Registering with ACRA before you sell on Shopify

Information checked as of 3 October 2026

Opening a Shopify store can take an afternoon. Working out whether the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) needs to hear about it takes a little longer, mostly because the answer depends on what you call your store and how you plan to run it. This guide covers when you have to register, which business structure fits, how Bizfile registration works and what it costs, the obligations that follow, and the business details Shopify will ask you for. ACRA, the GoBusiness portal and IRAS are the sources throughout.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your situation may differ, so check ACRA's registration guidance or speak to a lawyer, accountant or corporate service provider before you act.

The short version

• Selling regularly for profit? ACRA says you must register, and it names online stores, drop shipping and social media selling as examples.
• The main exemption is trading only under your full NRIC name. A store brand almost always means registering.
• For a solo seller, the usual choice is between a sole proprietorship (simplest, but unlimited personal liability) and a private limited company (limited liability, more paperwork).
• You register on Bizfile in two steps: reserve a name (S$15), then register. ACRA lists S$100 for a one-year sole proprietorship and S$300 to incorporate a company.
• Afterwards: MediSave contributions if you're self-employed, income tax with IRAS, licences for regulated goods, and GST once turnover passes S$1 million.
• In Shopify, enter your business details exactly as they appear in Bizfile, because Shopify Payments checks them against ACRA's records.

Do you need to register at all?

ACRA's test has two parts. You need to register if you:

• Carry out any activity for profit on a regular basis, unless you're exempt. ACRA says this covers physical shops, home-based work and online ventures, and its examples include operating an online store, drop shipping and selling through social media.
• Use any name other than your own full name. ACRA's example: "Flowers by Tan Mei Ling" must be registered, because it includes more than the owner's full NRIC name.

ACRA's guidance doesn't mention a sales threshold. The question is whether you're carrying on business, not how much you've sold. The GoBusiness home-based business guide puts it the same way: register if you carry out an activity for profit on an ongoing basis, unless you're exempt.

The exemptions

Section 4 of the Business Names Registration Act 2014 lists who doesn't need to register. The two that matter for most Shopify sellers are:

• an individual carrying on business under only their own full name, and
• two or more individuals carrying on business under only the full names of all of them.

The rest of the list covers people such as certain licensed professionals and specified bodies. Most Shopify stores trade under a brand, and by ACRA's own example a brand means registering. If you do sell under your full NRIC name only, you can still choose to register, and the Act says you must then follow its rules while you're registered.

What happens if you don't

ACRA and section 35 of the Act both say that carrying on business without registering, when you're required to, can lead to a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. ACRA adds that an unregistered business may find it harder to enforce contracts, and that registered businesses can open a bank account in the business's name and apply for government grants.

One thing registration doesn't do: ACRA points out that registering a business name gives you no exclusive rights to it, and no right to a matching website address. For that you'd apply for a trade mark with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and register your domain separately.

Choosing a business structure

ACRA and GoBusiness describe the same main options. For a Shopify store, these are the ones that usually come up.

Sole proprietorship

• Owner: one person (or a company or LLP).
• Liability: unlimited. It isn't a separate legal entity, so you're personally responsible for all business debts and losses.
• Tax: profits are taxed at your personal income tax rates.
• Upkeep: renew the registration every one or three years and keep your MediSave contributions up to date.

Partnership

• Owners: two to 20 partners, according to ACRA and GoBusiness.
• Liability: unlimited, and it includes debts caused by the other partners.
• Tax: each partner is taxed on their share of the profits.

Limited liability partnership (LLP)

• Owners: at least two partners, with no maximum.
• Liability: an LLP is a separate legal entity. Partners aren't personally liable for other partners' actions, but they are liable for their own wrongful acts.
• Requirements: at least one manager who meets local residency requirements. ACRA lists filing annual declarations and keeping accounting records among the ongoing duties.
• Tax: profits are taxed in the partners' hands.

Private limited company (Pte Ltd)

• Owners: shareholders, at least one. GoBusiness says the private limited company is the most commonly chosen type of company in Singapore.
• Liability: limited. The company is a separate legal entity, so shareholders generally aren't personally responsible for its debts.
• Tax: IRAS taxes companies at a flat 17% of chargeable income, with a partial tax exemption and a start-up tax exemption for qualifying new companies. PwC's tax summary gives the same rate and schemes.
• Requirements: at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore, and a company secretary appointed within six months of incorporation. Under the Companies Act, a sole director can't also be the company secretary, so a one-person company needs a second person, often a corporate secretarial firm. ACRA also lists annual general meetings, annual returns and an auditor (unless exempt) among the ongoing duties.

The trade-off is simple to state and harder to decide: a sole proprietorship is cheap and light, but your personal assets are on the line. A company protects them, at the cost of more rules and yearly paperwork. ACRA lets a sole proprietorship or partnership convert to an LLP later, and IRAS says a sole proprietorship converted into a company can still qualify for the start-up tax exemption. GoBusiness has an e-Adviser that recommends a structure if you answer a few questions.

Registering on Bizfile, step by step

GoBusiness's start-up guide and ACRA's registration guides describe the same sequence. You do it all on Bizfile, ACRA's online portal, logging in with Singpass.

1. Check you're eligible. Owners must be at least 18. For a sole proprietorship or partnership, ACRA requires owners to be Singapore citizens, permanent residents or eligible pass holders, and self-employed owners must be up to date with MediSave contributions before they can reserve a name.
2. Reserve a business name. You choose the entity type and your main business activity, using a Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code. ACRA and GoBusiness both list a S$15 fee, and say an approved name is held for 120 days. ACRA says the fee isn't refunded if the name is rejected or you withdraw. Expect it to take longer if another government agency has to review the name or activity.
3. Register the business. You'll need your commencement date, business address and details of each owner, partner or director. Companies also need share capital details and a constitution.
4. Get your UEN. GoBusiness says a successful registration gives you a Unique Entity Number (UEN), the number you use with government agencies, and a free Business Profile by email. You'll use the UEN in Shopify too.
5. Set up Corppass. GoBusiness lists registering a Corppass administrator as the next step. Corppass is how a business logs in to government services.
6. Open a business bank account. This matters for Shopify Payments, which pays out only to a Singapore SGD checking account.

ACRA fees

These are ACRA's own figures, confirmed against GoBusiness's registration guide. Check ACRA's fee pages before you pay.

• Name application (all structures): S$15.
• Sole proprietorship or partnership: S$100 for one year or S$160 for three years, so S$115 or S$175 in total with the name fee. ACRA notes the three-year option is only available if conditions set by the CPF Board are met.
• LLP: S$100, so S$115 in total.
• Company: S$300, so S$315 in total.

ACRA says most registrations are approved soon after payment. Sole proprietorships and partnerships then renew every one or three years, and you can renew up to 60 days before expiry. The current renewal fee is on ACRA's fee page. Corporate service providers charge their own fees on top if you use one.

Foreigners and pass holders

• Foreigners need help. ACRA says foreigners must engage a corporate service provider to reserve a name and register. GoBusiness says the same, calling them registered filing agents.
• Every business needs a local resident. ACRA counts Singapore citizens, permanent residents and holders of certain passes, such as the Employment Pass, as local residents. Who that person must be depends on the structure: an authorised representative for a sole proprietorship or partnership whose owners all live overseas, a local manager for an LLP, or an ordinarily resident director for a company.
• Pass holders should check with MOM first. ACRA and GoBusiness both say Employment Pass holders must first get a Letter of Consent from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). MOM's own guidance on directorships says it generally grants that consent only where the company is related to the pass holder's employer. So a side store on an Employment Pass isn't a given; ask MOM before you register.

What comes with registering

MediSave if you're self-employed

Sole proprietors and partners are self-employed in CPF's eyes. IRAS and the CPF Board both say you must make compulsory MediSave contributions if you're a Singapore citizen or permanent resident and your annual net trade income is more than S$6,000. CPF sends a notice once IRAS has assessed your income, and you pay within 30 days or through a GIRO instalment plan.

This ties back to ACRA. ACRA says that if you have outstanding MediSave payable without an instalment arrangement, it won't process your renewal and may cancel your registration early. GoBusiness lists being up to date with MediSave as a prerequisite for registering in the first place.

Income tax

• Sole proprietors and partners report business income in their personal tax return, which IRAS calls Form B/B1. IRAS sends self-employed people Form B if they file on paper. You must file if IRAS tells you to, if your net profit from self-employment was more than S$6,000, or if your total income was more than S$22,000. GoBusiness lists the same triggers. The filing window is 1 March to 18 April.
• Keep it simple if you're small. IRAS lets you fill in a two-line statement (revenue and adjusted profit) if your revenue is S$200,000 or less, and a four-line statement above that.
• Partnerships also file a partnership return, Form P, and each partner reports their share.
• Companies file an estimate of chargeable income (ECI) within three months of their financial year end, unless they qualify for a waiver, and a corporate tax return by 30 November each year. IRAS and GoBusiness both give the 30 November date.
• Keep records for five years. IRAS expects self-employed people to keep proper records and supporting documents, such as invoices and receipts, for five years. Shopify's order and payout reports are a good start, not the whole job.

Licences for regulated goods

Registering a business doesn't license what you sell. ACRA's name-reservation guide says your business may need licences or approvals depending on its activity, and points to GoBusiness's Licence e-Advisers. Two examples Shopify sellers often hit:

• Food imports. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) says you need an SFA licence or registration to import food for sale, regardless of how you sell it, and that applicants must be registered with ACRA and have activated their UEN with Singapore Customs.
• Cosmetics. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) says manufacturers and importers must notify each cosmetic product, including each variant such as a lipstick shade, before supplying it in Singapore. You submit through HSA's PRISM system, which requires a local entity registered with ACRA. Notifications last a year.

Other product categories have their own rules. Check the GoBusiness Licence Directory for your product before you list it.

Running it from home

If your business address is your flat or condo, GoBusiness and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) describe two schemes:

• Home-Based Business Scheme: no registration needed, but only people living in the home can work in the business. GoBusiness lists restrictions such as no large-scale storage, no frequent loading and unloading, no using your home as a distribution centre and no signs at the premises.
• Home Office Scheme: registration with HDB or URA, administrative work only, and up to two employees who don't live there. URA's list of businesses not permitted under this scheme includes shops and any form of retail activity.

Which applies depends on what you actually do at home. GoBusiness has an e-Adviser for this, and both schemes still expect you to get any licences your business needs.

Setting up Shopify with your registered details

Shopify Payments

Shopify's requirements page for Singapore spells out what it asks for, and it's worth having your Bizfile Business Profile open while you fill it in.

• Pick the right business type. Shopify says to choose Individual if you don't have a UEN. With a UEN, choose Partnership if your ACRA business type contains the word partnership (including LLPs), and Private Company for everything else. Shopify checks your business type against government registries.
• Copy Bizfile exactly. Sole proprietorships, partnerships and companies provide their registered business name, UEN, business address and date of incorporation as shown in ACRA Bizfile. Shopify says its banking partners compare these with ACRA's records, so case, punctuation and symbols matter.
• The account representative is the owner of a sole proprietorship, an owner, partner or manager of a partnership, or a director or the CEO of a company. Anyone else needs a letter of authorisation. Partnerships and companies also list owners with 25% or more, and directors.
• Residency. Shopify says individuals and sole proprietors must live in Singapore to use Shopify Payments Singapore. Partnerships and companies don't need to, but the business must be registered in Singapore with a Singapore business address.
• Verify within 120 days. Shopify says Singapore accounts must be verified within 120 days of accepting the terms, or checkout stops processing new orders.
• Bank account. Payouts go to a full SGD checking account with a Singapore bank that accepts FAST or RTGS transfers. Savings accounts and multi-currency accounts aren't supported.

Shopify Payments covers cards and wallets, not PayNow. Our guide to PayNow and GrabPay on Shopify covers how to add local payment methods.

Store name, legal name and address

Shopify keeps several names and addresses apart, which is handy once you're registered:

• Store name is what customers see, and it can be your brand.
• Legal business name is a separate setting under Business details in Settings > General. Shopify says editing it doesn't change the company name in your store address.
• Store address is shown to customers on your store and policy pages, so think about whether you want your home address there.
• Billing address is what appears on your Shopify bills, and it's another separate setting.

Shopify also says that if you use Shopify Payments, you need to contact Shopify Support to change the business name on your Shopify Payments account.

Invoices and receipts

The law sets out what your business documents must show. The Business Names Registration Regulations require registered businesses to put their registered business name and registration number on invoices and official correspondence. The Companies Act requires a company's name and registration number on invoices, receipts and other documents. In practice, put your registered name and UEN in your Shopify order confirmation and any invoice template or app you use.

GST comes later, for most

GST registration is a separate step with IRAS, not ACRA. GoBusiness repeats IRAS's rule: registration is compulsory once taxable turnover passes S$1 million in a calendar year, or is expected to in the next 12 months. Until then, if you aren't GST-registered, leave tax off in Shopify. Our guide to GST on a Singapore Shopify store covers the thresholds, GST-inclusive prices and tax invoices.

If you're still at the very beginning, our step-by-step guide to starting a Shopify store shows where business details, payments and taxes fit in the launch order.

When you're ready to send orders, our guide to shipping from a Singapore Shopify store covers local carriers, Shopify's shipping settings and exporting.

FAQ

Do I need to register with ACRA to sell on Shopify in Singapore?

Usually, yes. ACRA says you must register if you carry out an activity for profit on a regular basis, and it names online stores, drop shipping and selling through social media as examples. The main exemption is trading only under your full NRIC name, or the full NRIC names of all partners. A brand name for your store means you need to register.

How much does it cost to register a business with ACRA?

ACRA lists S$15 to apply for a business name, then S$100 to register a sole proprietorship or partnership for one year (S$160 for three years), S$100 to register an LLP, or S$300 to incorporate a company. That makes S$115 for a one-year sole proprietorship and S$315 for a company. Check ACRA's fee pages before you pay, as fees can change.

Should I register a sole proprietorship or a private limited company?

A sole proprietorship is the simplest and cheapest, but you are personally liable for all business debts and profits are taxed at your personal income tax rates. A private limited company is a separate legal entity with limited liability, taxed at the 17% corporate rate, but it needs a locally resident director, a company secretary and more annual filing. You can start as a sole proprietorship and incorporate later; a professional can help you decide.

Can a foreigner register a business in Singapore to sell on Shopify?

Yes, but not alone. ACRA requires foreigners to use a corporate service provider, and every business needs at least one local resident: an authorised representative for a sole proprietorship or partnership, a local manager for an LLP, or an ordinarily resident director for a company. If you are on a work pass, check with MOM before you register.

What business details does Shopify Payments need in Singapore?

If you have a UEN, Shopify asks for your registered business name, UEN, business address and date of incorporation as shown in ACRA Bizfile, plus details of the account representative and, for partnerships and companies, owners and directors. Shopify's banking partners check this against ACRA, so match the spelling exactly. Without a UEN, you sign up as an individual.

A reminder: this guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change, so check ACRA, IRAS and GoBusiness, or ask a professional, for your situation.

Registration and store setup can run side by side. A Shopify trial lets you build the store while you wait for your UEN, then add your business details before you launch.

Start a Shopify trial →

References

Fees, rules and features change, so check the live page before you act on anything here.

1. Step 1: Understanding requirements & eligibility, Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
2. Step 2: Choosing a business structure, ACRA. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
3. Step 3.2: Reserving a business name via Bizfile, ACRA. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
4. Registering a sole proprietorship or partnership, ACRA. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
5. Step 4.3: Choosing company directors & other key officers, ACRA. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
6. Service & transaction fees: Sole proprietorships & partnerships, ACRA. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
7. Service & transaction fees: Limited liability partnership (LLP), ACRA. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
8. Renewing your registration for sole proprietorships or partnerships, ACRA. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
9. Overview of managing a sole proprietorship or partnership, ACRA. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
10. Business Names Registration Act 2014, section 4 (exemptions), Singapore Statutes Online. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
11. Business Names Registration Act 2014, section 35 (offences and penalties), Singapore Statutes Online. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
12. Business Names Registration Regulations 2015, regulation 7 (business name on business documents), Singapore Statutes Online. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
13. Companies Act 1967, section 144 (publication of name and registration number), Singapore Statutes Online. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
14. Companies Act 1967, section 171 (secretary), Singapore Statutes Online. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
15. Step 1: Choose a business structure, GoBusiness Singapore. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
16. Step 3: Reserve your business name, GoBusiness Singapore. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
17. Step 4: Register your business, GoBusiness Singapore. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
18. Key regulatory requirements for sole proprietorships/partnership (SP/P), GoBusiness Singapore. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
19. Home-Based Business Scheme, GoBusiness Licensing. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
20. Determine your home business scheme, GoBusiness Licensing. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
21. Home Office Scheme, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
22. Taking up secondary directorship, Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
23. Saving as a self-employed person, CPF Board. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
24. Compulsory and voluntary MediSave contributions, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
25. Filing responsibilities of self-employed individuals including individual partners, IRAS. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
26. Filing a paper Income Tax Return, IRAS. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
27. Keeping proper records and accounts, IRAS. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
28. Corporate Income Tax Rate, Rebates & Tax Exemption Schemes, IRAS. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
29. Basic Guide to Corporate Income Tax for Companies, IRAS. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
30. Singapore: Corporate - Taxes on corporate income, PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
31. What You Need to Know for Import of Food for Commercial Sale, Singapore Food Agency (SFA). Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
32. Submit notification and re-notification (cosmetic products), Health Sciences Authority (HSA). Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
33. Requirements when using Shopify Payments for Singapore, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.
34. Adding business settings for your store, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 3 Oct 2026.