Tax rates in Singapore

Company Tax

17% (with a 75% exemption of the first SGD 10,000 and a 50% exemption of the next SGD 190,000, for a total exempt income of SGD 102,500)

Tax Rate For Foreign Companies

Both resident and non-resident companies that carry on a business in Singapore are taxed on their Singapore-sourced income when it arises and on foreign-sourced income when it is remitted or deemed remitted to Singapore. Non-residents are subject to withholding tax on certain types of income (e.g. interest, royalties, technical service fees, rental of movable property) where these are deemed to arise in Singapore.

Capital Gains Taxation

Singapore does not tax capital gains. Gains derived by a company from the disposal of ordinary shares that take place between 1 June 2012 and 31 December 2027 will not be taxed if the company has held at least 20% of the ordinary shares in the investee company for a continuous period of at least 24 months before the disposal (the exemption does not apply to insurance companies or disposal of shares in certain companies that trade or hold immovable properties).

Main Allowable Deductions and Tax Credits

Expenses may be deducted if they are of a revenue nature and are incurred wholly and exclusively to produce income.
Bad trade debts and provisions for trade debts are deductible to the extent that they are incurred in the business and previously included as trading receipts. Doubtful debts are deductible if they are properly estimated and specific, whereas general provisions for bad debts are not deductible.

The first SGD 100,000 of qualifying expenditure incurred to register qualifying IP and the first SGD 100,000 of expenditure incurred to license qualifying IP are subject to an enhanced tax deduction of 200% for tax years 2019 to 2025, whereas for R&D expenses carried out in Singapore, the enhanced tax deduction stands at 250% (100% if carried out overseas). Interest incurred on capital employed in the production of income will be allowed as a tax deduction. From 2024 to 2028, there is an increased tax deduction of 400% for the initial SGD 400,000 spent on eligible IP registration expenses. Businesses with revenue under SGD 500 million for the given year can also benefit from a 400% deduction on the first SGD 400,000 spent to license or acquire IP. Similarly, for the years of assessment 2024 to 2028, an enhanced tax deduction of 400% for the first SGD 400,000 of qualifying R&D expenditure is available.

The tax deduction for medical expenses is limited to 1% of total payroll, unless the employer provides for certain portable medical insurance or benefit schemes (in such cases, the limit goes up to 2% of total payroll).
Donations are deductible only if they are made in cash or another prescribed form and to an approved recipient. The deduction allowed for qualifying donations is generally 250% of the value of the donation. Companies whose employees are assigned to volunteer and provide services to approved charitable institutions from 1 July 2016 to 31 December 2023 are allowed to deduct 250% of the wages and incidental expenses incurred.

Tax losses can be carried forward indefinitely, provided that the company passes the shareholding test (i.e. shareholdings in the company have not changed beyond 50% of the total number of issued shares). Tax losses and tax depreciation can be carried back up to one year, capped at SGD 100,000 and subject to the shareholding test.

Various tax exemptions and incentive schemes exist to encourage investment and trading in the country. For an extensive list, visit the website of the Inland Revenue Authority.

Other Corporate Taxes

A property tax is levied at the following rates: 0% to 23 for residential property occupied by its owner ( 0% to 32% from 1 January 2024), 11-27% for residential property not occupied by its owner (12% to 36% from 1 January 2024), 10% for non-residential property.
The employer's contribution to the social security fund is 17% of the gross salary (capped at SGD 6,000 per month). Employers are liable to pay for each foreign employee hired ("Foreign Worker Levy"), with rates varying according to the industry and the ratio of foreign/local workers. A training levy for each employee is levied at a rate of 0.25% on the first SGD 4,500 of gross monthly remuneration (with a minimum of SGD 2).
A buyer’s stamp duty (BSD) of up to 5% is payable on acquisitions of residential properties (up to 6% for non-residential properties). An additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) is payable by certain individuals and entities that purchase or acquire residential property, with rates ranging between 5% and 40%. A seller’s stamp duty of up to 15% and 12% for industrial and residential property may also apply.
Leases above SGD 1,000/year are subject to a duty of 0.4% of the total rent (for leases of up to four years) or 0.4% of four times the average annual rent for the period of the lease (for leases longer than four years). Instruments affecting the transfer of stocks and shares are subject to a stamp duty of 0.2% on the higher of the purchase price or the market value of the shares.

Consult the "Other Taxes" section on the IRAS website for more details.

Other Domestic Resources

Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore

Tax Rate

Allowable Deductions and Tax Credits

Employment expenses wholly and exclusively incurred in the production of the income are tax-deductible.

Life insurance premiums are deductible up to a maximum of SGD 5,000 (subject to conditions). A 250% deduction is granted for qualified donations to approved charities and foundations.

Interest expenses may be deductible when incurred wholly and exclusively in the production of taxable income. Mortgage interest is, therefore, deductible only where the property concerned yields income.
No deductions are allowed for medical expenses or for any other personal or household expenditure.

Singapore citizens and permanent residents are allowed deductions against their taxable income for contributions made to the Central Provident Fund or an approved pension/provident fund but subject to certain limits. For a self-employed individual, the deduction for contributions made for each year of assessment is restricted to the lower of SGD 37,740 and the CPF contribution rate of 37% is applied to the individual's assessable business income. A deduction for SRS contributions of up to SGD 15,300 (for Singapore citizens and permanent residents) and up to SGD 35,700 (for foreigners) can be claimed against the income earned in the year in which the contributions are made.
Several personal reliefs are also available (e.g. SGD 2,000 for a spouse, the lesser of actual earned income or SGD 1,000 if the age is under 55 for earned income, SGD 4,000 for each child under the age of 16 years, up to SGD 5,500 for educational expenses, SGD 5,500 for aged parent or grandparent maintained by a taxpayer in Singapore, etc.). A rebate against either or both parents’ tax liability of SGD 5,000, SGD 10,000, and SGD 20,000 is available for the first, second, and each subsequent Singaporean child respectively.

For a full list of deductions and reliefs, consult the dedicated page on the Inland Revenue Authority website.

Special Expatriate Tax Regime

Non-resident individuals are taxed at a flat rate of 22%, except that Singapore's employment income is taxed at a flat rate of 15% or at resident rates with personal reliefs, whichever is higher. A non-resident director’s remuneration does not qualify for the reduced rate, thus a withholding tax of 22% must be deducted from remuneration.

The Not Ordinarily Resident (NOR) Taxpayer Scheme allows an individual to be taxed only for the days spent in Singapore as well as to receive tax exemptions on contributions made by the employer to an overseas pension fund. To qualify for NOR status, an individual must have 3 consecutive non-resident YAs immediately prior to the first year of residency in Singapore. The status is granted for 5 consecutive years of assessment commencing on the first year as a Singapore tax resident. The NOR scheme ceased after the year of assessment 2020. As such, the last NOR status granted will be valid from YA 2020 to YA 2024.
Employers are subject to a monthly Foreign Worker Levy for each foreign employee (rates vary according to the industry and the number of foreign employees).