Tax savings at a glance
By Navin Sregantan
If you’ve only got a minute:
- It is important to take note of the tax reliefs and tax deductions that are available.
- The total amount of personal income tax reliefs is subject to an overall cap of S$80,000 per year.
- Taxpayers are reminded to claim tax reliefs only if they meet the qualifying conditions for the reliefs.
Getting ready for the tax season in Singapore?
For Year of Assessment (YA) 2025, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) requires all taxpayers to file their personal income tax returns via the myTax Portal between 1 March and 18 April.
This includes over 1.9 million taxpayers under the No-Filing Service, who must still verify their auto-included income information and check their eligibility for any tax reliefs claimed.
For the YA 2025, all tax resident individuals will automatically receive an Individual Income Tax rebate of 60% of tax payable, capped at S$200 per taxpayer.
With that in mind, are you aware of the tax reliefs that you might be eligible for? Expenses related to working from home and approved professional development courses could be claimable.
In partnership with IRAS, here are some common tax reliefs for the 2025 tax season.
General tax reliefs for all taxpayers
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Earned Income Relief |
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Parent Relief/Parent Relief (Disability) |
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Sibling Relief (Disability) |
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CPF Relief |
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Life Insurance Relief |
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Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) |
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CPF Cash Top-Up Relief |
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Course Fees Relief For individuals who attended approved courses, seminars or conferences in 2024. This should be for the purpose of gaining an approved academic, professional or vocational qualification. The courses should also be relevant to your current employment, trade, business, profession or vocation. The relief can also be claimed if the course was taken between 1 Jan 2022 and 31 Dec 2023 that is relevant to your new employment, trade, business, profession or vocation in 2024. Note: To shift from tax reliefs to more targeted direct subsidies to support lifelong upskilling through other Government initiatives, Course Fees Relief will lapse from YA 2026. |
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NSman Relief |
Additional tax reliefs for married/divorced/widowed taxpayers
On top of general reliefs, which are available to all taxpayers, there are additional reliefs that might be applicable to you.
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MALE AND FEMALE TAXPAYERS |
FEMALE TAXPAYERS |
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Spouse Relief/Spouse Relief (Disability) |
Working Mother's Child Relief (WMCR) Given to working mothers who had taxable earned income and maintained a Singaporean child (eligible for QCR/Child Relief (Disability) in 2024. |
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Qualifying Child Relief (QCR)/Child Relief (Disability) Given to parents who are raising and/or maintaining children |
Grandparent Caregiver Relief For working mothers who engage the help of their parents/grandparents (including in-laws) to take care of their children who is a Singaporean aged 12 and below in 2024. No age limit for unmarried child who is physically/mentally disabled. |
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NSman Parent Relief Given to parents of eligible operationally-ready National Servicemen |
NSman Wife Relief Given to wives of eligible operationally-ready National Servicemen |
Use IRAS’ tax relief checker to easily find out what tax relief you may claim.
Available deductions
Deductions, which are amounts that can be subtracted from taxable income, can help you to maximise your tax savings too.
Deductions on employment expenses
Claim deductions on employment expenses incurred while carrying out official duties which were not reimbursed by your employer.
For those who were required by your employer to work from home with resulting home office expenses that are not reimbursed by your employer, you can claim these expenses as a tax deduction. Supporting documents must be kept and submitted if requested.
Deductions on business expenses
For the self-employed, claim deductions on allowable business expenses incurred wholly and exclusively in the course of carrying on a business, and not prohibited under tax law.
Qualifying self-employed persons (i.e. commission agents, private hire car/ taxi drivers and delivery workers) can claim a deemed amount of business expense based on a prescribed percentage of the gross income earned.
Deductions on rental expenses
Claim tax deduction on actual expenses incurred or 15% deemed rental expenses + mortgage loan interest incurred in producing the rental income on residential.
Deductions on donations
Tax deductions of 2.5 times the amount of donations made to Community Chest or any Institute of Public Character (IPC) in 2024.
Tax rebate
A tax rebate is an amount that that can be deducted from the tax payable, after considering all other deductions and tax reliefs as mentioned above.
Personal tax rebate
This Tax Season, all tax resident individuals will automatically receive a Personal Income Tax rebate of 60% of tax payable (capped at S$200), as announced in Budget 2025.
Parenthood Tax Rebate (PTR)
Given to eligible parents as credit to offset the income tax payable. PTR can be shared with your spouse based on an agreed apportionment. Any unutilised balance will automatically be carried forward to offset your and your spouse’s future income tax payable.
Which tax reliefs are you eligible for?
For individuals and families, here’s a quick look at the key reliefs in Singapore that will help to boost savings on your final tax bill for Year of Assessment (YA) 2025.
Doing so will help to enhance your cashflows. In collaboration with IRAS, we highlight 2 worked examples.
For individuals
Lisa, 31, is a Singaporean and earned S$70,000 as a self-employed person in 2024. She is supporting her father who is visually impaired, and her mother, 57, who is a housewife. Both her parents live with her.
In 2024, she topped up S$4,000 and S$4,000 to her grandmother’s and grandfather’s CPF Retirement accounts respectively. She also made compulsory MediSave contributions of S$5,600 to her CPF account as a self-employed person. Separately, she attended a S$6,000 course relating to her profession that she self-funded.
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Tax Reliefs applicable to Lisa |
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Earned Income Relief |
S$1,000 (auto-included) |
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Parent Relief (Disability) - for father |
S$14,000 |
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Parent Relief - for mother |
S$9,000 |
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CPF Relief |
S$5,600 (auto-included) |
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CPF Cash Top Up Relief |
S$8,000 (auto-included, capped at max S$8,000) |
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Course Fee Relief |
S$5,500 (capped at max of S$5,500) |
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Total Reliefs |
S$43,100 |
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Chargeable Income |
S$26,900 (S$70,000 - S$43,100) |
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Tax Payable on Chargeable Income |
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Tax on the first S$20,000 |
S$0 |
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Tax on the remaining S$2,000 |
S$138.00 |
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Lisa’s Net Tax Payable for Year of Assessment 2025 |
S$55.20 (S$138.00 – S$82.80) |
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Less: 60% Tax Rebate (capped at $200) |
S$82.80 (60% X S$138.00) |
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Lisa’s Net Tax Payable for Year of Assessment 2025 |
S$55.20 (S$138.00 – S$82.80) |
How it works out
Lisa can claim Parent Relief (Disability) of S$14,000 on her father who is staying with her. As her mother is also living with her, she can claim Parent Relief of S$9,000 on her mother who is 55 and above, assuming her mother’s annual income is not more than S$8,000 in 2024.
As Lisa made CPF cash top-ups for her grandparents in 2024, she can claim CPF Cash Top Up Relief capped at a maximum of S$8,000.
In addition, she is able to claim the maximum Course Fees Relief of S$5,500.
Additional tips:
If Lisa’s mother is staying with her sibling and this sibling is also claiming Parent Relief on their mother, both can share the Parent Relief of S$9,000.
To maximise tax reliefs, Lisa can also make voluntary CPF contributions to her three CPF accounts and/or MediSave account under the CPF Self-Employed Scheme. The CPF relief on these contributions will be granted based on the lowest of the following:
- 37% of her net trade income in 2024 (i.e. 37% × S$70,000 = S$25,900);
- CPF annual limit of S$37,740; or
- Actual amount contributed in 2024
If Lisa makes a voluntary CPF contribution of S$6,900 in 2024, she will be granted a CPF relief of S$12,300 on her actual contributions in 2024 (S$5,400 on her compulsory MediSave contribution and S$6,900 on her voluntary CPF contribution) and this would reduce her chargeable income from S$26,900 to S$20,000. As a result, she will not be require to pay any income tax, as the first S$20,000 of the chargeable income is not taxable.
Read more: Common tax-filing mistakes to avoid
For families
Mr and Mrs Tan both work full time. Mrs Tan, 32, is a Singaporean and earned S$100,000 as an employee in 2024.
The couple live with Mr Tan’s parents, both of whom are not working and help to look after their Singaporean child, aged 3 months old in 2024. Mrs Tan also contributed S$5,000 to her SRS account with DBS in 2024.
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Tax Reliefs applicable to Mrs Tan |
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Earned Income Relief |
S$1,000 (auto-included) |
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Qualifying Child Relief |
S$4,000 |
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CPF Relief |
S$20,000 (auto-included if her employer is participating in the Auto-Inclusion Scheme for Employment Income) |
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NSman Relief (for wife) |
S$750 (auto-included) |
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Working Mother’s Child Relief |
S$8,000 |
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Grandparent Caregiver Relief |
S$3,000 |
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Parent Relief |
S$10,000 |
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Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) Relief |
S$5,000 (auto-included) |
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Total Reliefs |
S$51,750 |
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Total Chargeable Income |
S$48,250 (S$100,000 - S$51,750) |
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Tax Payable on Chargeable Income |
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Tax on the first S$40,000 |
S$550 |
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Tax on the remaining S$7,660 |
S$577.00 |
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Tax Payable (before Rebates) |
S$1,127.50 (S$550.00 + S$577.50) |
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Less: 60% Tax Rebate (capped at S$200) Parenthood Tax Rebate |
S$200 (60% X S$1,127.50, capped at $200) S$927.50 (auto-included) |
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Mrs Tan’s Net Tax Payable for Year of Assessment 2025 |
S$0 (S$1,127.50 - S$200 - S$927.50) |
How it works out
In addition, she can claim Working Mother’s Child Relief (WMCR) on her child in view that her child is a Singapore Citizen and qualifies for QCR. For her first child, she can claim a fixed tax relief of S$8,000.
As her child is aged 12 and below in 2024 and looked after by her parent-in-law, she can claim Grandparent Caregiver Relief of S$3,000.
As Mrs Tan lives with Mr Tan’s parents, Mrs Tan and her husband agreed that she can make the claim of:
- Mr Tan: S$4,000 on his mother, S$4,000 on his father
- Mrs Tan: S$5,000 on her mother-in-law, S$5,000 on her father-in-law
- Total allowable parent relief is S$18,000 ($9,000 X 2 parents)
Mrs Tan is also automatically entitled to an SRS Relief of S$5,000 for her SRS contribution in 2024.
Additionally, the Parenthood Tax Rebate balance in Mrs Tan’s account which was not yet utilised, will be used to offset her income tax payable.
When claiming tax reliefs, do bear in mind that there is a total personal income tax relief cap of S$80,000.
Read more: Boosting personal income tax savings
Claiming personal reliefs incorrectly may lead to penalties
IRAS reminds taxpayers to claim personal reliefs only if they meet the qualifying conditions for the reliefs.
If you are e-Filing, personal reliefs that you claimed and were granted last year would usually be automatically included in your tax return. Please check and remove the relief claims if you are no longer eligible for them. Penalties may be imposed for any incorrect claim of relief.
Tips on claiming personal reliefs
Avoid wrongful claims of personal reliefs by checking if you meet the qualifying conditions for each one. You can also use the personal relief checker available on the IRAS website.
Find out more about: Tax Season 2025 - All you need to know
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Disclaimers and Important Notice
This article is meant for information only and should not be relied upon as financial advice. Before making any decision to buy, sell or hold any investment or insurance product, you should seek advice from a financial adviser regarding its suitability.
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