Sdn Bhd accounting requirements in Malaysia: record transactions within 60 days and keep records 7 years, lodge the annual return within 30 days of the incorporation anniversary, circulate financial statements within 6 months of year-end and lodge them within 30 days after, file Form C within 7 months, and pay payroll deductions and CP204 instalments by the 15th.
- Your financial year end drives most deadlines: financial statements within 6 months, Form C within 7 months.
- The annual return follows your incorporation anniversary, not your year end, and is due even when dormant.
- EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB and CP204 instalments are all due by the 15th of each month.
- Audit-exempt companies still prepare, circulate and lodge financial statements with SSM.
- One clean, reconciled set of monthly books feeds every filing: SSM, LHDN, payroll, SST and e-Invoice.
What does a Sdn Bhd have to do every year?
A Sdn Bhd has a fixed cycle of duties to SSM and LHDN, plus monthly ones if it has staff, is registered for SST or issues e-Invoices. Most deadlines run from your financial year end (FYE); the annual return runs from your incorporation date. The calendar below follows an example company with FYE 31 December, incorporated on 15 March, through 2026, the year in which its FY2025 accounts and tax are finalised:
| When (FYE 31 December example) | What is due | Goes to |
|---|---|---|
| All year, within 60 days of each transaction | Record each transaction in the books; keep records for 7 years | Your own records |
| Every month, by the 15th | EPF, SOCSO, EIS and PCB for last month's wages; CP204 instalment | KWSP, PERKESO, LHDN |
| Every month, within 7 days after month end | Consolidated e-Invoice, if you e-invoice and consolidate | MyInvois |
| Every two months, if SST-registered | SST-02 return, by the end of the following month | JKDM (MySST) |
| End of February | Form EA to every employee | Employees |
| 31 March | Form E | LHDN |
| Within 30 days of the 15 March anniversary | Annual return | SSM |
| June, September, November | CP204A revision, if needed | LHDN |
| By 30 June | FY2025 financial statements (audited, or unaudited if exempt) circulated to members | Shareholders |
| Within 30 days after circulation | Financial statements lodged | SSM |
| 31 July (31 August with the e-filing grace) | Form C for FY2025 | LHDN (MyTax) |
| Early December | CP204 estimate for 2027, at least 30 days before the year starts | LHDN |
If your year ends on another date, shift the FYE-based rows by the same number of months. The sections below explain each item briefly and link to the detailed guide.
How must a Sdn Bhd keep its books and records?
Record each transaction within 60 days of it being completed and keep the records for seven years. The Companies Act 2016 (section 245) requires records that explain the company's transactions and financial position, and the Income Tax Act 1967 (section 82) requires them to be kept in English or Bahasa Malaysia; electronic records are fine if you can produce them on request.
In practice this is a monthly routine: record sales and purchases, reconcile every bank account, chase missing documents and review who owes you and whom you owe. A proper close each month makes the yearly deadlines easy, and a fuller close at year-end prepares the books for the accountant. See our guides to keeping business records for 7 years, the month-end closing checklist and the year-end closing checklist.
What must you file with SSM, and does the company need an audit?
Each year you lodge two separate things with SSM: the annual return and the financial statements. They are often confused, but their deadlines and contents differ.
- Annual return: confirms the company's details on SSM's records and is lodged within 30 days from each anniversary of incorporation, even if the company is dormant.
- Financial statements: circulated to members within 6 months of the FYE, then lodged with SSM within 30 days after circulation.
Every company must appoint an auditor each year unless it is exempt. Under SSM's Practice Directive 10/2024, a private company may elect audit exemption if it meets at least two of three limits for the current and the two previous financial years: for years starting in 2026, revenue up to RM2 million, total assets up to RM2 million and up to 20 employees (RM3 million, RM3 million and 30 from 2027). An exempt company still lodges unaudited statements with a directors' report and a certificate of compliance. The full test is in our audit exemption guide.
Every company also needs at least one company secretary, licensed by SSM or a member of a prescribed body, appointed within 30 days of incorporation. A company that has stopped trading keeps most of these duties; see dormant company obligations.
What are the LHDN tax deadlines for a Sdn Bhd?
Form C is due within 7 months after the FYE, and the CP204 tax estimate is due before each financial year starts.
- Form C: the company tax return, filed electronically (e-C via MyTax). LHDN normally allows one extra month for e-filing, so for FYE 31 December 2025 the return is due by the end of July 2026, or the end of August 2026 with the grace period. Dormant companies file too.
- CP204: an estimate of the year's tax, submitted at least 30 days before the basis period begins (a new company: within 3 months of starting operations) and paid in monthly instalments by the 15th. It can be revised with CP204A in the 6th, 9th and 11th months.
Late or non-filing of Form C can lead to a fine of RM200 to RM20,000 (section 112), and tax paid late is increased by 10%. New SMEs with paid-up capital of RM2.5 million or less are exempt from CP204 estimates for their first two years of assessment. See our guides to Form C deadlines and penalties, CP204 tax estimates and SME corporate tax rates.
What are the payroll deadlines for employers?
EPF, SOCSO, EIS and PCB for each month's wages are due by the 15th of the following month, which makes payroll the most frequent deadline for most companies.
Two yearly dates follow: give every employee Form EA by the end of February, and file Form E with LHDN by 31 March. The minimum wage is RM1,700 a month for all employers from 1 August 2025. Rates, wage ceilings and common mistakes are covered in our EPF, SOCSO, EIS and PCB guide for employers.
Do SST and e-Invoice apply to your company?
Only if you are registered or not exempt, but when they apply they bring monthly or two-monthly deadlines.
- Service tax: most taxable services must register once taxable services reach RM500,000 in 12 months (some categories differ). A registered company files SST-02 every two months, by the end of the month after each taxable period. Confirm your category, rate and threshold on JKDM's MySST portal, and see our SST registration guide.
- e-Invoice: as of October 2026, businesses with annual turnover below RM3 million are exempt (effective 1 September 2026), unless a related-company exclusion applies. Others issue e-Invoices through MyInvois; where buyers do not need an individual e-Invoice, a consolidated e-Invoice is submitted within 7 calendar days after month end. See our guides to the RM3 million e-Invoice exemption and consolidated e-Invoices.
Example: what does one company's compliance year look like?
Example: a Klang Valley trading Sdn Bhd incorporated on 15 March 2015, FYE 31 December, with revenue of about RM2.6 million, total assets of about RM1.4 million and 14 staff in each recent year, not registered for SST. Its 2026 looks like this:
- Monthly: payroll contributions and PCB by the 15th, plus a CP204 instalment. On a 2026 estimate of RM54,000, that is RM4,500 a month over 12 instalments.
- February and March: Form EA to staff, Form E by 31 March, and the annual return within 30 days of 15 March.
- By 30 June: its FY2025 began in 2025, so the Phase 1 limits apply (RM1 million, RM1 million, 10 employees). It fails all three, so the statements are audited, circulated and then lodged within 30 days.
- By 31 July: Form C for FY2025, or 31 August with the e-filing grace.
- Looking ahead: for FY2026 the Phase 2 limits apply. It meets two (total assets and staff), and its 2024 and 2025 figures were similar, so it may elect audit exemption for the 2026 accounts.
- e-Invoice: with turnover under RM3 million and no related-company exclusion, it is exempt from 1 September 2026 and can issue normal invoices instead.
- Early December: CP204 for 2027, at least 30 days before 1 January 2027.
Paying a RM4,500 instalment late adds 10%, or RM450, to it. That is why the CP204 estimate should come from up-to-date management accounts rather than last year's guess.
Who handles each part of the calendar?
Several professionals share the work, and each needs the same thing from you: one clean, reconciled set of books.
| Role | Main jobs in the calendar |
|---|---|
| Directors | Make sure records are kept and deadlines are met; approve the financial statements |
| Bookkeeper | Monthly records, bank reconciliations, receivables and payables, management reports |
| Accountant | Year-end adjustments and financial statements under MPERS or MFRS |
| Auditor | Independent audit of the financial statements, unless the company is audit-exempt |
| Tax agent | Tax computation, Form C and CP204 submissions; use a licensed tax agent |
| Company secretary | Annual return, SSM lodgements, resolutions and statutory registers |
Our guide to the difference between an accountant, auditor, tax agent and company secretary explains when you need each one.
How WeCount helps
WeCount runs the monthly part of this calendar: bookkeeping, bank reconciliations, receivables and payables tracking, management reports and LHDN e-Invoice support, so the figures behind each deadline are ready early. At year-end we hand a clean, documented set of books to your accountant, auditor, tax agent and company secretary. WeCount is not a tax agent, auditor or company secretary; regulated audit, tax-agent and professional accountancy services are delivered through appropriately authorised partners where required. Explore our services and monthly packages.
Frequently asked questions
Is the annual return the same as the financial statements?
No. The annual return is lodged with SSM within 30 days of each incorporation anniversary and confirms the company's details. The financial statements report the year's results; they are circulated to members within 6 months of the financial year end and lodged with SSM within 30 days after circulation.
Does a dormant Sdn Bhd still have to file anything?
Yes. A dormant company still lodges its annual return, prepares and lodges financial statements (it may qualify for audit exemption), files Form C every year even with nil income, keeps its records and keeps a company secretary. Dormancy reduces the work but does not remove the calendar.
When is Form C due if my financial year ends on 30 June?
Within 7 months after the year end, so a 30 June 2026 year end gives a due date of 31 January 2027. LHDN normally allows one extra month for e-filing, to 28 February 2027. Line up your tax agent once the accounts are closed, well before then.
What happens if a Sdn Bhd misses the Form C deadline?
Late or non-filing can lead to a fine of RM200 to RM20,000, imprisonment of up to 6 months, or both under section 112 of the Income Tax Act. If the company is not prosecuted, a penalty of up to three times the tax payable can apply instead. Tax paid late is increased by 10%.
What should a newly incorporated Sdn Bhd do first?
Appoint a company secretary within 30 days of incorporation, start the books and record transactions within 60 days, and diarise the first annual return after the first anniversary. A new company submits its CP204 estimate within 3 months of starting operations, although new SMEs with paid-up capital up to RM2.5 million are exempt for their first two years of assessment.
Official sources
This guide is general information for Malaysian businesses as at the date shown. It is not tax, legal or audit advice. LHDN, SSM and JKDM rules change — check the latest official guidance or a licensed tax agent or auditor before acting. Regulated audit, tax-agent and professional accountancy services are delivered through appropriately authorised partners where required.
