Personal Tax Filing Support (Singapore)

A Personal Tax Filing Support in Singapore sets out the income, deductions, and tax position to be reported to the authority.

IRAS administers the annual tax filing cycle through the myTax Portal (formerly e-Filing), with filing deadlines of 15 April for paper filings and 18 April for electronic filings. The Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS) — under which employers with five or more employees must submit employees' employment income information electronically to IRAS by 1 March — pre-populates employment income data in the individual's tax return, reducing the information the taxpayer must manually enter. IRAS also receives data from banks, insurers, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, and the Ministry of Education (MOE) under various auto-inclusion arrangements.

Singapore's personal tax system provides extensive tax reliefs and deductions under Sections 39 and 40 of the Income Tax Act, the CPF Act (Cap. 36), and the Skills Development Levy Act (Cap. 306). Key reliefs include: the Earned Income Relief (Section 39(2)), capped at S$1,000 for individuals below 55, S$6,000 for those 55 to 59, and S$8,000 for those 60 and above; the CPF Relief (Section 39(3)) for mandatory CPF contributions; the Spouse Relief of S$2,000 under Section 39(6); the Qualifying Child Relief (QCR) of S$4,000 per child under Section 39(2)(a); the Handicapped Child Relief of S$7,500; the Parent Relief of S$9,000 (or S$5,500 if the parent does not live with the taxpayer); the NSman Relief under Section 39(4) for National Service; the Course Fee Relief of up to S$5,500 for courses leading to qualifications under Section 39(9); and the SRS Relief for contributions to the Supplementary Retirement Scheme under Section 39(2)(m).

The Not Ordinarily Resident (NOR) scheme — a tax concession scheme administered by IRAS for individuals who were not tax resident in Singapore for the three consecutive years before the current year of assessment and who have employment income exceeding S$160,000 — allows qualifying individuals to apportion their Singapore tax liability based on the number of days spent in Singapore. The NOR scheme is available for five consecutive years of assessment, subject to IRAS approval under Section 13F of the Income Tax Act.

The CPF Board administers the mandatory and voluntary CPF contribution system, which interacts with the personal tax system through the CPF Relief (Section 39(3) of the Income Tax Act). Mandatory employee CPF contributions -- deducted from the employee salary by the employer -- are automatically eligible for CPF Relief, up to the annual ordinary wage ceiling. Voluntary CPF contributions to MediSave, the Special Account, and the Retirement Account qualify for the CPF Cash Top-Up Relief, providing additional tax savings for individuals planning for retirement and healthcare expenses.

Personal Tax Filing Support is needed during the annual personal income tax filing period in Singapore, and at specific milestones throughout the year when taxpayers must record income, claim reliefs, and prepare supporting documentation for IRAS.

During the annual tax filing season (January to April), every individual who derives income in Singapore — whether from employment, business, trade, profession, dividends, interest, rent, or other sources — must determine whether a tax return must be filed. IRAS issues Notices to File (Form B1 for employed individuals, Form B for self-employed individuals) by March, and taxpayers must file by 15 April (paper) or 18 April (electronic). Individuals who receive a Notice to File must respond even if they have no taxable income, as failure to file is an offence under Section 95 of the Income Tax Act (Cap. 134), carrying a fine of up to S$1,000 and a penalty of treble the amount of tax assessed.

Employees changing jobs during the year require tax filing support to consolidate employment income from multiple employers, particularly where not all employers participate in the Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS). Tax Clearance under Section 68(1) of the Income Tax Act — which requires employers to notify IRAS at least one month before a foreign employee ceases employment and to withhold all monies due until IRAS issues a tax clearance letter — generates additional documentation that must be incorporated into the annual tax return.

Self-employed individuals, sole proprietors, and partners must calculate business income, deductible expenses, and capital allowances under Sections 14 and 19 of the Income Tax Act. IRAS requires self-employed persons to maintain business records for at least five years and to submit profit and loss statements with their tax returns. The forms-legal.com Singapore Personal Tax Filing Support template includes a business income worksheet aligned with IRAS Form B requirements.

Taxpayers claiming rental income must report gross rent received and may deduct property tax, fire insurance, mortgage interest (subject to the cap under Section 14(1)(a)), and other deductible expenses under Section 14 of the Income Tax Act. IRAS's Rental Income Reporting Guide specifies the documentation required to support rental income claims.

Taxpayers making CPF voluntary contributions (including MediSave top-ups and SRS contributions) should use tax filing support to maximise deductions. The CPF Board issues annual statements confirming mandatory and voluntary contributions, and the SRS bank operator (DBS, OCBC, or UOB) issues SRS contribution statements that must be cross-referenced with the IRAS tax return.

A Singapore Personal Tax Filing Support document should contain structured sections covering taxpayer identification, income reporting, tax reliefs and deductions, and summary calculations, aligned with IRAS Form B1 (employees) or Form B (self-employed) requirements under the Income Tax Act (Cap. 134).

Taxpayer details section must record the taxpayer's full name, NRIC or FIN number, date of birth, residential address, tax reference number, residency status (tax resident or non-resident), and contact details. For married taxpayers claiming spouse relief, the spouse's NRIC and income status must be recorded. The forms-legal.com Singapore Personal Tax Filing Support template mirrors IRAS Form B1 and Form B identification requirements.

Income section must capture all sources of assessable income: employment income (salary, bonus, director's fees, benefits-in-kind, stock options under Section 10(1)(b) of the Income Tax Act); business income (trade, profession, vocation under Section 10(1)(a)); rental income from property in Singapore; interest income (bank interest is generally exempt for individuals under Section 13(1)(i), but interest from non-qualifying sources is taxable); dividend income (Singapore one-tier dividends are exempt under Section 13(1)(za), but foreign dividends remitted to Singapore may be taxable); and other income (royalties, annuities, pensions).

Tax reliefs and deductions section must itemise all reliefs claimed: Earned Income Relief (Section 39(2) — S$1,000 for below 55, S$6,000 for 55-59, S$8,000 for 60+); CPF Relief (Section 39(3) — mandatory employee contributions, capped at S$20,400 for ordinary wages); CPF Cash Top-Up Relief (up to S$8,000 for top-ups to own MediSave/SA/RA, plus up to S$8,000 for family members); Spouse Relief (S$2,000 under Section 39(6)); Qualifying Child Relief (S$4,000 per child under Section 39(2)(a)); Working Mother's Child Relief (WMCR — 15%/20%/25% of earned income for first/second/third and subsequent child); Parent Relief (S$9,000 if living with, S$5,500 if not); Handicapped Parent Relief (S$14,000 if living with, S$10,000 if not); NSman Relief (S$1,500 to S$5,000 under Section 39(4)); Course Fee Relief (up to S$5,500 under Section 39(9)); SRS Relief (up to S$15,300 for Singapore citizens and PRs, S$35,700 for foreigners); and Life Insurance Relief (up to S$5,000 under Section 39(1)).

Total personal reliefs are subject to an overall cap of S$80,000 per year of assessment under Section 39(4A) of the Income Tax Act, introduced from YA 2018.

Donation deductions for approved donations to Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs) — deductible at 250% of the donation amount under Section 37 of the Income Tax Act — should be itemised with the IPC name, receipt number, donation date, and amount. IRAS auto-includes donations reported by IPCs through the auto-inclusion arrangement.

Summary calculation section must compute: total assessable income; less total personal reliefs (capped at S$80,000); equals chargeable income; multiply by the applicable progressive tax rates (0% on the first S$20,000, 2% on the next S$10,000, up to 24% on income exceeding S$1 million from YA 2024); less tax rebates (if any announced in the Budget); equals net tax payable.

Foreign income section must address the tax treatment of foreign-sourced income received in Singapore. Under Section 10(25) of the Income Tax Act, foreign-sourced income is taxable when received in Singapore by a tax-resident individual, subject to exemptions for foreign-sourced dividends, branch profits, and service income under Section 13(8) and Section 13(12). The NOR scheme provides further relief for qualifying individuals by allowing apportionment of Singapore employment income based on time spent in Singapore.

Property tax and rental income section must document any rental income from Singapore property, the deductible expenses (property tax, mortgage interest, fire insurance, maintenance), and the net rental income assessable under Section 10(1)(f) of the Income Tax Act. IRAS requires landlords to maintain records of rental income and expenses for at least five years.