Short answer. A company secretary looks after corporate law compliance and SSM filings, while an accountant keeps the financial records and handles reporting and tax. They work from related information but do different jobs. Most Sdn Bhd companies need both, and using one firm that provides both reduces gaps and duplication.
Axecta provides company secretarial service for companies across Malaysia. Talk to our team.
In this article
Quick comparison
| Company secretary | Accountant | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Corporate law compliance | Financial records, reporting and tax |
| Regulator | SSM | LHDN, SSM (for financial statements) |
| Key outputs | Registers, minutes, annual return | Books, financial statements, tax computation |
| Appointment | Required by the Companies Act 2016 | Not a statutory appointment, though an auditor may be |
| Typical question | “Who are our directors on record?” | “What was our profit this year?” |
Statutory roles and filings
The company secretary is a statutory officer. Their work includes the annual return, notices of changes, resolutions and the registers. An accountant is not an officer of the company in the same sense. Their duty is to prepare accurate records and reports under the applicable standards and tax law.
Bookkeeping, financial statements and tax
Need this done for you? Axecta’s company secretarial service team can handle this for your company. See the company secretarial service service.
The accountant records transactions, reconciles accounts, prepares the financial statements and calculates tax. They file the company’s tax return and manage tax payments. See annual return vs financial statements.
Where the two overlap
- Financial statements lodgement. The accountant prepares them, the secretary helps lodge them with SSM.
- Share capital. Changes recorded in the registers by the secretary must appear in the accounts.
- Dividends. The secretary prepares resolutions, the accountant checks the company has distributable profits.
- Directors’ details and loans. Relevant to both statutory records and accounts.
These overlaps are where mismatches arise if different providers don’t talk to each other.
Do you need both?
Almost every operating Sdn Bhd does. The Act requires a secretary. The company also needs accounting records and tax filing. A very small company may use a single provider that offers both services. A larger or more complex one may need separate specialists coordinated by a finance lead.
One-firm advantage
Axecta provides both company secretarial and accounting services. The benefits are practical: one set of client data, one calendar of deadlines, the annual return and financial statements prepared consistently, and one point of contact when something changes. See the full set of services in the compliance checklist and read about what outsourced accounting includes.
The lodging chain between the two roles
Under SSM’s MBRS, the financial statements are prepared in XBRL and uploaded by a maker, then lodged by a lodger who is the company secretary (see SSM’s MBRS page). The accountant produces the numbers; the secretary lodges them. LHDN then uses the same financial statements in the Form C process, due within 7 months after the close of the accounting period (LHDN).
A responsibility matrix
| Task | Secretary | Accountant | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registers and minutes | Lead | Approve | |
| Annual return | Lead | Confirm accuracy | |
| Bookkeeping | Lead | Provide documents | |
| Financial statements | Lodge | Prepare | Approve |
| Form C and CP204 | Lead | Approve | |
| Payroll statutory filings | Lead | Approve |
When one firm helps
Mismatches commonly arise between share capital in the register and in the accounts, between directors’ loans in the accounts and the minutes, and between dates of approval. One firm with both teams reduces those differences.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both?
Usually yes. The secretary handles corporate compliance; the accountant handles books, reporting and tax.
Can an accountant be company secretary?
Only if the individual meets the qualification criteria for a company secretary in the Companies Act 2016.
Who files the annual return?
The company secretary, on behalf of the company.
Who prepares financial statements?
The accountant, with the directors’ approval. Axecta provides both services.
Who lodges the financial statements at SSM?
The company secretary as lodger, using the XBRL file prepared by a maker.
Who files Form C?
The accountant or tax agent, with directors’ approval.
Do I need a tax agent as well?
Many accountants also act on tax. Confirm the scope.
Want both roles under one roof?
Axecta Management Services is a full-suite accounting, company secretarial and consulting firm in Kuala Lumpur, serving companies from SMEs to MNCs.
Ask about a combined package
Keep reading
- What Does a Company Secretary Do in Malaysia?
- Outsourced Accounting Services in Malaysia: What Is Included?
- Annual Return vs Financial Statements: What’s the Difference?
- How Much Does a Company Secretary Cost in Malaysia?
- Can You Change Your Company Secretary?
- Company Secretary Roles & Duties: the full guide
Official sources to check
- Companies Act 2016
- SSM
- LHDN
- Malaysian Institute of Accountants (for accountant context)
This article is general information and not legal, tax or accounting advice for your company. Rates, thresholds, deadlines and procedures change, so confirm current requirements with the sources above or with Axecta.