Running a Singapore-incorporated company looks effortless from the outside. Behind the scenes, every directors' decision, every shareholder change, every dollar of revenue, and every working day flows through a calendar of statutory obligations administered by ACRA, IRAS, and (where relevant) MOM. Miss one and you face penalties that scale fast — late lodgement fees, prosecution [...]
Since September 2023, the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) has been the gateway test for almost every Employment Pass (EP) application in Singapore. From 1 January 2026, MOM has refreshed both the qualifying salary thresholds and the institution lists used in scoring — meaning many employers and candidates who passed COMPASS comfortably in 2025 will need [...]
Singapore has, in less than a decade, become the dominant family office hub in Asia. As of 2024, MAS publicly disclosed that more than 2,000 single family offices had received tax incentive approval, up from fewer than 50 in 2018. The trajectory has continued through 2025 and into 2026, fuelled by HNW migration from Hong [...]
For decades, the Cayman Islands has been the default jurisdiction of choice for fund sponsors raising capital from Asian and global investors. The Segregated Portfolio Company (SPC), in particular, became the workhorse vehicle for multi-strategy hedge funds, private equity sleeves, and bespoke managed accounts. But in 2020, Singapore quietly introduced a competitor: the Variable Capital [...]
For many foreigners working or investing in Singapore, the natural next step after settling in is to apply for Permanent Residence (PR). PR confers most of the lifestyle benefits of citizenship — the right to live and work without a pass, access to HDB resale flats (with restrictions), Medisave/CPF for those who contribute, and the [...]
Singapore is one of the most generous government-grant ecosystems for SMEs in Asia. The three workhorse schemes — the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG), the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), and the Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) Grant — collectively fund tens of thousands of business projects each year across digital transformation, productivity, and overseas expansion. But each [...]
Singapore's Employment Pass (EP) framework changed fundamentally on 1 September 2023 when the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) took effect. The shift from a flat qualifying salary test to a points-based system has caught out countless employers and candidates — particularly those whose applications would have sailed through under the old rules. The good news is [...]
Running a Singapore company involves a calendar of recurring obligations to ACRA, IRAS, MOM, and CPF. Miss a deadline and the consequences range from late filing penalties of S$300–S$600 with ACRA, to compounded GST penalties with IRAS, to disqualification of directors in serious cases. The good news: every deadline is predictable once you know your [...]
Singapore has emerged as Asia's premier hub for single-family offices, with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) reporting more than 2,000 single-family offices established by the end of 2024 — a number that continues to grow despite tightened criteria. The combination of political stability, sophisticated financial infrastructure, deep capital markets, and the headline tax exemption [...]
Introduction For any Singapore employer, payroll management goes well beyond simply paying salaries. It involves calculating and remitting CPF contributions, Skills Development Levy, Foreign Worker Levy, and maintaining compliant payslip records — all on strict monthly deadlines. A missed payment or incorrect calculation can result in penalties, interest charges, and in serious cases, prosecution. This [...]