Quick answer
Singapore taxes individuals on income earned in Singapore at progressive resident rates of 0% to 24% in 2026. Foreign income of resident individuals is generally exempt. There is no capital gains, wealth or inheritance tax. Companies pay 17%, reduced by exemptions on small profits, and GST is 9%. You're resident after 183 days in a calendar year.
Last reviewed: November 2026 · Reviewed by Stéphane Gombauld, tax expert, technologist and digital nomad
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Check my tax setup →You're considering Singapore as a base for your work, your company or both. You want one page that tells you how the system works, what each tax costs in 2026 and where the traps are. This is that page, with links to our detailed guides for every topic.
Singapore tax landscape in 2026: the key figures
| Item | Rule in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Tax residence (individuals) | 183 days or more in a calendar year, plus administrative concessions |
| Tax basis | Territorial for individuals; foreign income of companies taxed only if received |
| Personal income tax, residents | 0% to 24%; first SGD 20,000 at 0% |
| Personal income tax, non-residents | Employment income at 15% or resident rates if higher; most other income 24% |
| Corporate income tax | 17%, with partial and start-up exemptions |
| GST | 9% |
| Capital gains, wealth, inheritance tax | None |
| Filing deadline (individuals) | 18 April for e-filing, for the previous year's income |
Is this guide for you?
Read on if you…
- are deciding whether to move to Singapore as a remote employee, freelancer or founder;
- already live there and want the full picture in one place;
- run, or plan to run, a business through Singapore.
Probably not your case if you…
- only need one specific topic – jump straight to the guide list below;
- visit Singapore for short business trips only.
How does the Singapore tax system work?
Singapore's tax authority is IRAS, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. The main law is the Income Tax Act 1947.
Three principles shape everything:
- Residence decides your rates. You're tax resident if you stay or work in Singapore for 183 days or more in a calendar year. Two concessions help newcomers: a continuous 183-day stay spanning two years makes you resident for both, and three consecutive years of work make you resident for all three. Details in tax residency in Singapore.
- Source matters, not citizenship. Singapore taxes income earned in or derived from Singapore. Resident individuals don't pay tax on foreign-sourced income, even when they bring it in, unless it comes through a Singapore partnership.
- Income is taxed a year later. Singapore uses the year of assessment (YA): YA 2026 taxes income earned in 2025. Your 2026 income is filed in early 2027.
Here's the catch. Work you do while physically in Singapore is Singapore income, even if a foreign employer pays you abroad.
Which taxes will you pay in Singapore?
| Tax | Who pays | Rate in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Personal income tax | Residents | 0% to 24% progressive |
| Personal income tax | Non-residents | 15% or resident rates on employment income; 24% on other income |
| Social security (CPF) | Citizens and PRs only | Employee 20%, employer 17% up to age 55, on wages up to SGD 8,000 a month |
| Capital gains tax | Nobody | None; trading gains are taxed as income |
| Corporate income tax | Companies | 17%, effective 6–8% on small profits |
| GST | Consumers, collected by businesses | 9% |
| Stamp duty on property | Buyers and sellers | Up to 6% BSD; ABSD 60% for foreigners |
| Property tax | Owners | 0%–32% owner-occupied; 12%–36% other residential |
| Wealth and inheritance tax | Nobody | None; estate duty abolished in 2008 |
The resident rates in more detail:
| Chargeable income (SGD) | Rate on this band |
|---|---|
| 0 – 20,000 | 0% |
| 20,001 – 30,000 | 2% |
| 30,001 – 40,000 | 3.5% |
| 40,001 – 80,000 | 7% |
| 80,001 – 120,000 | 11.5% |
| 120,001 – 160,000 | 15% |
| 160,001 – 200,000 | 18% |
| 200,001 – 240,000 | 19% |
| 240,001 – 280,000 | 19.5% |
| 280,001 – 320,000 | 20% |
| 320,001 – 500,000 | 22% |
| 500,001 – 1,000,000 | 23% |
| Above 1,000,000 | 24% |
Reliefs such as earned income relief, parent relief and SRS contributions cut your chargeable income, capped at SGD 80,000 a year. See personal tax deductions and benefits of Singapore. Budgets sometimes add a one-off personal tax rebate.
Are there special regimes for newcomers?
Not a dedicated one. The Not Ordinarily Resident scheme ended with YA 2020. Singapore has no digital nomad visa either.
What newcomers do get:
- No CPF for Employment Pass, ONE Pass and EntrePass holders.
- Tax-free foreign income as a resident individual.
- SRS contributions of up to SGD 35,700 a year for foreigners, fully deductible.
- Short-stay exemption for employment income if you work 60 days or less in a year.
Full details in tax incentives for expats and digital nomads in Singapore.
Moving in and moving out
Moving in. Your work pass – Employment Pass, ONE Pass or EntrePass – comes first. Then track your days, open a local bank account and register with IRAS through Singpass. Make sure your old country accepts that you've left; many tax you until you prove it. Follow the steps in our practical guide to obtaining your tax residency in Singapore.
Moving out. If you're a foreign employee, your employer must file tax clearance (Form IR21) at least one month before you stop work or leave. It then withholds your final pay until IRAS confirms your tax is settled. Singapore has no exit tax. The full checklist is in our practical guide to ceasing your tax residency in Singapore.
Running a business in Singapore
Most founders use a private limited company. It needs one locally resident director, SGD 1 of capital and an ACRA filing fee of SGD 315. Compare it with sole proprietorships and LLPs in legal forms of business in Singapore.
- Corporate tax is 17%, but the start-up exemption cuts tax on SGD 200,000 of profit to SGD 12,750 in the first three years. See corporate income tax in Singapore.
- Dividends are tax-free under the one-tier system.
- Deductions follow the "wholly and exclusively" test, with generous write-offs for equipment. See business expenses in Singapore.
- GST registration becomes compulsory above SGD 1 million in turnover.
Honestly? The biggest risk for remote founders isn't the rate. It's managing the company from abroad, which can move its tax residence to your home country.
Example – Daniel, French remote product lead
Daniel moves to Singapore in January 2026 on an Employment Pass, earning SGD 150,000. He stays all year, so he's resident for YA 2027. After SGD 1,000 earned income relief, tax on SGD 149,000 is SGD 12,300, an effective 8.2%. He pays no CPF. Rent from his Lyon flat, about EUR 12,000 a year, is foreign income and not taxed in Singapore. France may still tax it at source, so he declares it there as a non-resident.
Daniel's picture has three countries' rules in it. Yours probably does too.
Heavnn checks your residency, income sources and structure across every country involved.
Check my tax setup →Common mistakes (and what they cost)
- Assuming a foreign payroll keeps Singapore work untaxed → work done in Singapore is taxable there, with penalties for under-declaring.
- Staying 150 days and thinking you're resident → non-resident rates and no reliefs.
- Managing your Singapore company from Bali → loss of Singapore tax residence for the company and possible taxation abroad.
- Buying a condo as a foreigner without planning → 60% ABSD.
- Leaving without tax clearance → your final salary is held back and penalties may apply to your employer.
Singapore tax guides
Every Singapore guide in one list:
- Tax residency in Singapore – the 183-day rule and administrative concessions.
- Practical guide to obtaining your tax residency in Singapore – your step-by-step move plan.
- Practical guide to ceasing your tax residency in Singapore – tax clearance and leaving cleanly.
- Personal tax deductions and benefits of Singapore – reliefs, SRS and the SGD 80,000 cap.
- Tax incentives for expats and digital nomads in Singapore – what newcomers really get.
- Capital gains tax in Singapore – when gains stay tax-free.
- Cryptocurrency taxes in Singapore – trading, staking and mining.
- Specific taxes in Singapore – GST, stamp duty and property tax.
- Legal forms of business in Singapore – Pte Ltd, sole proprietorship, LLP.
- Corporate income tax in Singapore – 17% and the exemptions.
- Business expenses in Singapore – deductions and capital allowances.
- Tax fraud regulations of Singapore – penalties and voluntary disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the income tax rate in Singapore in 2026?
Resident individuals pay progressive rates from 0% to 24%. The first SGD 20,000 is tax-free and the 24% rate applies only above SGD 1 million. Non-residents pay 15% or resident rates, whichever is higher, on employment income, and 24% on most other income. Income earned in 2026 is assessed in YA 2027.
Does Singapore tax worldwide income?
Not for resident individuals in most cases. Singapore taxes income earned in or derived from Singapore. Foreign-sourced income received by a resident individual is exempt, unless received through a Singapore partnership. Companies are taxed on foreign income only when it's received in Singapore, with exemptions for foreign dividends, branch profits and service income taxed abroad.
How do I become a tax resident of Singapore?
Stay or work in Singapore for 183 days or more in a calendar year. If your continuous stay of 183 days spans two calendar years, you're resident for both. If you work there for three consecutive years, you're resident for all three. You need a valid work pass to live and work there.
Does Singapore have capital gains or inheritance tax?
No. Singapore has no capital gains tax, no wealth tax and no inheritance or gift tax. Estate duty was abolished for deaths on or after 15 February 2008. Gains can still be taxed as income if IRAS sees your activity as trading, and residential property resold within four years triggers Seller's Stamp Duty.
Do foreigners pay social security in Singapore?
No. CPF contributions apply only to Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Foreign work pass holders and their employers don't contribute. If you become a PR, contributions start at reduced graduated rates for two years, then rise to the full 37% of wages, split between employee and employer, up to the wage ceiling.
When is the Singapore tax return due?
Individuals file by 18 April for e-filing, or 15 April on paper, for the previous calendar year's income. Companies submit Form C-S or Form C by 30 November and their Estimated Chargeable Income within three months of their financial year-end. IRAS then issues a Notice of Assessment, payable within one month.
Related guides
- Tax residency in Singapore – how the 183-day rule works.
- Corporate income tax in Singapore – what your company really pays.
- Tax incentives for expats and digital nomads in Singapore – benefits for newcomers.
- Tax landscape overview of Hong Kong – the main regional alternative.
- Your tax guide to Thailand – Thailand's system in one page.
- Tax landscape overview of Malaysia – Singapore's neighbour compared.
- All country tax guides
Sources
- IRAS – Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore
- IRAS – Individual income tax
- Income Tax Act 1947, Singapore Statutes Online
- CPF Board – Contribution rates
- Ministry of Manpower – Work passes
- ACRA – Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority
This guide is general information, not personalised tax advice. See how we research and review.
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