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Permit requirements for freelance consulting work?

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rosborn
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Permit requirements for freelance consulting work?

Post by rosborn » Thu, 19 Nov 2009 9:41 am

Has anyone had experience working as freelance consultant?
I plan to try that but I am confused about my permit requirements.

Basically I will try and get contract work from several companies.

I called MOM and they suggested letter of consent from a company - I guess I would set up my own...?..since I hope to work for several.
They mentioned entrepass for entrepreneurs - has anyone done this? My concept isn't innovative and I don't have a business plan for it...do I create one for the sake of it and send it in?

I am currently on a dependent's pass.
Anyone with any suggestions? :???:

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Post by Strong Eagle » Thu, 19 Nov 2009 9:57 am

Read this thread... come back with specific questions. You can do what you want.

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic60398.html

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Post by rosborn » Mon, 23 Nov 2009 9:34 am

Thanks so much. That was quite the post. Sorry for the slow response but I had to find some quite time to get through it all.

To be honest I am still unsure what to do.
I am a director of an LLC. The post says that EPs cannot be directors but that's not true as my husband has both an EP and is a director.
This is a shell company.

I telephoned MOM and they said I would suit an entrepass. My business is to be a business consultant (advising / contracting business and project services to other businesses) and I would normally not create a business plan for it. I can certainly have a crack and whipping one up for the sake of the app. Do you have any experience with the biz plans for this application and how detailed they need to be?

The other idea was to have our she shell company write the LOC but looking at the LOC form it looks very 'serious' and I have doubts the LOC would be approved. Do you have any experience with LOCs being approved / lodged by initially no revenue companies and building a business? As I write this I sense that surely that's how businesses start...?

Anyway, thanks so far and in advance for your thoughts on this SE. Cheers

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Post by Strong Eagle » Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:16 am

Are you here on a dependent's pass or employment pass? If employment pass, what position are you holding? Director only?

It is 99 percent true that an EP cannot be a director. An EP could be a director of the company he is working for.

MOM assumes that if you have an EP you are working for one and only one company; therefore you cannot go register a business and become its director.

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Post by rosborn » Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:48 am

Me: DP & 50% director
Husband: EP and 50% director

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Post by Strong Eagle » Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:34 pm

rosborn wrote:Me: DP & 50% director
Husband: EP and 50% director
Read that post again. As a DP you can register a business or a company The people I know registered a private limited (on a DP), then applied for an LOC to work for the company, which was granted.

After a year or so of profitability, she (and he) applied for and received their own EP for their company.

This will be easier to do than going the Entrepass route which has extensive requirements these days.

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Post by rosborn » Mon, 23 Nov 2009 1:10 pm

Interesting.
One last question. I presume in the case you mention the DP holder was a director of the LLC?

Thanks again and I will read the post again.

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Post by Strong Eagle » Mon, 23 Nov 2009 2:16 pm

rosborn wrote:Interesting.
One last question. I presume in the case you mention the DP holder was a director of the LLC?

Thanks again and I will read the post again.
In both cases the person created a private limited company and was sole director and shareholder. I would not go the route of creating a sole proprietorship business; I cannot point to the specific reference but know that a person who had an sole proprietorship had a much more difficult time getting an EP.

I don't have any direct experience for an LLP, and from ACRA you must have two partners at least. You can, as a DP, be the manager as well. So unless you are going to complicate life with setting up two partners, I'd say the pte ltd is the way to go.

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