Accountants Act 2004 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 7 · Miscellaneous
56. Holding out as public accountant, accounting corporation, accounting firm or accounting LLP, etc.
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2025. 3 amendments in all.
A person who is not registered as a public accountant under this Act must not —
public accountant
“public accountant” means an individual who is registered or deemed to be registered in accordance with this Act as a public accountant;
practise as a public accountant;
hold himself or herself out to be a public accountant; or
use in connection with his or her name or otherwise assume, use, or advertise any title or description tending to convey the impression that he or she is a public accountant registered under this Act, or that he or she is otherwise authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
A public accountant —
whose registration is suspended under Part 5, 5A or 6,(b)[Deleted by Act 24 of 2025 wef 06/05/2026]must not —
practise as a public accountant during the period of his or her suspension;
hold himself or herself out, in respect of the period for which he or she is suspended, to be a public accountant; or
advertise any title or description tending to convey the impression that he or she is, in respect of the period for which he or she is suspended, a public accountant registered under this Act, or that he or she is authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
Subject to subsection (4), a body corporate which is not approved as an accounting corporation under this Act must not —
accounting corporation
“accounting corporation” means a company approved as an accounting corporation under section 17;
provide public accountancy services in Singapore;
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way to be an accounting corporation or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore; or
use in connection with its name, or with the name under which it carries on business, the words “Public Accounting Corporation”, or any abbreviation or derivative thereof, or use at the end of such name the acronym “PAC”, or any combination of such acronym, words, abbreviation or derivative.
An accounting corporation that is suspended from providing public accountancy services under Part 5A or 6, must not —
public accountancy services
“public accountancy services” means the audit and reporting on financial statements and the doing of any other acts that are required by any written law to be done by a public accountant;
provide public accountancy services in Singapore during the period of its suspension;
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way, in respect of the period for which it is suspended, to be an accounting corporation or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore; or
use in connection with its name or with the name under which it carries on business, in respect of the period for which it is suspended —
the words “Public Accounting Corporation” or any abbreviation or derivative of those words;
the acronym “PAC” at the end of its name; or
any combination of the following:
the words mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i);
any abbreviation or derivative of the words mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i); (C)the acronym mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii).
A partnership or any other unincorporated body which is not approved as an accounting firm under this Act must not —
accounting firm
“accounting firm” means a firm approved as an accounting firm under section 18;
provide public accountancy services in Singapore; or
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way to be an accounting firm or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
An accounting firm that is suspended from providing public accountancy services under Part 5A or 6, must not —
provide public accountancy services in Singapore during the period of its suspension; or
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way, in respect of the period for which it is suspended, to be an accounting firm or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
A limited liability partnership which is not approved as an accounting LLP under this Act must not —
limited liability partnership
“limited liability partnership” has the meaning given by section 4(1) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005;
provide public accountancy services in Singapore; or
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way to be an accounting LLP or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
An accounting LLP that is suspended from providing public accountancy services under Part 5A or 6, must not —
accounting LLP
“accounting limited liability partnership” or “accounting LLP” means a limited liability partnership approved as an accounting limited liability partnership under section 18A;
provide public accountancy services in Singapore during the period of its suspension; or
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way, in respect of the period for which it is suspended, to be an accounting LLP or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
The Authority may exempt any person from all or any of the provisions of subsection (1), (1A), (2), (2A), (3), (3A), (4) or (4A).
Any person who contravenes subsection (1), (1A), (2), (2A), (3), (3A), (4) or (4A) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.