When do you need an accountant in Singapore?
There is no correct answer to this question, but if you ever find yourself in one of these situations, it may be best to contact a professional accounting firm:
1. When starting your business
At first, your business is starting up, and you feel like you don’t know what to do with your finances. You’re setting up the company’s supply chain, managing payroll, and making sure cash flow is going where it needs to go. In addition, it’s important to keep your revenues on the books.
If you are not familiar with the basics of accounting, hiring someone to do the bookkeeping for you may be your best option for your business’s first few months. Having a professional look at your finances without telling you how to spend your money in the business can be beneficial later.
2. You don't know how taxes work in a business setting
Second, filing taxes is difficult from a business owner’s perspective. One misstep can cost the business hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
By hiring a professional accountant in Singapore, you make the most of your taxes by filing correctly during the tax season. In fact, accountants can help you navigate your way through taxes to maximize savings and deductions.
3. Your business is growing exponentially
Thirdly, you are at the stage where you want to expand the business. As a result, hire more people, take on more suppliers, or get capital from a financial institution to increase the business’s growth.
At some point in the life of your business, you will come across a deal or two that could grow your business quickly. This is a sudden influx of cash, and it becomes difficult to keep track of.
When the business is at this stage, there is a risk that you will lose control of your finances.
Thus, hiring a professional accountant in Singapore will help you manage the growth of the business, especially when it comes to finances. By managing your books, you will be able to make better decisions based on real-time financial data.
4. You need to raise capital
Fourthly, if your business needs to apply for a loan or grant, you can seek an accountant’s help. Financial institutions such as banks will need detailed financial statements that will tell them how the business is doing.
5. You decide on the business’s legal structure
Fifthly, the business’s structure has legal implications, and the decision to choose a structure should not be taken lightly. For example, if your business is a sole proprietorship, you should be aware that you are self-employed and billing is done under your name, not the company’s. If you work with a professional accountant, you will be able to save money on your taxes by doing your deductions correctly.
6. IRAS audits you
Sixthly, if you are a small business, it is unlikely that you will be audited by IRAS, mainly because of the large number of small businesses and the few government auditors.
ℹ️ Working with a professional accountant can help you save time and money.
What are the accountant's duties in Singapore?
An accountant can have a variety of tasks, including the following:
➤ Determining payroll needs, running the company's monthly payroll, maintaining payroll data |
➤ Coordinate with internal and external auditors when auditing the company |
➤ Explain company invoices and accounting policies to staff, vendors, and customers |
➤ Prepare and review company budget requirements, revenues, expenses, payroll data, billing data and other accounting statements |
➤ Analyze and review company budgets and expenditures, contracts and grants |
➤ Prepare company profit and loss statements and closing and cost accounting reports on a monthly basis |
➤ Analyze revenue and expense trends and advise on budgetary limits and expense controls |
➤ Update general ledger accounts and corporate financial transactions |
➤ Ensure the company’s digitization financial data and reports using robust accounting software |
➤ Address discrepancies in accounting |
➤ Implement appropriate accounting controls and procedures |
➤ Ensure financial databases’ maintenance, a suite of necessary computer software and manual filing systems |