Corporate income tax rate

Companies, whether local or foreign, are taxed at a flat rate of 17% of their taxable income.

General rule for all companies

All Singapore companies are required to pay tax on income from the previous financial year. The income from the 2019 Financial Year will be taxed in 2020.

Base period and year of assessment

For tax purposes, using the same example above, 2020 is the year of assessment (YA). In other words, YA is the year in which your income is assessed for taxation.

In order to assess the tax, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) will look at a company’s income, expenses, etc. for the financial year. This financial year is known as the “base period”.

The Base Period is generally 12 months prior to the assessment year (YA).