Setting up a Sdn Bhd carries one fixed statutory cost: RM1,000 paid to SSM for the incorporation application under section 14 of the Companies Act 2016. Everything else at setup — the company secretary, the registered office, the accounting — is a professional fee set by the market, not by SSM's fee schedule. From year two the recurring SSM minimum is RM150 for the annual return plus RM20 or RM50 to lodge financial statements.
Key takeaways
- SSM's published Table of Fees puts incorporation of a company limited by shares at RM1,000, and reservation of a name at RM50 for every thirty days, to a maximum of 180 days.
- The recurring SSM fees for a private company are RM150 to lodge the annual return and RM50 (audited) or RM20 (non-audited) to lodge financial statements.
- A Sdn Bhd lodges no annual return in the calendar year it was incorporated — section 68(2) — so year one and year two do not cost the same.
- SSM's Table of Fees prices statutory lodgement only — it sets no professional fee for a company secretary, accountant or auditor.
- The Companies Act 2016 prescribes no minimum paid-up capital, and section 74 gives all shares no par or nominal value.
What are the official SSM fees to set up a Sdn Bhd?
SSM's published Table of Fees lists RM1,000 for an application to incorporate a company limited by shares under section 14 of the Companies Act 2016. Reserving a name under section 27 costs RM50 for every thirty days, capped at 180 days. Those two lines cover the SSM side of a standard incorporation, and only the RM1,000 is compulsory; everything else on a quotation is a professional fee.
These are the fees a private company limited by shares actually meets, taken line by line from the SSM Table of Fees for the Registration of Company (ROC).
| SSM fee | Amount (RM) | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Application for incorporation — company limited by shares | 1,000.00 | s.14, CA 2016 |
| Reservation of a company name | 50.00 for every 30 days, max 180 days | s.27, CA 2016 |
| Application for change of name | 100.00 | s.28, CA 2016 |
| Lodgement of annual return — private company | 150.00 | s.68, CA 2016 |
| Lodgement of financial statements — private company, audited | 50.00 | s.259, CA 2016 |
| Lodgement of financial statements — private company, non-audited | 20.00 | s.259, CA 2016 |
Name reservation is worth understanding before you pay for it. Section 27(1) of the Companies Act 2016 makes confirming that a proposed name is available the mandatory step; reservation under section 27(4) is optional, and holds a name while you assemble documents rather than forming part of incorporation itself. If a quotation shows a single incorporation figure, ask which portion is the SSM fee and which portion is the firm's own charge.
What does a Sdn Bhd cost to run each year?
The recurring SSM cost for a private company is small and fixed: RM150 to lodge the annual return under section 68, plus RM50 for audited or RM20 for non-audited financial statements under section 259. The larger recurring costs are professional — the company secretary's retainer, accounting, a tax agent, and an auditor where audit still applies.
Year one and year two are not the same number. Section 68(2) of the Companies Act 2016 disapplies the annual return requirement in the calendar year a company is incorporated, so a Sdn Bhd incorporated in 2026 lodges its first annual return in 2027, within thirty days of its incorporation anniversary. Our guide to the SSM annual return deadline for a Sdn Bhd sets out how that anniversary is counted.
Whether an auditor is a cost at all is a separate question. SSM's Practice Directive 10/2024 sets the qualifying criteria for audit exemption for certain categories of private companies; our article on audit exemption for a Sdn Bhd works through the categories.
How much does a company secretary cost in Malaysia?
SSM's Table of Fees prices statutory lodgement only — it sets no professional fee, so each firm sets its own secretarial rate. What the Act does fix is who may hold the office: section 235 requires a natural person, aged eighteen or above, a Malaysian citizen or permanent resident ordinarily resident in Malaysia, and either a member of a Fourth Schedule body or a person licensed by SSM.
That licensing requirement is why the retainer is not optional. Section 236(2) of the Companies Act 2016 provides that "the appointment of the first secretary shall be made within thirty days from the date of incorporation of a company", and section 235(2) limits the office to a member of a body set out in the Fourth Schedule or a person licensed by the Commission under section 20G of the Companies Commission of Malaysia Act 2001. A director who does not meet those conditions cannot hold the office. See how to appoint a company secretary in Malaysia and whether a company secretary is mandatory for a Sdn Bhd.
This guide therefore quotes no market average; what moves the retainer is scope, not luck. Before comparing quotations, ask any provider to put five things in writing:
- How many directors, shareholders and share classes the fee assumes, and what happens when that changes.
- Whether the annual return and the financial statement lodgement are inside the retainer or billed separately.
- Whether the SSM fees above are passed on at cost as disbursements.
- Whether a registered office address is included, and what it covers beyond the address itself.
- What each ad hoc lodgement costs — a change of director, a share transfer, a certified copy.
Is there a minimum paid-up capital for a Sdn Bhd?
No. The Companies Act 2016 prescribes no minimum paid-up capital for a private company, and section 74 provides that all shares "shall have no par or nominal value". Section 9 requires only that a company limited by shares has one or more shares. Separate licensing and immigration regimes may set their own capital expectations, and those sit outside SSM.
This matters for budgeting because capital is not a fee. Money you put into share capital stays in the company as working capital, while the RM1,000 incorporation fee leaves it permanently. The structure you choose changes the recurring bill more than the capital figure does: compare Sdn Bhd against an LLP (PLT) and Sdn Bhd against a sole proprietorship before deciding, because each carries a different set of statutory filings.
What does getting the filings wrong cost?
Considerably more than the filing fee. Under section 68(9) of the Companies Act 2016, a company and every officer that fails to lodge an annual return commits an offence carrying a fine of up to RM50,000, plus up to RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction. Section 68(8) lets the Registrar strike the company off after three consecutive missed annual returns.
"The company and every officer who contravene this section commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand ringgit and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding one thousand ringgit for each day during which the offence continues after conviction."
That is section 68(9) of the Companies Act 2016, and it is not the only provision of its kind. Section 258(3) applies a fine of up to RM50,000, plus up to RM500 for each day the offence continues, where financial statements are not circulated to members within six months of the financial year end. Section 46(4) applies a fine of up to RM50,000 where a company does not keep a registered office in Malaysia. The full year-on-year picture is mapped in our Companies Act 2016 compliance guide for a Sdn Bhd.
When does each cost actually fall due?
The costs of a Sdn Bhd arrive on a schedule, not in one lump. The SSM incorporation fee is paid at incorporation, the secretary's retainer starts within thirty days of it, financial statement lodgement follows the financial year end, and the first annual return falls thirty days after the first incorporation anniversary.
| When | What falls due | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Before incorporation (optional) | RM50 to reserve the name, per 30 days | s.27; SSM Table of Fees |
| At incorporation | RM1,000 SSM incorporation fee | s.14; SSM Table of Fees |
| Within 30 days of incorporation | First company secretary appointed — the retainer starts | s.236(2), CA 2016 |
| From day one, continuously | Registered office in Malaysia, accessible in ordinary business hours | s.46(1)–(2), CA 2016 |
| Within 6 months of the financial year end | Financial statements circulated to members | s.258(1)(a), CA 2016 |
| Within 30 days of circulation | Financial statements lodged — RM50 audited, RM20 non-audited | s.259(1)(a); SSM Table of Fees |
| 30 days after each incorporation anniversary, from year two | Annual return lodged — RM150 | s.68(1)–(2); SSM Table of Fees |
If you have not incorporated yet, the sequence is set out in our complete guide to Sdn Bhd incorporation. If the company already exists, what to do after incorporating a Sdn Bhd covers the first ninety days in order.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SSM incorporation fee RM1,000 or RM1,010?
SSM's Table of Fees lists RM1,000.00 for an application to incorporate a company limited by shares under section 14 of the Companies Act 2016. If you have seen RM1,010 quoted, that is not the table's figure — that row prices the section 14 application and nothing else. When you compare quotations, ask the provider to show the SSM fee as a separate line from its own service charge.
Do I have to pay RM50 to reserve a company name?
Not necessarily. Section 27(1) makes confirming that a proposed name is available the mandatory step; section 27(4) says a person may apply for the reservation of a name, and section 27(5) holds it for thirty days from lodgement on payment of the prescribed fee. SSM's Table of Fees prices that reservation at RM50 for every thirty days, to a maximum of 180 days.
Does a dormant Sdn Bhd still cost anything?
Yes. A dormant Sdn Bhd still needs a company secretary, a registered office and an annual return, and section 68(2) exempts a company only in the calendar year it was incorporated. Its lodgement fees are the same RM150 and RM20 or RM50, and it may still qualify for audit exemption under Practice Directive 10/2024 — our guide to audit exemption sets out the qualifying categories.
Can I be my own company secretary to save the retainer?
Only if you satisfy section 235 of the Companies Act 2016. The secretary must be a natural person aged eighteen or above, a Malaysian citizen or permanent resident ordinarily resident in Malaysia, and either a member of a body set out in the Fourth Schedule or licensed by SSM under section 20G of the Companies Commission of Malaysia Act 2001. A director who does not meet those conditions cannot hold the office.
Sources
- SSM, Table of Fees — Registration of Company (ROC) — incorporation, name reservation, change of name, annual return and financial statement lodgement fees.
- Companies Act 2016 (Act 777) — sections 9, 14, 27, 46, 68, 74, 235, 236, 258 and 259.
- SSM, Audit Exemption — Practice Directive 10/2024, qualifying criteria for audit exemption for certain private companies.
PT Corporate Services Sdn Bhd is a corporate secretarial firm in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya. This article explains the statutory cost structure and is general information, not legal or tax advice. For a written quotation itemised the way this article recommends, message us on WhatsApp.