Yes and no.

Yes, if you derived any other income from Msia i.e. Msia business income, dividend income, rental income, interest income and etc.

No, for your employment income as it is deemed foreign source income. Even if you brought/remitted back to Msia, it would be exempt from tax under Para 28, Schedule 6 of ITA 1967.

Hope this clears your Q.

By right you have to declare all income received in Msia whether or not it is derived from Msia. But I have never bothered to declare as I don't have any income from Msia in the first place!

Remember that you have to declare your Singapore income to IRAS (Singapore tax authority) if you annual income is >S$20,000 (or S$22,000?...can't remember).

Of course it is possible! I got client working and studying master at the same time. But she works 9 to 5 job, without OT. And she just got her master recently!

It depends on what kind of job you are applying. Work permit, S-Pass, EP (Employment Pass). After 6 months working, you can apply for PR, if you want to.

Err...I'm not sure about study loan but studying in Singapore can be a pain in the a$$, FYI

No prob! I believe there is. Why does the company stop its employee to progress further by continue studying? As long your studies don't affect your work, it should be ok, right?

Perhaps, you can tell your interviewers that you will continue studying master and who knows, it will give them a better impression on you!! Anyway, mind to share which industry you are working in?

Yes, they have even 1-room flat. But these types of flat are usually for those poor ppl. You can refer here Types of HDB flat and median rental price per locations. Just one thing, some of the locations, the rental could be much higher than what is reported by HDB.

No, you better subscribe a new line in Singapore as their postpaid is considered cheaper if compare to M'sia 1-to-1 without conversion. I'm not sure about Singtel or M1, but I, myself use Starhub (line is not very good-like Digi). A lot of packages you can choose to suit yourself. I subscribe with free IDD 018. You can check on their respective service providers website for detailed charges Starhub, SingTel, M1. Just always remember to read carefully on their T & C as they have alot of charges, even free incoming call!! I never use Skype before (pardon for my ignorant...), so I can't tell you. IINM, u can call through MSN, right?

Whether or not if you are a PR, you will still need to declare if your annual income exceeds S$20,000. And if you have chargeable income (net income after deducting reliefs), you will need to pay taxes, depending on your TAX RESIDENT status. if stay/work in Singapore >182 days (or 183 days?... approx. 6 months) per calender year, you are considered a tax resident and subject to tax scale rate. if <182 days but > 60 days, you will be taxed at 15% flat rate as you are considered as non-tax resident. if < 60 days, your income will be exempt from tax.

Cheapest manner? Go to money exchanger in Singapore (don't go to bank as they offer much lower exchange rate if compare to licensed money exchanger) and then go back to JB and bank-in to your M'sia bank a/c. Then, you don't have to incur any bank charges and receive lower conversion rate. Note that there is a risk of being robbed. If you think, it is not worth the risk, perhaps you go ahead with cktwai's suggestions.

FYI, money exchanger in raffles place (can't remember the name), bugis junction, mustafa at farrer park offer higher exchange rate than other money exchangers.



EDIT: Typo

This post has been edited by shawnlst: Dec 10 2007, 10:38 AM

If you are a non-PR, you don't have to contribute. Previously, whoever has work permit in Singapore is required to contribute CPF as well as his employer. Some companies have arrangement that even if you are not a PR/Singaporean, you will still get the portion of your employer CPF contribution (which is 14.5%) and yet you don't have to contribute to CPF. Thus, you get additional 'allowance' + your existing salaries. But still this will be considered your income and will be liable to income tax. Whereas the portion contributed by your employer to CPF is exempt from income tax. Just FYI.

There are 3 accounts being allocated to; i.e. Ordinary Account (OA), Special Account (SA) and Medisave Account (MA) and their returns are 2.5%, 4% and 4%, respectively, IINM.

This post has been edited by shawnlst: Dec 12 2007, 11:31 PM

Yes, for those non-PR or non-Singaporean. There are arrangements for that, for example those working in Big4 audit firms receive the employer's CPF portion of 14.5%. That's alot, man!!

Yea, cap at salary ceiling of S$4,500 per month. So max CPF you can get from employer is S$652.50 but still money is money

I work in audit line and as you know, there are lots of deadlines... so kinda stressed most of the time when it's on peak period. But different industries may have different working lifestyle.

Working environment... well, so far so good as my team members are mostly M'sian + a few Singaporeans.

Err... just a local firm... not Big 4... now still building up my experience first before joining Big 4... I just came to Singapore to work about 1+ year ago. My office is in Orchard. Yours?

Through referral? Classified jobs on website?

Normal sized room... not master bedroom.

Depending on which company you are in. Some companies take shorter time to get WP/EP be approved. If you have worked in Singapore before, then your application will be approved much faster. Remember there are 2 types of work permit; i.e. normal Work Permit and Employment Pass. Usually the approval of application takes average about 1 month.

Travelling from KL to Singapore costs about RM30+, < RM40 depending on which type of coach you are boarding. Like I, myself usually take Konsortium, from KL to JB costs me about RM24 and approx. 4 to 5 hours to reach. Stopping at Larkin, then take SBS bus 169/170 or Causeway Link CW1/CW2 to Singapore Custom/Kranji MRT Station/Queen Street/Jurong East which costs around RM1.40 to RM2.50.

1st year PR = employee 5%, employer 4%
2nd year PR = employee 15%, employer 9%
3rd year onwards PR = employee 20%, employer 14.5%

Some companies do offer remuneration package to pay you the employer's CPF portion, even if you are holding WP/EP, for example Big 4 audit firm. Please note that.

This post has been edited by shawnlst: Dec 31 2007, 01:37 AM

It is not that everytime when you renew your EP you have to go through medical checkup. If you are a first-timer working in Sg or your existing medical checkup report is more than 2 years since your last application or renewal, then you have to go through a new medical checkup.

Usually applying PR need at least six months working in Sg, as part of the requirements is they need your last six months payslips. I don't know about people not working in Sg but still can apply for PR. I guess those are for dependant PR i.e. you have a Sg citizen or PR to sponsor you.

Why not go for a free medical checkup once in a while? Since your company will pay for it No harm done, rite?

Don't you know about privacy and confidential? How would they know someone's medical status in the first place? Please lar... who said results will be sent to the employers, if they are paying for it? If that's really the case, people will go and sue the practitioners for doing such unetiquette practices. Common sense, common sense please...

Hahaha... I think you have misinterpreted the whole issue. What we were discussing was that the medical checkup thing is part of the requirements for application of work permit to work in Singapore. It is applied from the MINISTRY OF MANPOWER OF SINGAPORE (MOM) i.e. a government body.

It is not required by your employer in the first place. And your employer has already employed you, subject to the approval of work permit... if not, why do they need to go through the hassle of applying work permit for you? If you are rejected by MOM due to your medical checkup results, it is too bad for you then.

Singapore has even less rights for workers?? Have you even compared to its neighboring country, i.e. Malaysia?

Yea, I got a friend who applied for PR without going through her employer's approval or so-called certification of employment. What she told me is that she explained to the ICA officials that her employer required her to fulfill certain terms and conditions (e.g. bond) if she wanna apply for PR. Somehow, she got her PR within 1+ months.

I don't think we, Malaysians, need working visa, unlike UK. Yea, what we need is working permit and usually your employer will help you to apply after you managed to grab the job.

Nowadays, rental in Singapore is killing our wallet. Luckily, my landlord still rents me at lower rate. HDB 4-room flat, common room, SGD360 per month (for 2 persons), location Choa Chu Kang. Ain't that cheap?

Yea, I think since Sept 2006. At first, the landlord wanted to rent us at SGD450 but we negotiated until SGD360. Without AC obviously. But still, my place is kinda cool as it faces a big soccer field. BTW, from my place to Yew Tee MRT station is around 5-10 mins walk.

Yes, you need at least a Work Permit to apply for a postpaid mobile line and you need to pay deposit of SGD200, IINM. For EP holder, you don't have to pay any upfront deposit. You can try using prepaid line. That only requires to register using your passport.

For myself, I'm working in Orchard and staying in CCK. So travelling is a waste of time. It takes me around 1 hour journey from my home to office. But still, my rent dirt cheap and worth it.

Anyway, my transport expenses per month around SGD100 (only include from home to office and fro) and food around SGD300 (usually 2 meals a day). And I go back to Johor almost every weekend.

Depending on when you commenced your first employment. There are a few different scenarios that will affect your taxability of income in Singapore. It has nothing to do with whether you are a PR or holding working permit.

Only Singapore citizens and PRs are required to contribute to CPF (i.e. EPF in Malaysia).