Individuals (residents and non-resident), whether citizens or noncitizens, are liable to income tax in respect of income accruing in or derived from Singapore.

For a partner in a partnership in Singapore, foreign sourced income can be exempt from tax if certain conditions are met. Other foreign sourced income received by an individual in Singapore from outside the country is exempt from tax.

Taxable income includes

  • profits from trade, business or profession
  • earnings from employment in Singapore
  • dividends, interest or discounts
  • pensions, charges or annuities
  • rent, royalties, premiums and other profits arising from property
  • any gains or profits of an income nature not covered by the above.
     
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Residence

An individual is treated as a resident for Singapore tax purposes if he normally resides in Singapore except for temporary absences; or if he is physically present or exercises an employment in Singapore (other than as a director of a company) for 183 days or more in a calendar year.

 

Income tax rates applicable to resident individuals from YA2024

Chargeable income (SGD) Tax rate (%) Tax payable (SGD)
On the first
20,000
0
0
On the next
10,000
2
200
On the next
10,000
3.5
350
On the next
40,000
7
2,800
On the next
40,000
11.5
4,600
On the next
40,000
15
6,000
On the next
40,000
18
7,200
On the next
40,000
19
7,600
On the next
40,000
19.5
7,800
On the next
40,000
20
8,000
On the next
180,000
22
39,600
On the next
500,000
23
115,000
In excess of
1,000,000
24

 

Personal reliefs for resident individuals

The total personal income tax relief that individuals can claim is capped at $80,000.

Earned Income Standard (max) Handicapped (max)
Below 55 years old
$1,000
$4,000
55 to 59
$6,000
$10,000
60 and above
$8,000
$12,000
Spouse relief
$2,000
$5,500
Qualifying child relief (per child)
$4,000
$7,500
Other reliefs
CPF Relief for Self-Employed
Capped at $37,740 or 37% of assessable trade income whichever is lower
CPF Cash Top-up Relief (self, spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent)
$7,000 (max for YA2023)
$8,000 (max for YA2024)
Course Fee Relief
$5,500 (max)
CPF Relief for Employees
$20,400 (max)
Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Relief
$10,800 (normal max) / $1,440 (concessionary max) 
Life Insurance Relief
$5,000 (max)
Supplementary retirement scheme
Foreigners
$35,700 (max)
Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents
$15,300 (max)
Working Mother’s Child Relief (WMCR) % of mother’s earned income
First child
15%
Second child
20%
Third child and beyond
25%
Maximum cumulative WMCR
100%
Maximum relief per child inclusive of child/handicapped child relief
$50,000

 

WMCR will be changed from a percentage of an eligible working mother’s annual income to a fixed dollar tax relief from YA2025.

NSman Non-key appointment holder Key appointment holder
Active NSman
$3,000
$5,000
Non-active NSman
$1,500
$3,500
Wife/widow/parent of NSman
$750
$750
Family based reliefs Standard (max) Handicapped (max)
Parent not living in the same household
$5,500
$10,000
Parent living in the same household
$9,000
$14,000
Grandparent caregiver relief
$3,000
Dependent handicapped sibling relief
$5,500

 

Non-resident individuals (employees only)

  • Income from an employment exercised in Singapore which do not exceed 60 days in aggregate in a calendar year is exempt from tax. This does not apply to professional entertainers, individuals exercising a profession and non-resident directors of Singapore resident companies
  • Income from an employment exercised in Singapore for more than 60 days by an employee who does not become tax resident in Singapore in that tax year is taxed at 15% or the tax that would be payable by a tax resident on the same emoluments, whichever is higher
  • Non-resident individuals spending between 61 and 182 days and are tax resident in a country which has a double taxation agreement with Singapore may also be able to claim exemption or relief under the double taxation agreement if certain conditions are met
  • Non-resident directors of Singapore resident companies who are here for less than an aggregate period of 183 days in a calendar year are assessable to tax at a flat rate of 24% on any director’s remuneration received. The payor has an obligation to withhold this tax at source
  • Interest income from deposits in approved banks in Singapore is not taxable. As noted above, interest income received in Singapore from outside Singapore is tax exempt if received directly by the individual

An employee can be treated (by concession) as tax resident from the day he arrives in Singapore to take up employment, even where the period spent in the calendar year of arrival is less than 183 days, provided that first period forms part of a continuous employment period of at least 183 days which straddles into the next calendar year. 

Non-resident individuals are not entitled to any personal reliefs.

 

Withholding tax rates applicable to non-resident individuals

Taxpayer Tax rate
Non-resident employee (excluding non-executive directors)
15% or resident rates, whichever is higher
Non-resident partner, non-executive director, sole 
proprietor, professional
15% gross / 24% net income
Non-resident public entertainer/athlete
15%

Tax filings and due dates

For employment income and other taxable income, the basis year is the prior calendar year. ie for YA 2024, this would report calendar year 2023 residence status, calendar year 2023 employment earnings and any selfemployment income for the basis year ended in calendar year 2023.

The statutory deadline for filing an employee’s individual tax return is 15 April (if paper filing) or 18 April (if e-filing) of the year following the YA. This can be extended to 30 June if a bulk extension is applied for by a tax agent, and is approved by the IRAS.

Tax assessed has to be paid within a month from the date of the Notice of Assessment, unless the taxpayer has applied for and is allowed to pay by installment through GIRO.

For individuals who file late, the IRAS may issue an estimated Notice of Assessment, require you to pay a composition amount of up to $5,000 or summon you to court.

A late payment penalty of five percent of the tax due is applicable if the tax is not paid by the due date. An additional one percent is added for every subsequent month that the tax remains unpaid, up to a maximum of 12% of the unpaid tax.

An individual is also likely to be prevented from leaving Singapore until outstanding taxes have been settled. The IRAS may also appoint agents to collect the tax (e.g. bank, employer etc) or take legal action against the individual. This list is not exhaustive.

Area Representatives

An Area Representative is usually an employee of a foreign enterprise who operates from a base in Singapore (e.g. a Representative Office). Such an employee is normally required to perform his duties on a regional basis and is based in Singapore for convenience and whose costs are not directly or indirectly charged to a permanent establishment in Singapore. The tax liability of such an employee is, generally, computed on the basis of time spent in Singapore.

For YA2024 onwards, individuals must primarily perform their duties outside of Singapore.

Not Ordinarily Resident Taxpayer (NOR) Scheme

This scheme was available to individuals who are not ordinarily resident in Singapore and who have an annual Singapore employment income of at least $160,000. The Not Ordinarily Resident Taxpayer (NOR) scheme lapsed in YA 2020. 

Employees who arrived to take up employment in Singapore in 2019 are the last batch that could qualify for the scheme. The last NOR status for these individuals is for the five years from YA 2020 to YA 2024 inclusive, if they qualified for the scheme. 

The only similar relief available is the Area Representative Scheme. Therefore, individuals now working in Singapore who travel overseas for work will be fully taxed on income that is related to their overseas workdays under domestic Singapore tax legislation, where these duties are incidental to their Singapore employment. 

Where the overseas country that they travel to also wishes to tax the individual, tax relief under a double taxation agreement or under the unilateral foreign tax credit rules can be considered.

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