Does a private company still need financial statements?

Yes. Even without a meeting, financial statements must be prepared and sent to members. Only the meeting itself is dispensed with, not the accounts.

What date do I record for the AGM?

Record the date the written resolution was passed, or the date financial statements were sent, as applicable. This is the date you enter on the annual return.

Can any company do this?

This applies to private companies. Public and listed companies have different meeting obligations.

AGMs by written resolution for private companies

AGMs you can hold by written resolution

Private companies can skip the meeting entirely — if the paperwork is signed in the right order.

Alyst editorial team

Updated 28 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

In 30 seconds

Yes. A Singapore private company can dispense with holding a physical annual general meeting if members pass the required resolutions in writing, or if the company has sent its financial statements to members within five months of the financial year end and no member requests a meeting. The financial statements must still be circulated, and the resolution dates must be recorded for the annual return.

Private companies in Singapore no longer have to gather everyone in a room once a year. The annual general meeting can be dispensed with — but the accounts and the paperwork still have to be right.

Two routes to skip the meeting

Members agree to dispense with AGMs. Members pass a resolution to dispense with holding AGMs. Financial statements are still prepared and sent to members.
Send accounts, no meeting requested. If the company sends its financial statements to members within five months of the financial year end and no member asks for a meeting, no AGM is needed.

The accounts still matter

Dispensing with the meeting does not remove the duty to prepare and circulate financial statements — or, if audit is required, to have them audited. Only the meeting is optional.

Circulate the financial statements first, then pass the written resolutions, and record every date. Those dates feed straight into your annual return — recording an AGM that never happened is one of the most common filing errors. Keep the signed resolutions with your register.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm requirements with ACRA and IRAS, or speak to your corporate secretary.