splitting invoices into several claims to stay under S$20,000, which section 8 forbids.
• Abandoning the excess without realising the order fully discharges the whole claim.
• Sending the wrong person: a part-timer, an agent, or someone without authority to settle.
• Forgetting the Letter of Authorisation or using an ACRA profile older than 1 month.

Frequently asked questions

Can I file a small claims court claim against a company in Singapore?

Yes, if the claim is an eligible type, within the limit, filed within 2 years and the company can be served in Singapore. You must upload the respondent’s ACRA business profile, obtained within 1 month of filing, and serve the papers at its ACRA registered address or office.

Can my company’s lawyer attend the SCT hearing?

No. Section 23(3) of the Small Claims Tribunals Act 1984 bars representation by an advocate and solicitor. A director, other officer or full-time employee must attend. Lawyers may act only on a later appeal or enforcement step.

What if my claim is S$25,000 and the other side will not sign the Memorandum of Consent?

You can abandon S$5,000 so the SCT can hear the claim at S$20,000, but you lose the abandoned amount permanently. Otherwise, file in the Magistrate’s Court, which hears claims up to S$60,000.

Is the 2-year time limit the same as the limitation period for contract claims?

No. The SCT has its own 2-year limit, counted from when the cause of action accrued under section 5(3)(b). If that window has passed, the claim may still be possible in another court under the general limitation rules, so take advice from a lawyer on the deadline that applies.

Can the SCT order the other side to pay costs?

Section 35(1)(f) allows a costs order, but it is discretionary, so do not count on recovering your time or filing fee.

Can a company defend itself and counterclaim at the SCT?

Yes. A respondent company can counterclaim, and filing fees for a counterclaim follow the same schedule. If the counterclaim is above the SCT’s limit, section 10 allows a party to apply to court to transfer the proceedings.

Our free tools help with routine compliance checks, and our sister site Singapore Secretary Services explains corporate secretarial support in more detail.

Last reviewed: 11 October 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.