New vs Old Company Registration Number in Malaysia

By Axecta Management Services, Kuala Lumpur · Last verified: 29 October 2026

What changed on 11 October 2019

Before October 2019, a Malaysian company’s registration number was a short numeric string followed by a hyphen and a letter, for example the sample “1312525-A” that SSM itself uses in its announcement. Businesses and LLPs had their own old-style numbers too. SSM’s announcement on the new format says that from 11 October 2019 it uses a registration number with 12 characters for companies, businesses and Limited Liability Partnerships. SSM said the new number would appear on all the corporate information it supplies to customers.

The key points on SSM’s page, in plain terms:

• The change covers companies, businesses (sole proprietorships and partnerships) and LLPs.
• During a transition, SSM shows the existing registration number together with the new one.
• The length of the transition “will be announced later”. As at 30 October 2026, the announcement page we checked still carries that wording and does not state an end date. Check SSM’s announcements for any update before relying on the old number for anything formal.
• SSM’s worked example lists a sample company with the new number 201901000005 beside the old number 1312525-A.

SSM’s e-Info page confirms that its Company Profile includes the company registration number and check digit.

The practical result is that one entity can have two numbers on record, and each identifies the same legal person.

New vs old at a glance

Reading the 12 digits

SSM’s announcement page does not explain what each digit means. Third-party explainers say the first four digits are the year of registration, followed by a two-digit entity code and a six-digit running number. SSM’s own example, 201901000005, is consistent with the first part (it starts with 2019 and the old number was registered before then), but because SSM does not publish the breakdown on that page, treat the digit-by-digit meaning as indicative. Do not try to guess one number from another, and remember the TIN is a separate LHDN number (see LHDN’s TIN information and the MyInvois SDK FAQ). The only reliable way to get the new number for an old entity is to look up the record. The example also shows why: the new number of a company registered long ago need not look anything like its old one.

How the law refers to the number

The Companies Act 2016.pdf) does not prescribe a format. Section 15 says the Registrar assigns “a registration number” to the company, section 18(1) refers to the name and registration number in the principal register, and section 30 requires the company to display and disclose its registered name and company registration number on specified documents, with the Registrar determining the manner (s30(3)). The Act therefore follows whatever number SSM currently assigns, which is why the legal duty to show the number now means showing the 12-character one.

Which number to use where

The e-invoice row matters most for tax. LHDN’s e-Invoice Guideline lists Supplier’s and Buyer’s registration or identification number as required fields. For a business, the field is the BRN, defined as the official registration number issued by the relevant body; for taxpayers registered with SSM, the guideline says they are required to input only the new BRN, which is 12 characters. Taxpayers without a BRN may be assigned any identification number by LHDN as it deems appropriate. The guideline version we checked was 4.8, published on 30 August 2026.

Updating your business: a practical checklist

1. Pull a current company profile from an SSM portal and note the new number, the old number and the exact legal name.
2. Update the master record in your accounting software, including the customer and supplier master files.
3. Update templates: invoice, quotation, delivery order, purchase order, letterhead, email signature and website footer.
4. Update third-party profiles: bank, payment gateway, marketplace seller accounts, vendor portals and customs or licence accounts.
5. Update e-invoice settings: the supplier registration number in your MyInvois integration or software. See prepare accounting records for e-invoice.
6. Check legacy documents: leases, loan agreements, insurance schedules. You do not have to re-paper them, but you can add a one-line note of the new number.
7. Brief staff: the person who keys customer details should know to ask for the 12-digit number. New companies can build this into their post-incorporation checklist.

Customers’ and suppliers’ numbers

Your own number is only half the work. For each customer and supplier, record the current 12-digit number. If a counterparty sends you only the old format, ask for a copy of its certificate or search SSM’s records to find the new one. Do not infer it. For e-invoices, a mismatch between the registration number you enter for a buyer and what LHDN holds for that buyer’s TIN is a common reason for validation problems; see common e-invoice mistakes for SMEs.

What this means for different entities

Sdn Bhd and Bhd: your Certificate of Incorporation or notice of registration shows the number, and SSM’s company profile shows both numbers. Use the current one in everything the company issues.

Sole proprietors and partnerships: your business certificate under the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 carries a registration number, and SSM’s announcement says the 12-character format applies to businesses too. Section 11A of that Act (see SSM’s Registration of Businesses Act text) requires the certificate to be exhibited at the principal place of business. If your displayed certificate carries the old format, check your current Business Profile for the new number, and use it for e-invoices.

LLPs: the 12-character number also applies. Confirm it from the LLP’s records before submitting it to a bank or in e-invoices.

Foreign-owned companies: overseas head offices often hold old scans. Send them a fresh company profile so their vendor, tax and banking records use the right number. A foreign company registered in Malaysia has a “company number” allocated on registration under section 565(3) of the Act, which is not the number of its Malaysian subsidiary.

A realistic scenario (illustrative)

A 15-year-old manufacturing company has used the same invoice template since before 2019. The template shows the old-style number. When the company starts issuing e-invoices, its finance team sets up the supplier details in the e-invoicing software using the number from the template, and the first test submissions fail because the registration number does not match what LHDN holds. The finance manager buys a company profile, finds the 12-digit number alongside the old one, corrects the software settings and the template, and tells the bank and two marketplace platforms. One lookup resolves the problem. The company, template and figures are made up for illustration.

Common mistakes

• Entering the old number in e-invoices. LHDN tells SSM-registered taxpayers to enter only the new number.
• Assuming the old number is “cancelled”. SSM’s announcement does not say that. It says the two are shown together during the transition.
• Assuming the old number is required forever. The transition has no stated end date; follow SSM’s announcements.
• Guessing the new number from the old. There is no stated conversion formula on SSM’s page.
• Mixing formats within one document. Pick the current one for new documents.
• Updating the template but not the systems. Bank, accounting and e-invoice settings are separate.
• Forgetting to re-check after a name change. Company names change under sections 28 and 29 of the Act; the number does not, but your documents must still show the current name. Under section 30(4) the former name must appear beneath the new name for at least twelve months from the change.

How Axecta helps

Axecta’s company secretarial service can obtain your current company profile, confirm both numbers and prepare a one-page “identity sheet” with legal name, number, registered address, directors and TIN for your finance team. If bank forms are being rejected because of a mismatch, our guide to corporate bank account application problems explains what banks look for.

Next steps

1. Obtain a current company profile and write down the 12-digit number.
2. Update templates, software and third-party accounts.
3. Collect 12-digit numbers for your top customers and suppliers.
4. Review the SSM announcement periodically for any enforcement date on a single format.
5. Next read where your SSM number is used.

Frequently asked questions