If your accountant and company secretary use different deadline lists, reconcile them before assuming one covers everything. Financial statements, company annual filings and tax submissions have different purposes and completion evidence.
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Start with the actual entity, financial year end and current official obligations. A calendar copied from another business is only a starting point.
Build a single timeline with separate obligations
Record the relevant ACRA annual return deadline alongside financial-statement preparation, any meeting or circulation process, tax assessment work and other applicable obligations. Ask each adviser to confirm their own part.
Do not treat a tax return acknowledgement as proof that the annual return was filed. Likewise, an ACRA filing does not necessarily settle the company’s tax obligations.
Example: one team marks the year complete
The accountant finishes a tax computation while the secretary still lacks approved financial statements for the annual filing. Label each stage accurately so the directors see the remaining dependency rather than one misleading “done” entry.
Use practical calendar columns
- Entity and reporting period.
- Official due date and source.
- Preparation target and responsible person.
- Documents or approvals needed.
- Submission reference and official outcome.
- Open queries and follow-up date.
Set preparation targets ahead of the legal deadline. They give staff time to resolve missing records without confusing an internal target with a statutory extension.
Explain exceptions explicitly
If an exemption, waiver or extension is relevant, record its basis and scope. Do not apply it to unrelated obligations. An application pending approval should not be displayed as an approved extension.
Ask advisers to identify changes in company type, financial year or transactions that could affect the plan. Keep a dated version so users can tell which calendar is current.
Close each item with evidence
Retain the official outcome in the company file and link it to the calendar. Record rejected submissions and queries as unresolved until the required action has been completed.
Review the calendar with directors regularly. A reminder system helps only when someone owns the work and can identify what remains outstanding.
Can one “annual filing” entry cover everything?
Only if its separate obligations and outcomes are clear. Avoid a single status that hides unfinished work.
Related compliance resources
See our constitution guide, resolution accuracy checklist and company records reconciliation guide.
Get help with your company calendar
Email [email protected] or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133 for corporate secretarial and accounting support. Our tax advisers can assist with tax filing questions, and legal advisers from associated law firms can assist where a compliance issue raises legal concerns.