If you set up a Singapore company, your company will be liable for corporate taxes and the individuals who are employed in the company will have to pay personal income taxes on the salaries that are paid to them.
In Singapore, corporate tax rates are a flat 17%. However, there are common tax reliefs that will help to reduce the tax bill for new start-up companies.
For Year of Assessment 2020 (YA 2020)
This is for financial years which closed in 2019.
- 75% exemption on the first $100,000 of normal chargeable income; and
- A further 50% exemption on the next $100,000 of normal chargeable income.
New start-up companies will also be eligible for Corporate Income Tax Rebates
All companies will receive a corporate income tax rebate of the following:
- 20% corporate income tax rebate, capped at $10,000 for YA 2019
(Normal chargeable income refers to income to be taxed at the prevailing corporate tax rate.)
This is the Resident Tax Rates in Singapore (From Year of Assesment 2017)
| Age of employee | Employee's CPF contribution (%) | Employer's CPF contribution (%) | Total CPF contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 and below | 17 | 20 | 37 |
| Above 55 to 60 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| Above 60 to 65 | 10 | 8.5 | 18.5 |
| Above 65 to 70 | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| Above 70 | 7.5 | 5 | 12.5 |
Here is an example of the tax bill which start-up companies will need to pay.
Profit: SGD$100,000
75% exemption means that taxes only need to be paid on SGD$25,000
17% of $25,000 = $4,250
20% corporate tax rebate means that the actual tax paid is 80% of $4,250 = SGD$3,400
In this instance, the corporate tax bill is SGD$3,400 for the first SGD$100,000 of profit.
If a director earns SGD$96,000 per annum, his personal income tax will be SGD$5,190
First $80,000: $3,350
11.5% of $16,000 = $1,840
Please note that dividends that are received by shareholders are not taxable. Dividends are paid out on the profit after tax. Therefore, in the first instance, the SGD$100,000 profit will incur a corporate tax bill of $3,400. The remaining profit can be declared and paid out as dividends to the shareholders of the company. These dividends that are received by the shareholders do not have to be declared as income by the shareholders nor will they incur any further tax.
When in doubt, seek legal advice or consult an experienced ACRA Filing Agent.
Yours Sincerely,
The editorial team at Singapore Secretary Services
For more useful articles and videos, visit the Singapore Secretary Services resource page.
If you would like to submit a question or would like us to do an article on certain topics, please email us at [email protected]
Related articles:
Common Tax Reliefs that will help to reduce the tax bill for New Start-Up Companies
Leave A Comment