U.S. Taxes for Americans Living in Singapore: The 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

• US citizens and green card holders generally keep filing US returns while living in Singapore, because the US taxes on citizenship and lawful permanent residence, not on where you live.
• With no treaty, double-tax relief comes only from US domestic law: the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, the foreign housing exclusion, and the foreign tax credit.
• With no totalization agreement, self-employed Americans in Singapore generally owe US self-employment tax, and the exclusion does not reduce it.
• Singapore generally exempts foreign-sourced income received by resident individuals, so most US tax on investment income is not offset by any Singapore tax.
• Singapore bank accounts, CPF, SRS and local funds can each trigger separate US reporting (FBAR, Form 8938, possibly Form 8621), and the US treatment of CPF and SRS is not settled.

Do Americans living in Singapore still file US taxes?

Yes, generally. The US taxes its citizens and resident aliens (including green card holders) on worldwide income regardless of residence. Moving to Singapore does not change that, and neither does becoming a Singapore tax resident or permanent resident.

Filing threshold. For most filers, the filing threshold tracks the standard deduction. For 2026, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 sets the standard deduction at $32,200 for married couples filing jointly; the single amount is half of that ($16,100). Both are indexed annually. A self-employed person generally must file if net self-employment earnings are $400 or more, whatever their total income. Income excluded under the FEIE still counts when testing the filing threshold, so an exclusion does not remove the obligation to file.

Deadlines for the 2026 return (filed in 2027).

• April 15, 2027: regular due date. Interest on unpaid tax runs from this date.
• June 15, 2027: automatic two-month extension to file (and pay, though interest still accrues) if both your tax home and abode are outside the US and Puerto Rico on the regular due date.
• October 15, 2027: further extension if you file Form 4868 by June 15.
• FBAR (FinCEN Form 114): due April 15, automatically extended to October 15, no request needed.

When does Singapore treat you as a tax resident, and what does it tax?

Tax residency is not immigration status. An Employment Pass, Dependant's Pass or permanent residence is an immigration permission. Tax residency is a separate test under IRAS rules, and you can hold a pass without being a tax resident, or the reverse.

Residency tests (IRAS). A foreigner is generally resident for a Year of Assessment (YA) if they stayed or worked in Singapore at least 183 days in the previous calendar year. Two administrative concessions extend this. Under the two-year concession, a foreign employee whose job straddles two calendar years, with at least 183 days of continuous presence, is resident for both years (directors, public entertainers and professionals excluded). Under the three-year concession, a foreigner in Singapore continuously for three consecutive years is resident for all three, even if the first or third year is short. IRAS also treats holders of a work pass valid for at least one year as resident, then reviews this at tax clearance; a stay under 183 days is reassessed as non-resident.

What Singapore taxes: the charging provision. Section 10(1) of the Income Tax Act 1947 taxes income "accruing in or derived from Singapore or received in Singapore from outside Singapore." On its own terms, the base is territorial with a remittance element, not worldwide. For individuals, IRAS states that foreign-sourced income received by resident individuals is exempt, except income received through a Singapore partnership, where the Comptroller is satisfied the exemption is beneficial. It has applied since January 1, 2004. The exemption sits in section 13(7A), per secondary legal summaries of the statute.

In practice, salary for work performed in Singapore is taxable there, whoever pays it. A resident individual's US dividends, interest and gains are generally not taxed in Singapore, remitted or not. Capital gains are generally untaxed unless they arise from a trade. The section 10L rule on foreign disposal gains (2024) applies to entities, not individuals.

Rates (IRAS, YA 2024 onward). Resident rates run from 0% (first S$20,000) to 24% (above S$1,000,000). IRAS granted a rebate of 60% of tax, capped at S$200, for YA 2025. Non-resident employment income is taxed at the higher of 15% or resident rates; most other non-resident income at 24%.

Local filing. Returns are filed on myTax Portal; IRAS gives April 18 as the due date for Tax Season 2026.

Is there a US–Singapore tax treaty?

No. There is no comprehensive income tax treaty in force between the United States and Singapore. That has several consequences:

• No tie-breaker and no saving clause. Dual residents are not assigned to either country, which matters little because the US taxes citizens anyway.
• No treaty dividend rates. Singapore does not withhold tax on dividends under its one-tier system. US dividends are taxed normally on your US return.
• No pension article. CPF and Singapore pension payouts get no treaty protection; domestic law alone governs them.

What applies instead. The IRS says that without a treaty, income is taxed as the return instructions provide. Relief is unilateral: the FEIE, housing exclusion and foreign tax credit in the US; the territorial base and individual foreign-income exemption in Singapore.

How do you avoid paying tax twice?

For the general mechanics of the FEIE, the Foreign Tax Credit and the stacking rule outside Singapore-specific figures, see our guide on FEIE vs. Foreign Tax Credit.

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (Form 2555). For 2026 the maximum is $132,900 per qualifying person ($130,000 for 2025). It covers earned income only, and requires a foreign tax home plus either the bona fide residence test or the physical presence test.

Foreign housing exclusion or deduction. For 2026 the base housing amount is $21,264 and the general cap is $39,870 (both indexed). IRS Notice 2026-25 raises the cap for Singapore to $86,700 for 2026, and permits the 2026 figure to be used on a 2025 return where it is higher than the 2025 limit.

Foreign tax credit (Form 1116). A credit for Singapore income tax paid on income that the US also taxes.

The exclusion and the credit cannot both apply to the same dollars. Income that is excluded cannot generate a credit for the Singapore tax attributable to it.

When each tends to fit. Singapore's top rate (24%) is below the top US rate (37%), so a credit alone often leaves a US residual on salary. Earners under the FEIE cap plus housing often eliminate most US tax on salary with Form 2555; higher earners, or those wanting IRA eligibility, should model both. Revoking the FEIE generally bars re-election for five years without IRS consent. Investment income is the gap: with no Singapore tax on it, there is nothing to credit.

Baskets and carryovers. Credits are computed by category, chiefly general (wages) and passive (investments). Unused credits generally carry back one year and forward ten.

The timing mismatch. Singapore taxes 2026 income in YA 2027, so the bill arrives in 2027. A cash-method taxpayer claims the credit when paid, which can strand it in the wrong year; an election on Form 1116 to claim taxes as they accrue generally binds later years.

Social security: will you pay both?

There is no totalization agreement, so no certificate of coverage and no agreement-based exemption. Domestic rules on each side decide what you pay.

Singapore side: CPF. CPF applies to citizens and permanent residents; work-pass holders (Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit) do not contribute. From January 1, 2026, the CPF Board's monthly Ordinary Wage ceiling is S$8,000 and the annual salary ceiling S$102,000. New PRs pay lower graduated rates for two years unless both sides opt for full rates.

US side, employees.

• Employed by a Singapore (foreign) employer: generally no US Social Security tax, unless the employer is a foreign affiliate covered by a section 3121(l) agreement with the US Treasury.
• Employed by an "American employer," including remote work for a US company: US Social Security covers US citizens and residents working abroad for American employers, without regard to the length of the assignment. FICA withholding generally continues.
• A US citizen who is also a Singapore PR working for an American employer may owe both FICA and CPF on the same wages, with no agreement to remove either.

US side, self-employed. US self-employment tax applies to self-employed US citizens and residents wherever the work is performed. With no totalization agreement, there is no exemption. The FEIE does not reduce self-employment tax. Self-employed Singapore PRs may also have Singapore MediSave obligations, worth confirming with a Singapore adviser.

Effect on US benefits. CPF contributions earn no US Social Security credits and cannot be totalized with US credits. Years spent outside US coverage may reduce a future US benefit.

Which US forms apply to accounts and assets in Singapore?

• FBAR (FinCEN Form 114): required if the combined value of your foreign financial accounts exceeded $10,000 at any time in the year. It is filed with FinCEN, not the IRS, and is separate from your tax return.
• Form 8938 (FATCA): filed with your return. For taxpayers living abroad, the thresholds are more than $200,000 at year-end or $300,000 at any time (single or married filing separately), and more than $400,000 or $600,000 (married filing jointly). These thresholds are not indexed.
• Local banks. Under the reciprocal Model 1 IGA in force since January 1, 2021, Singapore financial institutions report US persons' accounts to IRAS, which passes the information to the IRS. Expect to give banks a Form W-9 and your SSN. Some institutions reportedly limit the products they offer to US persons, particularly investment and insurance products, based on anecdotal reports rather than a documented official rule.
• CRS. Singapore exchanges account information with other CRS jurisdictions. The US is not a CRS participant; it uses FATCA instead.

Local pensions, retirement accounts and investment funds

CPF (for permanent residents and citizens). The US tax treatment of CPF is unsettled, and there is no IRS ruling specific to it. Practitioners take competing positions:

1. CPF is a government social insurance scheme comparable to foreign social security. Under this view, employee contributions are not deductible, accrual inside the account is not currently taxed, and no trust reporting is filed.
2. CPF is a foreign employees' trust, or partly a grantor trust, which could mean annual taxation of employer contributions or growth and possible Form 3520 or 3520-A filings.

Many also report CPF on Form 8938 and the FBAR as a precaution. Settle the position with an adviser and apply it consistently.

SRS (Supplementary Retirement Scheme). This is a voluntary account with Singapore tax relief on contributions, capped at S$15,300 per year for citizens and PRs and S$35,700 for foreigners. Investment returns accumulate tax-free in Singapore, and 50% of withdrawals is taxable at retirement. For US purposes, an SRS is not a qualified US plan: contributions are generally not deductible on the US return, and income earned inside the account may be currently taxable.

IRS reporting relief. Rev. Proc. 2020-17 exempts certain "tax-favored foreign retirement trusts" from Forms 3520 and 3520-A if conditions are met, including contribution limits by percentage of earned income, $50,000 per year, or $1,000,000 lifetime. Whether CPF or SRS qualifies, and whether either is a trust at all for US purposes, is a question the IRS has not addressed. Form 8938 and FBAR reporting are not affected by the Rev. Proc.

Local funds and PFICs. A Singapore-domiciled unit trust, ETF or investment-linked insurance sub-fund is generally a foreign corporation for US purposes and, if it meets the passive income or asset test, a PFIC. For the full mechanics of the default regime and the available elections, see our guide on PFICs. That means punitive default taxation and annual Form 8621 filings unless a QEF or mark-to-market election is available, including, arguably, inside SRS or CPF investment schemes.

Running a business or company in Singapore

Check the classification first. The per se list in Treas. Reg. §301.7701-2(b)(8) names only "Singapore, Public Limited Company." A private limited company (Pte. Ltd.) is therefore an eligible entity: by default a corporation (all members have limited liability), but its owners can elect on Form 8832 to treat it as disregarded (one owner) or a partnership. The choice drives everything else:

• Treated as a corporation: if US shareholders own more than 50%, it is a controlled foreign corporation (CFC). US shareholders file Form 5471 and may have Subpart F income or net CFC tested income (NCTI). NCTI is the new name for GILTI under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, which removed the QBAI-based reduction and set the section 250 deduction at 40% (relevant mainly to corporate shareholders or individuals making a section 962 election). An individual owner without a section 962 election generally includes NCTI at ordinary rates with limited credit.
• Treated as disregarded: the company's income flows onto your Form 1040 (with Form 8858). Active business income may then be subject to US self-employment tax and may qualify for the FEIE as earned income.

Self-employment tax. Sole proprietors, freelancers and partners generally owe US self-employment tax on net earnings, with no totalization relief. The FEIE does not reduce it.

Related forms: 5471, 8992 (NCTI computation), 8858, 8865 (partnerships), 8832, 926 (transfers to a foreign corporation), plus the FBAR for company accounts over which you have signature authority.

Buying, renting and selling property

• Buying. Singapore charges Buyer's Stamp Duty of up to 6% and Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD); the general foreigner rate has been 60% since April 27, 2023. US citizens are treated as Singapore citizens for stamp duty under the US–Singapore Free Trade Agreement: a US citizen buying a first residential property pays no ABSD, and subsequent purchases are charged at Singapore-citizen rates. The FTA remission applies to US nationals, not to green card holders who are not US citizens. Leased HDB flats and landed property carry separate ownership restrictions.
• Selling: Singapore side. Singapore generally does not tax capital gains on a home. Seller's Stamp Duty applies to residential property sold within a holding period. For property bought on or after July 4, 2025, the period is four years and the rates are 16%, 12%, 8% and 4% by year of holding.
• Selling: US side. The US section 121 home-sale exclusion can exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 married filing jointly) on a principal residence anywhere, if the ownership and use tests are met. Gain is measured in dollars (cost at historical rates, proceeds at the sale rate), so currency movement alone can create gain, and there is no Singapore tax to credit against it.
• Currency gain on a SGD mortgage. Repaying a SGD mortgage after the SGD has weakened generally produces taxable foreign currency gain under IRC §988, even though nothing changed in SGD terms; a loss on a personal-residence mortgage is generally not deductible.
• Rental income. Singapore rent is taxable in Singapore, with property tax on top. It is also reportable on Schedule E, with a credit for the Singapore income tax. Foreign residential rental property is generally depreciated over 30 years under the alternative depreciation system.

Employment, equity compensation and remote work for a US employer

Sourcing. For US purposes, compensation is generally sourced where the services are performed. Days worked in Singapore produce foreign earned income, eligible for the FEIE and placed in the general FTC basket; days worked on US trips produce US-source income. Singapore likewise taxes employment exercised in Singapore.

Remote work for a US employer. Salary for work done while living in Singapore is generally taxable there. The US employer typically keeps running US payroll: income tax withholding (adjustable with Form 673 where the FEIE applies) plus FICA. Singapore has no general payroll withholding system for employees; tax is assessed after filing. Whether you may work remotely from Singapore at all is an immigration question, separate from tax.

RSUs and options. Singapore taxes share-plan gains as employment income. For foreign employees leaving, IRAS applies a "deemed exercise" rule at tax clearance: unvested awards and unexercised options are taxed as if vested or exercised then, unless the employer uses the tracking option. In the US, RSUs are generally taxed at vesting and sourced by workdays between grant and vest. The two countries can tax the same award at different times, which complicates credit timing.

State tax. Moving abroad does not automatically end US state tax residency — see our guide on state taxes after moving abroad.

Leaving Singapore

Singapore side. There is no exit tax. When a non-citizen employee stops work, is posted overseas, or leaves for more than three months, the employer must file Form IR21 at least one month ahead and withhold monies due until IRAS clears it; the deemed exercise rule applies then. PRs giving up status may be able to withdraw CPF; its US treatment follows the CPF position you took.

US side. Only renouncing citizenship or abandoning a green card ends US filing. Renunciation may trigger the expatriation regime — see our guide on the US exit tax. Under Rev. Proc. 2025-32, the 2026 covered-expatriate income tax threshold is $211,000 and the mark-to-market exclusion is $910,000. The $2 million net worth test is not indexed. Moving back to the US ends FEIE eligibility partway through the year, so the exclusion is prorated.

Mistakes Americans commonly make in Singapore

1. Skipping the US return because the FEIE "covers everything." The exclusion only exists on a filed return.
2. Ignoring self-employment tax. Freelancers generally owe it in full, with no totalization relief and no FEIE offset.
3. Buying local unit trusts or ILPs. These are likely PFICs.
4. Treating US investment income as tax-free. Singapore may not tax it; the US does, with nothing to credit.
5. Paying 60% ABSD as a US citizen, or claiming the FTA remission as a non-citizen green card holder.
6. Forgetting the deemed exercise rule on unvested RSUs at departure.
7. Leaving CPF and SRS off US reporting without a deliberate, documented position.

Checklist

Before moving: pin down whether you will work for a Singapore entity, an American employer, or yourself — this decides social security; avoid buying foreign funds, and keep investments US-domiciled.

First 90 days: give your bank Form W-9; set up myTax Portal access; start a day-count log (Singapore, US, elsewhere) for the FEIE and the 183-day test; if self-employed, set up US estimated payments.

Every year: Singapore return by April 18; US return by June 15 or October 15 (Forms 2555/1116, 8938, 8621 as needed); FBAR by October 15; record SGD/USD rates for property basis and any mortgage.

Before leaving: give your employer at least one month's notice for IR21, and model deemed-exercise tax on unvested equity; check the Seller's Stamp Duty holding period and plan the FEIE proration.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay US taxes if I live in Singapore?

You generally have to file, but the FEIE, housing exclusion and foreign tax credit often reduce US tax on salary substantially. Investment income and self-employment tax are the common exceptions.

Is there a tax treaty between the US and Singapore?

No. There is no income tax treaty in force, so relief comes from US domestic law.

Do Americans pay CPF in Singapore?

Only if they are Singapore permanent residents or citizens. Americans on an Employment Pass do not contribute.

Can I use the foreign earned income exclusion in Singapore?

Yes, if you meet the bona fide residence or physical presence test. The 2026 cap is $132,900, plus a housing exclusion capped at $86,700 of housing expenses for Singapore.

Do US citizens pay ABSD in Singapore?

Under the US–Singapore FTA, US citizens get Singapore-citizen stamp duty treatment, so no ABSD on a first residential purchase.

Does Singapore tax my US dividends and capital gains?

Generally no, for a resident individual: Singapore exempts foreign-sourced income received by individuals, except through a Singapore partnership. The US still taxes it.

When to hire a professional

• Self-employment, a Singapore company, or a check-the-box decision: a US international tax CPA or enrolled agent (Forms 5471, 8858, 8832), with a Singapore chartered accountant.
• CPF, SRS or local funds: a US adviser experienced with PFICs and foreign trusts.
• Equity compensation or tax clearance: an expatriate tax adviser familiar with IRAS share-plan rules.
• Property: a Singapore conveyancing lawyer plus a US preparer for Section 121 and currency calculations.
• Unfiled years or missed FBARs: a US tax attorney or CPA familiar with the IRS's streamlined procedures — see our guide on the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures.
• Renouncing citizenship or a green card: a US tax attorney experienced with section 877A.

Sources

Source	URL	Used for	Page date
IRS — United States income tax treaties A to Z	https://www.irs.gov/businesses/international-businesses/united-states-income-tax-treaties-a-to-z	No Singapore treaty	Reviewed 03-Jan-2026
SSA — U.S. International Social Security Agreements	https://www.ssa.gov/international/agreements_overview.html	No US–Singapore totalization agreement	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
IRS — Rev. Proc. 2025-32	https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf	2026 standard deduction, FEIE, expatriation thresholds	2025
IRS — Notice 2026-25	https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-26-25.pdf	2026 housing cost limit, Singapore $86,700	2026
IRS — Form 8938 reporting summary	https://www.irs.gov/node/8398	Thresholds for taxpayers abroad	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
26 CFR §301.7701-2 (Cornell LII)	https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/26/301.7701-2	Per se corporation list	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
Income Tax Act 1947, s.10 and s.10L (Singapore Statutes Online)	https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/ITA1947	Territorial charging provision	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
IRAS — Working out my tax residency	https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-residency-and-tax-rates/working-out-my-tax-residency	183-day test, concessions	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
IRAS — Individual Income Tax rates	https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-residency-and-tax-rates/individual-income-tax-rates	Resident/non-resident rates	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
IRAS — e-Tax Guide, Foreign-Sourced Income Exemption	https://www.iras.gov.sg/media/docs/default-source/e-tax/tax-exemption-for-foreign-sourced-income285e5d43d6af4001b3ce35da1e9005b5.pdf	Foreign income exemption since 2004	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
IRAS — Tax clearance (IR21) and deemed exercise rule	https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/employers/tax-clearance-for-foreign-spr-employees-(ir21)/getting-tax-clearance-a-step-by-step-guide	IR21, deemed exercise	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
IRAS (ask.gov.sg) — US citizens and ABSD under the FTA	https://ask.gov.sg/iras/questions/cln4esmvd001k5v0x5xhhbfj2	ABSD exemption for US citizens	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
MOF — Tax concessions to foreign nationals through FTAs	https://www.mof.gov.sg/news-resources/newsroom/tax-concessions-given-to-foreign-nationals-or-entities-through-free-trade-agreements/	FTA stamp duty treatment	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
MOF — Extension of Seller's Stamp Duty holding period	https://www.mof.gov.sg/news-resources/newsroom/extension-of-the-holding-period-of-seller-s-stamp-duty-ssd-and-higher-ssd-rates-for-residential-properties/	4-year SSD period from July 2025	03-Jul-2025
IRAS — Entry into force of reciprocal FATCA IGA	https://www.iras.gov.sg/news-events/newsroom/entry-into-force-of-reciprocal-fatca-iga-with-the-united-states-of-america	FATCA Model 1 IGA, 1-Jan-2021	2021
CPF Board — Contribution changes from January 1, 2026	https://www.cpf.gov.sg/conrate2023	CPF ceilings and PR graduated rates	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
IRAS / MOF — Supplementary Retirement Scheme	https://www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/Schemes/Individuals/Supplementary-Retirement-Scheme--SRS-/	SRS caps and withdrawal taxation	Accessed 17-Oct-2026
KPMG; Crowe (secondary)	—	Issue-spotting only: NCTI/OBBBA mechanics, Rev. Proc. 2020-17 summary	2025–2026

A note on scope: this guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Whether a given fact pattern — a CPF or SRS balance, a Singapore company you control, equity vesting across a move — triggers the rules described here depends on your own situation. Get advice from a US preparer experienced with Forms 1116, 5471, 8621 and 8938 and a Singapore chartered accountant before you rely on anything in this guide.