24/07/2026
Keeping digitally is essential.
电子收件很重要。
SSM Just Asked My KTP Company for 4 Years Accounts. Yours Could Be Next.
KTP is an accounting firm with 26 years of history.
I am an Approved Auditor and Licensed Tax Agent firm.
Every day, we remind clients,
“Please keep your supporting documents.”
“Please attach the bill to the payment voucher.”
Then one day,
SSM came to inspect our own accounting records under Section 245 of the Companies Act 2016.
They requested four years of accounts.
Trial Balance.
Income Statement.
Balance Sheet.
General Ledger.
Audited financial statements.
They also requested our latest monthly Trial Balances.
We assumed it was a routine inspection.
After all,
We are an accounting firm.
Our accounts are properly maintained.
Our financial statements are audited.
Macam nothing to worry about.
The SSM officer arrived and started reviewing our records.
She selected transactions from the General Ledger.
For every transaction selected, we had to produce the payment voucher, invoice, receipt or bill.
Everything went smoothly.
Until she selected one reimbursed expense from 2019.
The accounting entry was there.
The payment voucher was there.
The reimbursement was properly recorded.
But the supporting bill was missing.
The officer looked at me and asked,
“Where is the bill?”
We searched the file.
Cannot find.
At that moment,
Our 26 years of history did not help.
My Approved Auditor status did not help.
My Licensed Tax Agent licence also did not help.
One missing bill is still one missing bill.
Honestly,
We nearly failed to produce what SSM asked for because of that one document.
The inspection lasted less than three hours.
But when the officer left, that missing bill was still inside my head.
Luckily, my team (account personnel Kim and company secretarial Jasmine)continued searching through our old records.
The next day,
We finally found it.
That experience taught me something.
SSM is not only interested in your beautiful audited financial statements.
They want to know whether every number can be explained and supported.
Under Section 245, accounting entries must generally be recorded within 60 days.
Accounting records must also be retained for at least seven years.
These records include invoices, receipts, bills and payment vouchers.
Many SME bosses believe,
“My accounts have already been audited.”
“So everything should be okay.”
Not necessarily.
An audit does not mean every single transaction and bill has been checked.
During an SSM inspection, the officer may select any transaction.
And somehow,
The transaction selected is always the one document you cannot find.
My advice to every SME boss is simple.
Keep at least seven years of accounting records.
Attach every supporting document to the correct payment voucher.
For staff and director reimbursements, make sure the original bill is included.
Organise your files so that any ledger entry can be traced within one minute.
If you receive a Section 245 inspection notice,
do not panic.
But do not assume it is “just routine” either.
Even an accounting firm with 26 years of history nearly got caught by one missing bill from 2019.
Accounting records.
Don’t play play.
Read the full content in our blog
https://www.ktp.com.my/blog/s245-inspection-from-ssm/24july2026
PS : Authored by Mr Koh Teck Peng, the Group Principal, in his personal LinkedIn Post.
SSM 刚刚跟我的 KTP Company, 要了4年的 Accounts.
下一个, 可能就是你.
KTP 是一家有26年历史的 accounting firm.
我本身是 Approved Auditor, 也是 Licensed Tax Agent.
每天, 我们都会提醒 client.
“请收好你们的 supporting documents.”
“请把 bill attach 在 payment voucher 后面.”
然后有一天,
SSM 根据 Companies Act 2016 的 Section 245,
来检查我们自己的 accounting records.
SSM 要求我们提供4年的 accounts.
Trial Balance.
Income Statement.
Balance Sheet.
General Ledger.
Audited financial statements.
他们还要求我们提供最新几个月的 monthly Trial Balances.
我们以为, 这只是一场 routine inspection.
毕竟,
我们是 accounting firm.
我们的 accounts 都有 properly maintained.
我们的 financial statements 也有经过 audit.
Macam 没有什么好担心的.
SSM officer 到了以后, 就开始检查我们的 records.
她从 General Ledger 里面抽出一些 transactions.
每抽到一笔 transaction, 我们就必须拿出相关的 payment voucher, invoice, receipt 或 bill.
一切都很顺利.
直到她抽到一笔2019年的 reimbursed expense.
Accounting entry 有.
Payment voucher 有.
Reimbursement 也 properly recorded.
Credit card statement 有.
但是, supporting bill 不见了.
Officer 看着我问,
“Bill 在哪里?”
我们翻遍整个 file.
找不到.
那一刻,
我们26年的历史, 帮不到我.
我的 Approved Auditor 身份, 帮不到我.
我的 Licensed Tax Agent licence, 也帮不到我.
少了一张 bill, 就是少了一张 bill.
老实讲,
就因为这一份 document,
我们差一点无法交出 SSM 要的资料.
整场 inspection, 不到3个小时.
但是 officer 离开以后,
那张找不到的 bill,
还是一直卡在我脑里.
幸好, 我的 team (account personnel Kim and company secretarial Jasmine) 继续翻查我们的旧 records.
第二天,
我们终于找到了.
这次的经历,
让我学到一件事.
SSM 不是只对你那份美美的 audited financial statements 有兴趣.
他们要知道, 每一个数字是不是有解释, 背后是不是有 supporting documents.
根据 Section 245, accounting entries 一般必须在60天内 recorded.
Accounting records 也必须保存至少7年.
这些 records 包括 invoices, receipts, bills 和 payment vouchers.
很多 SME Boss 都认为,
“我的 accounts 已经 audit 过了.”
“所以应该没有问题.”
不一定.
Audit 过, 不代表每一笔 transaction 和每一张 bill 都被检查过.
在 SSM inspection 时, officer 可以抽查任何一笔 transaction.
不知道为什么,
她抽中的, 往往就是那一份你找不到的 document.
我给每一位 SME Boss 的建议很简单.
保留至少7年的 accounting records.
把每一份 supporting document, attach 在正确的 payment voucher 后面.
如果是 staff 或 director reimbursement, 记得保留 original bill.
把 files 整理好, 确保任何一笔 ledger entry, 都可以在一分钟内找到 supporting document.
如果你收到 SSM Section 245 inspection notice,
不要 panic.
但是, 也不要以为它“只是 routine”而已.
就连一家有26年历史的 accounting firm,
也差一点被一张2019年不见的 bill 考倒.
Accounting records.
Don’t play play.
完整内容, 请到我们的 blog 阅读.
https://www.ktp.com.my/chineseblog/s245-inspection-from-ssm/24july2026
PS: 本文由 KTP Group Principal, Mr Koh Teck Peng 撰写, 并发布于他的个人 Meta
𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐬
Wisma 𝐊𝐓𝐏, 53 Jalan Molek 1/8, Taman Molek, 81100 Johor Bahru
Wisma 𝐓𝐇𝐊, 41, Jalan Molek 1/8, Taman Molek, 81100 Johor Bahru
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KTP & Company PLT (AF1308) (LLP0002159-LCA)
An approved audit firm and licensed tax firm operating under the KTP group based in Johor Bahru providing audit, tax planning, advisory and compliance services to clients
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THK Management Advisory Sdn Bhd 200401000220 (638723X)
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