Taxes

All companies receive tax breaks for the first three years of their operation, reducing their tax rate to 0% for the first S$100,000 of income.

Singapore has followed a single-tier corporate tax system, capped at 17%. Corporate dividends are tax-exempt in the hands of shareholders and companies.

Singapore has capital gains tax. This means shareholders receive the full amount of the sale price tax-free for every business sold.

Singapore avoids double taxation. It has signed Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) with more than 50 countries. For countries without DTAs, Singapore provides Unilateral Tax Credits (UTC).

Ease of expansion globally

Singapore provides the best opportunities for overseas expansion. The geography of the country, the ease of travel to and from, government assistance to expand globally, ease of capital flow, the existence of good tax treaties are some of these factors,

Singapore’s prime location in the heart of Southeast Asia gives it several geographic advantages.

Singapore’s Changi Airport has been named “world’s best airport” for the seventh consecutive year by Skytrax. Some of the largest economies in the world — such as China, Japan, Australia, and India — are a short flight away.

Range of funding schemes

Singapore provides a range of assistance programmes to help startups increase business capabilities, increase productivity and automation and expand globally. These grants can be up to SGD100,000 and used to engage consultants and vendors of hardware and software.

Singapore’s corporate laws provide very good support for a holding company structure. Singapore is an ideal place to set up a holding company that expands overseas through subsidiaries.

Singapore equity and bond market offers companies access to institutional funds, where some of the listing fees can be subsidised through GEMS

Access to Financing from SME Loans

Singapore provides all companies within the first couple years of incorporation access to cheap financing, underwritten by the major financial institutions.

Loan facilities such as Micro Loans, Working Capital Loans, Factoring, Trade Receipts and Trade Credit Facilities are are attainable by any Small Medium Enterprise.

Within the first 12 months, newly incorporated companies with >30% local shareholding can already enjoy access to cheap form of financing from the banks.