Written by Kiru Ramalingam, Accounting Team Lead
7+ years leading accounting operations across Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines for startups and accounting firms. I've managed teams on the ground and helped product teams build the tools accountants actually use, so I've seen where founders' books fall apart. The articles I write are for fo...
Key Takeaways
1.
Most Singapore small businesses pay roughly SGD 60 to SGD 400 a month for outsourced accounting, though very simple companies can pay less and GST-registered or payroll-heavy ones pay more.
2.
Price is driven by transaction volume, GST registration, and payroll, not by your revenue on its own. A dormant company and a busy one with the same turnover pay very different fees.
3.
The monthly headline is rarely the full story. One-off and add-on costs (GST filing, XBRL, ECI, catch-up bookkeeping, penalties) decide what you actually spend over a year.
4.
Statrys prices accounting on the actual number of transactions you process, from SGD 995 a year (about SGD 83 a month), which is one of the few costs on this list you can genuinely control.
You have probably seen accounting quotes that make no sense next to each other. One firm says SGD 75 a month, another says over SGD 1,000, and both claim to do "accounting." So the real question isn't "how much does accounting cost in Singapore" but "what am I actually paying for, and which parts does my company genuinely need?"
The honest answer is that accounting is not one service. It's bookkeeping, financial statements, corporate tax filing, and sometimes GST returns, payroll, and XBRL, bundled under one word. Your price depends on how many of those apply to you and how busy your books are. That's good news, because it means the cost is more in your control than most founders assume.
This guide breaks down what each piece costs in 2026, what pushes the price up or down, the hidden fees that catch people out, and how to estimate your own number before you talk to any provider.
This guide is based on research conducted in July 2026, including a review of official provider pricing pages (Sleek, Osome, and Statrys) and Singapore regulatory guidance from IRAS and ACRA. All third-party pricing is sourced and dated. Figures are in Singapore dollars and can change, so treat them as current ranges rather than fixed quotes.
How Much Do Accounting Services Cost in Singapore?
For most small businesses in Singapore, outsourced accounting costs between SGD 60 and SGD 400 a month. The wide range exists because a dormant holding company and an active trading company need very different amounts of work, even at similar revenue.
Here is a realistic view of what SMEs actually pay, grouped by how active the business is:
| Business Stage | Typical Monthly Cost | Typical Yearly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Very Small / Early-Stage (Low Volume, No Payroll, Not GST-Registered) | SGD 60 – SGD 100 | ~SGD 700 – SGD 1,200 |
| Active Small Business (Regular Invoices, Monthly Bookkeeping) | SGD 100 – SGD 300 | ~SGD 1,200 – SGD 3,600 |
| Growing / GST-Registered / with Payroll | SGD 300 – SGD 800+ | ~SGD 3,600 – SGD 9,600+ |
Ranges reflect published 2026 pricing from Sleek and Osome and Statrys's own transaction-based tiers. "From" pricing is the minimum; your actual cost depends on volume and the services you use.
These are recurring compliance fees. They keep your books clean and your filings on time. They do not usually include one-off events like a first-year GST registration or a catch-up on months of unrecorded transactions, which we cover further down.
What You're Actually Paying For
Most "accounting" quotes bundle several distinct services. Splitting them out is the fastest way to see whether a quote is fair and whether you're paying for something you don't need yet. The table below shows the common components and typical 2026 market prices.
| Service | What It Covers | Typical Market Price (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping | Recording and reconciling transactions | SGD 60 – SGD 300/month (volume-based) |
| Unaudited Financial Statements | Year-end Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet | Often bundled into a package |
| Corporate Tax Filing (ECI + Form C-S/C) | Estimated Chargeable Income plus the annual return to IRAS | SGD 100 – SGD 150 for ECI; return often bundled |
| GST Return Filing | Quarterly GST F5 submissions (if GST-registered) | ~SGD 300 – SGD 1,200/year |
Two more line items show up once a company grows. XBRL financial statements (the format ACRA requires most companies to file) typically run SGD 330 for simplified and around SGD 550 for full XBRL, per Osome's published 2026 rates. Payroll is usually charged per employee, at around SGD 350 per employee per year.
In my experience, the single biggest source of "surprise" invoices is treating that last group as optional extras. If you're GST-registered with two staff, GST filing and payroll are your baseline, not extras. Price the whole picture, not just the bookkeeping line.
What Drives the Price Up or Down
Accounting fees vary because businesses operate differently, not because providers pick numbers at random. These are the factors that move your quote the most:
- Number of transactions. This is the big one. More invoices, payments, and bank transactions mean more bookkeeping, so most modern providers price on transaction count.
- GST registration. Registration is compulsory once your taxable turnover crosses SGD 1 million a year (you can also register voluntarily). Once registered, you file GST returns, which adds cost.
- Payroll. Employees mean monthly payroll runs, CPF, and filings, usually charged per head.
- Complexity. Multi-currency accounts, overseas customers, or a subsidiary all add review time.
- Quality of your records. Clean, digital records cost less to process. A shoebox of receipts costs more, every time.
Pro tip: IRAS requires companies to keep proper accounting records for at least five years. Good record-keeping isn't only a compliance box. It directly lowers what you pay a bookkeeper.
Three Ways to Handle Accounting, and What Each Costs
There are broadly three ways to keep your books in Singapore. They look similar on the surface, but what you pay and what you have to manage yourself differ a lot.
| Approach | Typical Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| DIY (Software Only) | SGD 30 – SGD 60/month | Founders confident with accounting, low volume |
| Outsourced Digital Provider | From SGD 60 – SGD 300/month | SMEs wanting compliance handled without the admin |
| Traditional Accounting Firm | From SGD 150 – SGD 300+/month | Businesses that prefer a conventional, hands-on firm |
DIY software like Xero or QuickBooks has the cheapest sticker price, but the time cost is real: you handle every reconciliation, filing, and deadline yourself, and mistakes carry penalties. Digital providers bundle software, bookkeeping, and filings into one predictable fee. Traditional firms can be excellent but more often bill hourly with add-ons, which makes the annual total harder to predict.
Tip: If you'd rather compare named providers side by side, see our guide to the best accounting services in Singapore.
The Hidden Costs to Watch For
The monthly fee is the part everyone compares. The costs that actually blow budgets are the ones that don't appear in the headline:
- Penalties from late or wrong filings. A missed IRAS or ACRA deadline can cost far more than a month of fees. This is the most expensive "hidden" cost and the easiest to avoid.
- Ad-hoc and urgency charges. Rush filings and one-off reports are often billed separately. Osome, for example, lists urgent filing at SGD 750.
- Catch-up bookkeeping. If you sign up months into your financial year, expect a one-time fee to bring past months up to date.
- Per-transaction overage. Volume-based plans can charge more once you pass a tier, so check where your tier ends.
- Software add-ons. With some traditional firms, the accounting software licence is charged on top of the service.
How to Estimate Your Own Cost
You don't need a quote to get a realistic figure. Answer three questions and you'll land in the right band:
You're likely at the lower end (roughly SGD 60 to SGD 100 a month) if you have fewer than about 30 transactions a month, you're not GST-registered, and you don't run payroll.
You'll likely need a mid-range or premium plan (SGD 150 a month and up) if you issue invoices regularly, employ staff, or you're GST-registered and want monthly visibility into your numbers.
Getting this right upfront matters in both directions. Overpaying for services you don't use is common, but so is underpaying for a bare-bones plan and then paying penalties or catch-up fees when compliance slips.
What Statrys Accounting Costs
Statrys prices accounting on the actual number of transactions you process each year, not on your revenue and not on an estimate. That matters because transaction volume is something you can actually manage, unlike your turnover.
Pricing starts at SGD 995 a year (about SGD 83 a month) for up to 25 transactions and scales in clear tiers as your volume grows:
| Transactions per Year | Yearly Price | Approx. Monthly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 25 | SGD 995 | ~SGD 83 |
| 26 – 50 | SGD 1,270 | ~SGD 106 |
| 51 – 100 | SGD 1,890 | ~SGD 158 |
| 101 – 150 | SGD 2,241 | ~SGD 187 |
Higher tiers cover up to 800+ transactions. The largest tier is quoted on request. Add-ons include Estimated Chargeable Income filing (SGD 120) and a full consolidation report for one subsidiary (SGD 300). Prices are subject to change. Check the Statrys accounting pricing page for current figures.
Because Statrys is a registered corporate services provider in Singapore, the same team can handle your bookkeeping, financial statements, and tax filings, and your transactions sync automatically from a Statrys business account and export to Xero in one click.
For founders who'd rather not juggle a separate bookkeeper, bank, and company secretary, keeping outsourced accounting on the same platform as payments and corporate services removes a lot of the coordination that quietly costs time.
What I tell founders is simple: don't choose based on the lowest monthly number. Choose the provider that makes your total yearly cost predictable and keeps you off IRAS's late list. That's where the real money is.
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FAQs
What is the average cost of accounting services in Singapore?
For most small businesses, accounting services cost between SGD 60 and SGD 400 a month in 2026. Very simple or dormant companies can pay less, while GST-registered businesses with payroll and higher transaction volumes can pay SGD 800 a month or more. The figure depends on transaction volume and which services you need, not on revenue alone.
How much should a small business budget for accounting in Singapore?
Budget based on three things: how many transactions you have each month, whether you run payroll, and whether you're GST-registered. A low-volume company that is not GST-registered can plan for roughly SGD 700 to SGD 1,200 a year. An active, GST-registered business with staff should budget several thousand dollars a year to cover bookkeeping, filings, and GST returns.
Do accounting fees increase as a business grows?
Yes. Fees rise as you add transactions, employees, GST obligations, or a subsidiary, because each adds work and filings. Providers that price by transaction volume make this increase gradual and predictable, so your fee scales in steps rather than jumping unexpectedly.
Are accounting fees tax-deductible in Singapore?
Generally, yes. Accounting and bookkeeping fees are usually treated as deductible business expenses in Singapore, as long as they relate to running your business. Confirm your specific situation with your accountant or against IRAS guidance, since deductibility rules have conditions.
Is it cheaper to do my own accounting with software?
The sticker price is lower, usually SGD 30 to SGD 60 a month for software alone, but you take on all the data entry, reconciliations, filings, and deadlines yourself. For many founders the time cost and the risk of penalties outweigh the saving, which is why outsourced plans starting from a similar price point are often better value once your volume grows.
Disclaimer
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute tax, legal, or accounting advice. Pricing and regulatory figures were current as of July 2026 and can change. Verify any specific tax rate, threshold, or filing deadline against IRAS or ACRA, and consult a qualified professional before making decisions for your business.
