🇸🇬 Singapore Freelancer Tax Calculator
Estimate your after-tax income as a self-employed worker in Singapore.
Estimated after-tax income
$60,650
≈ $19,350 in tax & contributions
Approximated using employee contribution rates; real Freiberufler vs Gewerbe treatment, trade tax and voluntary/private insurance differ significantly.
Estimate only — not tax advice. Figures are estimates based on publicly available tax rules and may not reflect your full circumstances. See our methodology & sources. Always confirm with an official tax authority or a licensed adviser before making decisions.
Self-employment tax in Singapore
Self-employed residents in Singapore pay income tax on net trade income and make MediSave CPF contributions, but no full CPF. It's a lighter regime than most countries — see the freelancer calculator.
Freelance taxation in Singapore differs from Singapore employee payroll in three ways: who pays the social contributions, how and when you file, and which expenses you can deduct. The calculator above gives a simplified Singapore estimate — for anything beyond a ballpark, especially around deductible expenses and the special regimes Singapore, speak to a qualified accountant.
Want the employee picture instead? Use the Singapore salary calculator.
Employee or freelancer, on the same money
On the same $80,000 of Singapore income, our estimate leaves a freelancer about $0 a year ahead of an employee — roughly $0 a month, against employee take-home of $5,054. That $0 advantage narrows once unpaid holiday, unpaid sickness and the gaps between contracts are priced in, none of which a Singapore employee carries.
Deductible business expenses are the largest omission from the Singapore freelance column, and they work in your favour: equipment, software, professional insurance, an accountant and a legitimate share of home-office costs all come off profit before this arithmetic starts, so a freelancer with $12,000of genuine costs is comparing a much smaller taxable figure than the table shows. Approximated using employee contribution rates; real Freiberufler vs Gewerbe treatment, trade tax and voluntary/private insurance differ significantly.
| Annual profit | As an employee | As a freelancer | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $46,050 | $46,050 | +$0 |
| $80,000 | $60,650 | $60,650 | +$0 |
| $120,000 | $92,850 | $92,850 | +$0 |
| $160,000 | $126,850 | $126,850 | +$0 |
Frequently Asked Questions
+How are freelancers taxed in Singapore?
Self-employment Singapore is assessed on profit rather than gross pay, and you carry the contributions an employer would otherwise share. On $80,000 of profit our estimate leaves $60,650 after tax and contributions, before any deductible business expenses. The section above sets out how the Singapore rules work in detail.
+Is freelance tax higher than employee tax in Singapore?
On the same $80,000, our estimate leaves a freelancer about $0 a year better off than an employee — roughly $0 a month. Deductible Singapore business expenses are not modelled here and can move that $0 materially in your favour.
+What day rate do I need to match a salary in Singapore?
To match the $80,000 median as a Singapore freelancer you need profit of roughly that figure before expenses, then divide by the days you can realistically bill — 200 to 220 after holiday, sickness, admin and gaps, not 260. On 210 days that is about $381 a day as a floor, not a target.
+How much should I set aside for tax as a freelancer in Singapore?
At $80,000 of profit our estimate puts total tax and contributions near 24%. Setting aside that share of every Singapore invoice into a separate account, plus a margin, is the habit that prevents the annual scramble — on $80,000 of profit that is roughly $1,613 a month put aside.
Estimate only — not tax advice. Figures are estimates based on publicly available tax rules and may not reflect your full circumstances. See our methodology & sources (last reviewed June 2026). Always confirm with an official tax authority or a licensed adviser before making decisions.