Acra Reserve Name

[Channing Rupnick]

You may submit an appeal if your name application has been rejected and/or you have a valid reason to use the name which is identical or prohibited. You will need to upload the supporting documents to support your name appeal.

The pre-requisites, information and supporting documents needed for the application to reserve the business name will vary, depending on the business structure type. Click on the respective business structure to find out more.

The Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) is the national standard to classify the business activities of firms. It is a code assigned to classify your business activities carried out in Singapore. These codes are used for service delivery by government agencies and in the compilation and analysis of industry statistics for policy and business planning purposes. Each SSIC category comprises a 5-digit code and description of the business activity.

When reserving your business name, you will need to provide the SSIC code(s) that best describes your business activities. To find out your SSIC code, use our e-Adviser for Starting a Business. Find the complete list of the SSIC codes here.

С hoosing a name for your company that is both unique and appropriate for your organization is an important task because it provides the first impression of your business to your customers and helps differentiate your company from its competitors. Giving it extra thought may make all the difference as your company grows.

The search will provide you a list of company names that may be similar to your desired name. If your desired company name has already been registered, you should consider other names or add words to differentiate your proposed name from the registered names. However, remember that some words will not qualify as sufficiently different; ACRA will disregard these words while assessing whether a name is identical to another entity registered with ACRA or not.

During the name application process, you will be required to specify the primary and secondary activities of your business; you will also have to choose the most appropriate Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code that corresponds to your business activity. Refer to our guide titled choosing an SSIC code for more details.

Once approved, the company name is reserved for up to 120 days. If you do not incorporate the company within this period, the name reservation will expire. Your Singapore company can be registered immediately after the name is approved.

It's possible to change the name of any existing Singapore company. Although the regulatory procedure is fairly straightforward, this decision should not be taken lightly because you might already have a well established brand under the existing name. Moreover, after changing the name, you will have a time-consuming task of updating your website, email systems, marketing/sales/operational collateral, notifying banks, customers, suppliers, and so on.

Singapore companies cannot be incorporated without having their name registered with ACRA first. Before submitting a name application, it is very important to do conduct careful due diligence to reduce the risk of rejection or a subsequent name complaint being filed against your company name. It is best to choose a unique name and reserve it as soon as possible, so you can be sure your desired name will not be reserved by someone else.

When you engage our incorporation services, we will automatically handle the company name approval task as part of incorporating your company. You will just need to inform us of your preferred company names. Contact us if you are planning to incorporate a Singapore company.

You must first register a business name via BizFile+ before you can register your business entity. The name application costs $15. After the name application has been approved, the name will be reserved for 120 days. If you do not register the business or incorporate the company within this 120 days, the name will no longer be reserved and will be made available to other members of the public.

During the name application, you must also specify the primary and secondary activities of your business by choosing the most relevant Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code corresponding to your business activity. Click here to search for the relevant SSIC code.

Once you have decided on a name for your business or company, you should check if the name has already been registered through BizFile+. The proposed name cannot be identical to one that is registered by existing entities.

After your name application is approved, we will reserve the name for 120 days. If you do not proceed to register the business or incorporate the company within this period, the reservation will expire and the name will be released for anyone to register.

As part of the name application, you must specify the primary and secondary activities of your business by choosing the most relevant Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code corresponding to your intended business activity.

The SSIC refers to the national standard developed by the Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS) to classify all registered firms into the respective industries based on their principal economic activity.

Some business activities may require your company after it has been registered, to apply for additional licences or permits before you can start your operations. Find out more on GoBusiness for licences and permits.

It is important to note that usage of words such as bank, insurance, university, and education in a company name could be subjected to control and regulation by Government authorities. This will require permission and appeal before you can proceed to set up the company. The appeal process will take 1 to 14 days in general.

The name approval application is filed online with the Singapore company registrar ACRA. If everything is in order, your name application will be approved quickly, in some cases, in less than an hour. Some name applications may be referred to the Referral Authorities for approval. In these cases, processing times can take between 14 and 60 days.

During this time, you will need to specify the primary and secondary activities of the business and choose the most appropriate Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code that accurately represents your business activity.

If you wish to reserve names that are identical to the names of inactive older companies or businesses, you can do so only after a certain period has passed from the date of their dissolution or cancellation. Section 22 of the Companies (Amendment) Act 2014 states that the Registrar will refuse an identical name of the company if:

The Business Names Registration Act only specifies which names may or may not be used. It does not specify the identities of the companies which are barred from doing so. Therefore, any company in Singapore may apply for a name change.

Paul Hype Page is a certified accounting firm (CPA) in Singapore and a full-practicing member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA). We have provided auditing services for businesses from various industries across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

What is a Nominee Director?
Nominee director is an individual who is appointed to act as a director of the company on behalf of another individual or entity. For all foreigners establishing businesses in Singapore, having a nominee director is essential due to regulations from the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).

First, You will have to incorporate your company under the name of a local Singapore director (Nominee Director). Then, you will have to apply EPass under your company so that we can transfer the ownership to you under your Employment Pass (EP).

Are you a business owner in Singapore looking to expand your operations and reach new markets? Considering entry into a new market or expanding an existing one overseas? The MRA grant offers the financial boost you need to make it happen.

If you are planning to set up business in Singapore, opening a corporate bank account is a mandatory when you first incorporate a company. It also allow you to keep your business transactions separate from your personal transactions and also helps you to track your business cash flows/income and expenses.

We focus is to prove that your company has a tax substance and select an account that best fits your business needs. Most importantly, you DO NOT need to be physically here! We work closely with our trusted bankers to give you a higher success rate in opening a corporate bank account.

Once ACRA grants its approval, your chosen name will be reserved for 120 days. If you do not complete the whole name change process (i.e. finish step 2) within this timeframe, your reservation will be cancelled. You will need to spend another $15 to reserve the name again, if you still want to change your company name.

Make sure you submit a copy of the passed Special Resolution to ACRA within 14 days of the resolution being passed. You can submit this online via BizFile+ (go to File eServices > Local Company > Make Changes > Notice of Resolution). Late submissions can result in a penalty, so keep within this timeframe.

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