Who the historical notice addressed
The circular dated 26 February 2018 addressed Singapore financial institutions that were Reporting SGFIs as at 31 December 2017. It refers to the definition in the 2016 CRS Regulations and says more than 500 institutions had registered at the time. Those are historical facts, not a current count or today’s registration cohort.
15 March encouragement, 31 March deadline
Although the heading calls for registration by 15 March 2018, the text identifies 31 March 2018 as the registration deadline. IRAS strongly encouraged the earlier date to leave time for unexpected registration problems. Missing the actual deadline was an offence under the cited regulations. The recommended date must not be relabelled as the statutory deadline.
The quick guide and enquiries
The sidebar directs institutions to check whether registration is required, follow registration instructions and read FAQs in the Quick Guide to CRS Registration. The circular gives the then-current CRS webpage and CRS@iras.gov.sg for enquiries. Its dates apply to the stated 2017 cohort; this historical notice does not set a 2026 or 2027 registration deadline.
Official source
This article independently explains the substantive contents of the official PDF, including the relevant conditions, procedures and annexes. The linked document remains the authoritative source for its original wording, and later changes should be checked separately.
Read the official PDF ↗