Representation Office

[Hex]

Hello,

Wondering if posters with experience in setting up a Representation office could help clarify one point - to get an EP, one needs to be sponsored by a local company if one's firm is not based in SG (which would of course be the case for a regional representation office)...

Question: How did you go about finding a sponsoring local firm?

[Vulcanl]

Hex,

This has been covered here in the past.  Check this out to get you started:

http://www.expatsingapore.com/forum/index.php/topic,54372.15.html

[Hex]

Doesn't seem so - not an ACRA registered business but a representation / representative office, which itself has specific rules...

[Vulcanl]

Hex,

This was your question:

"...Question: How did you go about finding a sponsoring local firm?..."

The answer is: The sponsoring firm (of your EP) has to be set up first.  You can only do that with the help of a local company that will provide you a local director (hence the link I provided earlier).  A representative office is a very limited type of entity.  See this link for details:

http://www.business.gov.sg/EN/StartingUp/ForeignBusinesses/

If it is an EP you seek, it may be better to set up a Private Limited Company instead.

[Hon]

I guess you could travel to and from another country to visit the Rep Office. Not sure about Singapore, but in other countries you are very limited as to what you can do businesswise from a rep office. ie you can't engage in any activities that generate a profit

That said a quick google (cant post the link)  seems to indicate that you can get an EP to run a rep office

[easy]

People can run you all over the place to get answers, but here' it is in a nutshell.

Regardless of what you have it all has to be registered in singapore if you plan to use singapore at all.

If you have a Private Limited Corporation the company obviously has to be incorporated and registered in Singapore. You can do banking and all that as a company, and your company has to file tax seperately.

If you have a rep office it needs to be registered too, although the rules of operation are different.

Many companies in Singapore will help you register a company, and get work permits, etc. Per the rules in Singapore a person that resides in Singapore must be on the 'board' to be a director etc. It doesn't mean they have to be Singaporean, they can be Swedish, just so long as they live in Singapore.

These same firms will act as your 'sponsor' if you use their services. It costs about S$100 to S$200 bucks for the visa part usually.

Some companies offer a package.

[easy2]

I left out one thing... if you work in a rep office you will still be given an EP of some sort.

On a individual level you are still going to have to file your taxes and all that. If you live in Singapore in any way shape or form you have to file personal income tax.

This includes if you personally work for a Rep office or not, regardless of who or which company it is.

If you incorporate with a Pte. Ltd. your company will be required to file taxes too, seperately from yourself. Depending on how much revenues and all that if you go this route before you start set aside several thousand S$ dollars for accountant and other sundry fees.