A Full Guide To Annual Company Maintenance Costs In Malaysia
Before you make the decision to incorporate a company in Malaysia, planning out a concise budget for its yearly maintenance is a crucial first move.
Especially more so if you are a startup, knowing if you can break even or make enough to pay for compliance essentials is important.
Let’s begin.
Sdn Bhd registration costs
Be cautious of parties offering incorporation services at prices lower than the official SSM fee. They often tie you to expensive professional service packages.
The official incorporation fee for a Sdn Bhd company with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) is RM1,010.
But remember, this is the cost if you handle the registration yourself. If you engage a third party, there will be additional service charges.
For example, MISHU charges RM1,499 for company registration, inclusive of the SSM fee.
Professional service costs
A company typically needs four professionals to assist with meeting SSM compliance requirements:
- Company Secretary
- tax agent
- auditor
- accountant
Company Secretary
A Company Secretary’s role is to take charge of your company’s compliance with the Companies Act 2016 with Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM), including:
- advising directors on corporate governance
- monitoring legal and regulatory changes
- managing statutory documents
- filing Annual Submissions
- arranging and attending meetings, and
- representing the company in communications with SSM
As of 2025, MISHU’s Company Secretarial plans range from RM80-RM200 per month or RM960-RM2400 per year.
Tax agent
Upon company incorporation, it is advisable to fix your financial year end and to appoint a tax agent so that he or she can monitor your tax compliance deadlines.
While business owners can handle their own company tax returns, it’s almost always best to let a qualified tax agent perform the tax computation and filing with LHDN.
Typically a startup company would incur between RM1,000-RM1,500 as the tax fee.
Auditor
All companies in Malaysia must have their accounts audited by an approved and qualified auditor.
The general method of determining audit fees is based on either Turnover or Total Assets. Methods used are according to nature of business.
Typically a startup company audit fee for the first year would be between RM1,500 – RM2,500.
Accountant
Financial statements are usually prepared by the accountants before being audited by an auditor.
Typically there are several packages available based on your volume of transactions and needs:
- if you have many transactions per month, a monthly accounting package is best
- if you have a low monthly transaction volume, a quarterly or annual accounting plan might work
Typically a new company spends around RM5,000 a year on an outsourced accounting services.
Summary of annual Sdn Bhd costs
| Category | Details | Estimated Cost (RM) |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration fee | Includes SSM & MISHU fees | RM1,499 |
| Company Secretary | Annual plan | RM960 – RM2,400 |
| Accountant | Annual accounting services | ~RM5,000 |
| Tax Agent | Tax filing services | RM1,000 – RM1,500 |
| Auditor | First-year audit | RM1,500 – RM2,500 |
| TOTAL FIRST-YEAR COST (based on overall estimated range) | RM9,959 – RM12,899 | |
Incorporate a Sdn Bhd with MISHU
Here at MISHU, we have a comprehensive Company Secretary Service that can help you with all compliance needs. In addition, through our network of partners, we can recommend you excellent accountants, tax agents, and auditors who offer SME-friendly rates.