Dormant Company Tax Filing Waiver: How to Stop Filing Form C-S Every Year
A dormant company tax filing waiver releases a Singapore company that carries on no business and earns no income from filing Form C-S, Form C-S (Lite) or Form C every year. It is not automatic: you apply once on myTax Portal, file every return up to the date business stopped, and IRAS then issues no further returns while the company stays dormant.
This guide is for directors who have stopped trading, or never started, and want to keep the company. Without a waiver, a dormant company must still file by 30 November every year (30 November 2026 for YA 2026), and a missed return is treated as late filing. It reflects the rules as at November 2026, and amounts are in Singapore dollars (SGD).
Key takeaways
- A company is dormant for IRAS only if it carries on no business and has no income for the whole basis period. Even a little fixed deposit interest rules it out for that Year of Assessment (YA).
- The waiver needs four things: all returns filed up to cessation, no income from investments, any GST registration cancelled, and no plan to restart within 2 years.
- Returns still due up to the cessation date must be filed within 21 days of applying, or IRAS rejects the application.
- After approval there is no Form C-S, no ECI and no renewal, but you must tell IRAS within 1 month of restarting or receiving income. ACRA annual returns continue.
Table of Contents
- What Counts as a Dormant Company for IRAS?
- Who Qualifies for the Dormant Company Tax Filing Waiver?
- Will IRAS Grant the Waiver in Your Situation?
- How to Apply for a Waiver to File Form C-S on myTax Portal
- Which Years Still Need a Tax Return?
- What Changes After IRAS Approves the Waiver?
- ACRA Obligations That Continue After the Waiver
- Why IRAS Rejects Dormant Company Waiver Applications
- Should You Get a Waiver or Strike Off the Company?
- When to Get Professional Help
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Official Sources
What Counts as a Dormant Company for IRAS?
A company is dormant for tax purposes when it does not carry on business and has no income for the whole of the basis period. Corporate tax works on a preceding-year basis, so a company with a 31 December year end that did no business and earned nothing during 2025 is dormant for YA 2026.
Owning assets is not a problem in itself. IRAS's own example is a company holding real property, fixed deposits and foreign shares that earned nothing from them during the year: it is still dormant. Once any asset produces income, even fixed deposit interest, the company is not dormant for that YA and must file a regular return.
ACRA uses a different test under the Companies Act 1967: no significant accounting transactions in the financial year. Being dormant for one agency does not automatically make a company dormant for the other.
Who Qualifies for the Dormant Company Tax Filing Waiver?
IRAS grants the waiver only when the company meets all four conditions:
- Dormant, with filings complete. It has filed its Form C-S, Form C-S (Lite) or Form C, financial statements and tax computations up to the date it ceased business.
- No income from investments. It owns no investments (such as shares, real property or fixed deposits), or derives no income from those it owns.
- GST registration cancelled. If it was GST-registered, it de-registered before applying.
- No restart within 2 years. It has no intention of recommencing business within the next 2 years.
A company that has been dormant since incorporation can also apply if it is likely to stay dormant for at least the next 2 years. The waiver is not available to the ACRA-registered Singapore branch of a foreign company: under section 377(1) of the Companies Act 1967 the branch notifies ACRA within 7 days of ceasing business, and it should write to IRAS at the same time.
What If Your Company Does Not Qualify?
The company must keep filing a return by 30 November each year. If it is still dormant and fails only another condition, for example because it may restart within 2 years, it can use the simplified Form for Dormant Company, which has two essential declarations, takes about 5 minutes and needs no financial statements. If it has any income, even bank interest, it files a regular Form C-S, Form C-S (Lite) or Form C instead. Our guide to dormant company filing requirements covers both in full.
Not filing at all is the expensive option:
| IRAS action | What it means |
|---|---|
| Estimated Notice of Assessment | IRAS estimates income from past years or other information, and may assume it has gone up. The tax is due within 1 month, even if you object |
| Composition offer | Up to $5,000 per offence, depending on past compliance |
| Court summons after 2 or more years unfiled | On conviction, a penalty of twice the tax assessed plus a fine of up to $5,000 per offence |
If an estimated assessment has already arrived, see our guide to the IRAS estimated Notice of Assessment.
Will IRAS Grant the Waiver in Your Situation?
This table applies IRAS's conditions to common situations. It is a guide, not a ruling: IRAS decides each case on its facts.
| Situation | Waiver likely? | Why, and what to do |
|---|---|---|
| Trading stopped, cash in an account that pays no interest, only upkeep costs such as ACRA fees | Yes | Dormant if there is no income at all. File returns up to cessation, then apply |
| Bank or fixed deposit interest, however small | No | Interest is income, so the company is not dormant for that YA. File a regular return and apply after the interest stops |
| Holds shares but receives no dividends | Yes | Investments are allowed if they produce nothing. Report any later dividend within 1 month |
| Receives dividends | No | IRAS lists dividends alongside interest and rent as investment income, and its guidance makes no exception for tax-exempt one-tier dividends. File a regular return for that YA |
| Owns property that is let out | No | Rent is income. Keep filing regular returns |
| Owns vacant property that earns nothing | Yes, if no income arises | Keep evidence that no rent arose, and notify IRAS within 1 month if it is later let |
| Was GST-registered | Not yet | The GST registration must be cancelled before you apply. File the final GST F8 return too |
| Never traded since incorporation | Yes | Allowed if the company is likely to stay dormant for at least 2 years |
| May restart within 2 years | No | Fails the fourth condition. File the Form for Dormant Company each year instead |
If bank interest is the only thing between your company and the waiver, ask whether it needs an interest-bearing account at all.
How to Apply for a Waiver to File Form C-S on myTax Portal
Applications go through the "Apply for Waiver/ File last Form C-S/ C (Dormant/ Striking Off)" digital service, formerly called "Apply for Waiver to Submit Tax Return (Dormant Company)". IRAS estimates it takes about 10 minutes to submit. IRAS accepts a written application only if the company's sole director has died or is bankrupt.
Before you start, check three things:
- Corppass. The applicant must be authorised for "Corporate Tax (Filing and Applications)". A Preparer can fill in the form, but only an Approver can submit it to IRAS. An authorised tax agent firm can apply for you.
- Cessation date. Use the date after which the company had no business and no income of any kind.
- Final returns and GST. Returns, financial statements and tax computations up to that date should be filed or ready, and any GST registration cancelled.
Step-by-Step Application
- Log in to myTax Portal through Corppass with your Singpass and the company's UEN.
- Select Corporate Tax > Apply for Waiver/ File last Form C-S/ C (Dormant/ Striking Off) and click Proceed.
- Enter the cessation details in the main form and go to the Confirmation Page.
- Check the details, then complete the Declaration and Undertaking and the Details of Applicant & Contact Person.
- Click Submit and confirm. A Preparer clicks Submit to Approver, and the Approver then reviews and submits it from the same menu.
- Save the acknowledgement (a copy stays under Notices > Corporate Tax) and act on the outcome shown.
What the Outcome Screen Means
| Outcome | What it means and what to do |
|---|---|
| Application Approved | Waiver granted. IRAS's user guide says the approval letter follows within 7 working days |
| Application Under Review | IRAS is checking the case and decides within 2 months, longer if it is complex |
| Application Cannot Be Processed | Returns up to the cessation date are outstanding. File them within 21 days of applying, or the application is rejected |
| Application Rejected | For example, income arrived after the cessation date given. IRAS's user guide says you can reapply straight away with the correct date |
Which Years Still Need a Tax Return?
Tax runs a year behind, so if you apply soon after the business stops, the final trading period usually falls into an advance YA: one whose return IRAS would not normally take until the following year. The waiver service lets you file that return early, within 21 days of applying.
Example (hypothetical): Company A has a 31 December year end. It stopped trading and received its last income on 31 May 2026, and applies for the waiver on 2 November 2026.
| Year of Assessment | Basis period | What Company A files |
|---|---|---|
| YA 2025 and earlier | Financial years to 31 December 2024 | Should already be filed. Any still outstanding fall into the same 21-day window |
| YA 2026 | 1 January to 31 December 2025 | Normal return, due 30 November 2026. If it is not filed before applying, it must be filed within the 21 days, so by 23 November 2026 |
| YA 2027 (advance YA) | 1 January to 31 May 2026 | Final return with financial statements and tax computation, by 23 November 2026 (21 days after applying) |
| YA 2028 onwards | Dormant | Nothing while it stays dormant |
Prepare the closing accounts to the cessation date before you apply, because 21 days passes quickly. Our guide to Form C, Form C-S and Form C-S (Lite) explains which form each final year needs.
What Changes After IRAS Approves the Waiver?
The waiver is granted from a specific date. From then on:
- IRAS issues no more Form C-S, Form C-S (Lite) or Form C, and the company files no ECI. If it restarts, the normal rules in our ECI filing guide apply again.
- Nothing needs renewing: a company that has the waiver and stays dormant never reapplies. IRAS's FAQ also says each company may apply just once, so if the company restarts and later goes quiet again, check with IRAS before relying on a second waiver.
- The company's status under Update Corporate Profile in myTax Portal shows "No Business Done".
- Unutilised losses from its trading years can still be set off against later income if the shareholding test is met. Expenses and capital allowances for the dormant years cannot be claimed, because the company carried on no business then.
What If Your Dormant Company Starts Business Again?
Within 1 month of restarting business or receiving any income, submit IRAS's Recommencement of Business form to request a return. It asks for the company's UEN and contact details, the date business restarted or income first arrived (whichever is earlier), and any new principal activity with the company's ACRA business profile. IRAS states that failing to notify it is an offence, and that it "will not hesitate to take strong actions" against companies and directors.
If the income is a genuine one-off and the company will stay dormant, you may instead write to IRAS explaining this, attaching the financial statements and tax computation for that YA.
ACRA Obligations That Continue After the Waiver
The IRAS waiver changes nothing under the Companies Act 1967. ACRA requires an annual return every year while the company is live, including from companies that hold an IRAS tax waiver.
| Requirement | Position for a dormant company |
|---|---|
| Annual return | Due every year within 7 months after the financial year end (non-listed companies), with a $60 filing fee. A private dormant relevant company exempt from preparing financial statements may file as soon as its financial year ends |
| Financial statements | Not needed under section 201A if the company has been dormant since formation or the previous year end, its total assets (consolidated, for a parent company) never exceeded $500,000 at any time during the year, and it is not listed or a listed company's subsidiary |
| Audit and AGM | Exempt from audit under section 205B; a private dormant relevant company need not hold AGMs |
| Officers | Still needs a company secretary, a registered office and a director ordinarily resident in Singapore |
| Late annual return | $300 penalty if up to 3 months late, $600 if later; repeated breaches risk prosecution of the directors |
Why IRAS Rejects Dormant Company Waiver Applications
- Income still arriving. Interest, dividends or rent in the period mean the company is not dormant, however small the amount.
- A cessation date that is too early. IRAS will not approve the application if income was received after the date you gave. Use the later of the last business activity and the last income.
- Returns left outstanding. Back-year, current-year and advance-year returns all count. IRAS holds the application while any are missing and rejects it if they are not filed within 21 days of applying.
- GST still registered. A business must apply to cancel its registration within 30 days of stopping taxable supplies and file a final GST F8 return. GST is also due on business assets still held if the total value of those on which input tax was claimed exceeds $10,000.
The costliest mistake is not a rejection at all: assuming the waiver covers ACRA and letting annual returns lapse.
Should You Get a Waiver or Strike Off the Company?
An inactive company has three routes: stay dormant and file the Form for Dormant Company each year (if a restart within 2 years is possible), take the IRAS waiver (if no restart is planned within 2 years), or strike it off (if it will never be needed again).
| IRAS waiver | Voluntary striking off | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Stays live | Dissolved |
| Annual return, secretary, registered office | Still required | End on dissolution |
| Conditions | IRAS's four conditions | No business, no debts or charges, no legal proceedings, nothing owned or owed, directors' consent |
| Time | IRAS decides within 2 months | At least 2 months after ACRA approves (60-day objection period) |
| Undoing it | Notify IRAS within 1 month of restarting | Restoration by court order, which ACRA says is available within 6 years |
Both routes start with the same IRAS step: every return up to the cessation date must be filed, and IRAS objects to a strike-off if it is not. Applying to ACRA for strike-off is free. Our comparison of striking off and keeping a dormant company covers the trade-offs, and our company striking off service handles the IRAS and ACRA steps together.
When to Get Professional Help
You can apply for a dormant company tax filing waiver yourself if every return is filed, the company was never GST-registered, it earns no interest and you hold the Approver role in Corppass.
Help is worth paying for when the closing accounts and tax computation to the cessation date are not ready, back-year returns are missing, IRAS has already raised an estimated assessment, the company was GST-registered or holds investments, or you are weighing the waiver against striking off.
Tax Filing SG is run by ex-Big 4 Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA members) who serve Singapore SMEs. We prepare the closing accounts and tax computations, file the final returns and the waiver application, and quote once we have reviewed your case; see our tax services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a dormant company skip filing Form C-S?
Only with an IRAS waiver. Otherwise a dormant company must file a Corporate Income Tax Return by 30 November every year, although the simplified Form for Dormant Company needs no financial statements. Not filing counts as late filing and can bring an estimated assessment, a composition of up to $5,000 per offence and, after 2 or more years, a court summons.
How do I apply for a waiver to file Form C-S?
In myTax Portal, select Corporate Tax, then Apply for Waiver/ File last Form C-S/ C (Dormant/ Striking Off). Enter the cessation details, complete the declaration and submit. Only a Corppass Approver for Corporate Tax (Filing and Applications) can submit to IRAS. Any return still due up to the cessation date must be filed within 21 days of applying.
What if my dormant company earns bank interest?
Then it is not dormant for that Year of Assessment, however small the interest. It must file a regular Form C-S, Form C-S (Lite) or Form C for that year and cannot get the waiver while interest keeps arriving. A company that already has the waiver and starts earning interest must notify IRAS within 1 month.
Do I need to tell IRAS when my company starts trading again?
Yes. Within 1 month of restarting business or receiving any income, such as interest, dividends or rent, submit IRAS's Recommencement of Business form to request a tax return. IRAS states that failing to do so is an offence. For a one-off item of income where the company stays dormant, you may write to IRAS with the accounts and tax computation instead.
Does the IRAS waiver also cover ACRA filings?
No. The waiver only stops IRAS tax returns and ECI. The company must still file an annual return with ACRA every year while it is live, and keep a company secretary, a registered office and a locally resident director. A private dormant relevant company may be exempt from preparing financial statements, holding AGMs and audit, but not from the annual return.
How long does IRAS take to process a dormant company waiver?
IRAS processes online applications within 2 months and written applications within 3 months, and complex cases can take longer. Some applications show as approved on screen at submission. Companies on email notifications receive the outcome letter in myTax Portal with no paper copy; others receive it at the registered address.
How can I check if my company already has a waiver?
Check the company's status under Update Corporate Profile in myTax Portal. "No Business Done" means a waiver has been granted and no return is required. "Active" means there is no waiver, so a dormant company must file the Form for Dormant Company by 30 November. A company showing "No Business Done" that restarts must submit the Recommencement of Business form.
Official Sources
- IRAS: Dormant companies
- IRAS: FAQs on applying for the dormant company waiver (PDF, updated 7 October 2026)
- IRAS: User guide for the waiver digital service (PDF)
- IRAS: Corporate Income Tax filing season 2026
- ACRA: Annual return deadlines and requirements
- ACRA: Financial statement requirements and exemptions
- ACRA: Striking off a local company
Want your dormant company off the yearly tax filing cycle?
Send us your company name and the date the business stopped on WhatsApp, and a Singapore Chartered Accountant will tell you which returns must be filed before the waiver and our fee for your case before you commit.
About Tax Filing SG — We are a Singapore accounting practice run by ex-Big 4 Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA). We handle accounting, corporate tax, GST and company secretarial work for Singapore SMEs, including overdue and late filings.
Last updated: 9 November 2026. This article is general information based on IRAS and ACRA guidance as at November 2026, not advice for your specific situation. Rules, rates and deadlines change, so check the official sources above or speak to us before acting.