BizFile, ACRA’s filing portal, will help you determine if a company is legal, active, and registered. Aside from delivering some basic info about a business to the public, the site also sells other company data including the business profile, certificate of production, and financial profile among others.
For businesses operating in Singapore, it is a statutory requirement to provide their updated information to ACRA. After authorities have processed the submission, a good amount of data about the company can be acquired by public via BizFile.
The reason behind this availability is to achieve transparency and prevent unlawful use of information regarding corporate entities. Maintaining global standards and boosting Singapore’s reputation as a credible financial hub are the goals of this accessibility.
Steps on How to Check a Registered Company in Singapore
Step One
Go to the official website of ACRA’S free online directory search platform: https://www.bizfile.gov.sg/
Step Two
Type in the name of the company you would like to verify.
Step Three
You will then need to verify yourself through the CAPTCHA form—an anti-spam tool.
Step Four
You will finally get the company’s information. The information that you receive includes:
- The name, address, industry, and Unique Entity Number (UEN): This information ensures that the company is not registered on the wrong address or fake location
- The current status of the business: They will tell you if the company exists and if it’s still operating
- The date of the last filing of the annual return and for which financial year end – business, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships
- The date when the last Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held. If N.A. is indicated, it means that the company has not advised ACRA regarding any AGM.
- The dates when the Financial Statements (FS) were filed. It displays the availability of filed with ACRA. It holds info of up to three years. The following types of companies are exempted:
- Public Accounting Firms, Businesses, Limited Liability Partnerships, and Limited Partnerships
- Solvent exempt private companies which are exempted and did not file FS
- Companies (such as newly incorporated ones) that have not filed the annual returns
- Dormant relevant companies absolved from duty to prepare FS under the Singapore Companies Act section 201A
- Gazetted or de-gazetted companies
Why is it necessary to check a company’s credibility?
For business structures such as limited liability partnerships, verifying a company will be especially useful, as this enables business owners to verify the legitimacy of potential partners and avoid future fraud or severe financial consequences. This is also a way to safeguard your company from untrustworthy partners.