Audit Exemption
Qualification Criteria
Previously, a company is exempted from having its accounts audited if it is an exempt private company with annual revenue of $5 million or less. This approach is being replaced by a new small company concept which will determine exemption from statutory audit. Notably, a company no longer needs to be an exempt private company to be exempted from audit.
A company qualifies as a small company if:
(a) it is a private company in the financial year in question; and
(b) it meets at least 2 of 3 following criteria for immediate past two consecutive financial years:
1. total annual revenue ≤ $10m;
2. total assets ≤ $10m;
3. no. of employees ≤ 50.
For a company which is part of a group:
(a) the company must qualify as a small company; and
For a company which is part of a group:
(b) entire group must be a “small group”
to qualify to the audit exemption.
For a group to be a small group, it must meet at least 2 of the 3 quantitative criteria on a consolidated basis for the immediate past two consecutive financial years.
Where a company has qualified as a small company, it continues to be a small company for subsequent financial years until it is disqualified.
A small company is disqualified if:
(a) it ceases to be a private company at any time during a financial year; or
(b) it does not meet at least 2 of the 3 the quantitative criteria for the immediate past two consecutive financial years.
Where a group has qualified as a small group, it continues to be a small group for subsequent financial years until it does not meet at least 2 of the 3 the quantitative criteria for the immediate past two consecutive financial years.
Transitional Provisions for Existing Companies
An existing company can qualify as a “small company” if it is a private company and meets the quantitative criteria in the first or second FY commencing on or after the date of commencement of the “small company” criteria.
Visit ACRA for more details.
Application of criteria to new companies incorporated on or after 1 Jul 2015
A new company incorporated on or after 1 Jul 2015 can qualify as a “small company” if it is a private company and meets the quantitative criteria in its first or second FY after incorporation.
Visit ACRA for more details.
Application of Qualifying Criteria
Visit ACRA for more details.