When must financial statements and the annual return be lodged with SSM?
A private company lodges its financial statements with SSM within 30 days after circulating them to members; a public company within 30 days of its AGM. The annual return is a separate filing, due within 30 days after the incorporation anniversary. Late filing is an offence.
Two different SSM filings are often confused:
1. Financial statements (section 259)
- Private company: within 30 days after the financial statements and reports are circulated to members
- That means about seven months after year end at most (six months to circulate, plus 30 days)
- Public company: within 30 days from its annual general meeting
- Amounts are quoted in Malaysian currency, and statements in another language need a certified translation
2. Annual return (section 68)
- Due not later than 30 days from the anniversary of the date of incorporation
- It is based on the incorporation date, not the financial year end
- It does not apply in the calendar year in which the company is incorporated
Penalties. Every officer who contravenes section 259 commits an offence, with a fine of up to RM50,000 and, for a continuing offence, a further fine of up to RM1,000 for each day after conviction. Section 68 carries the same maximum for the company and every officer. SSM operates an e-Compound service for compounding some offences; check SSM's current notices for amounts.
If a company fails to lodge an annual return for three or more consecutive years, the Registrar may strike it off the register (section 68(8)).
A timeline for all yearly filings across SSM and LHDN is in the compliance timeline answers of this knowledge base.
Set reminders for both dates, and note that the circulation date is the day you actually send the statements, so keep proof of dispatch.
Legal basis
- Companies Act 2016, s.259
- Companies Act 2016, s.68
Sources
Applies to 2026 · Last reviewed 29 October 2026
General information for business owners, not legal, tax or professional advice. Rules change, so check the sources or ask a licensed professional before you act.
Related questions
- What is the deadline to send financial statements to members?A private company must circulate its financial statements to members within six months after its financial year end. A public company must circulate them at least 21 days before its annual general meeting, which must be held within six months of year end. Late circulation is an offence with a fine of up to RM50,000.
- How long must a Malaysian company keep its accounting records?A company must keep accounting records for seven years after the transactions they record were completed. For tax, documents must be kept for seven years from the end of the relevant year of assessment. Use whichever period ends later.
- How soon must transactions be recorded in the books?Under section 245 of the Companies Act 2016, entries must be made in the accounting records within 60 days after the transaction is completed. Leaving the books for a full year-end rush is therefore not compliant.
- How do I choose my company's financial year end?You choose it, usually when you incorporate, and it is not fixed to 31 December. Pick a date that suits your business cycle and your accountant's workload; every later deadline for financial statements and filings is counted from it.
- Can a company change its financial year end, and how?Yes. The Companies Act 2016 does not state a maximum length for a financial year or how often it can change. But a new year end that pushes the circulation or lodgement date later needs an extension of time from SSM, applied for before the original deadline. A subsidiary's year end must also stay in line with its Malaysian holding company's.