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The extension of exemption for remitted income up till 2036 applies only to foreign income that has been taxed. If one is earning SG dividends and remitting-back, will this dividend be exempted ?

The snag here is : The exemption is NOT across the board. This time, there is a condition applied to the extension.

If we have any uncertainty on the above, we need to start thinking now and not closer to 2036.

Very easy.
1. Dump say RM2m into stock that is generating around 5%p.a. if scared to kena tax keep it below the RM2m mark say Rm1.8. This will give you dividend of less than RM100k thus preventing you from paying the 2% tax. This is to sustain your lifestyle in Malaysia.
2. Live like a digital nomad. Interactive broker now have credit card that they open to non US citizen to for all your overseas spend. Better than any priority bank (their forex rates).
3. Most drastic way, be tax resident of Ireland, (no need to be rich unlike Singapore), there are other good tax country which I didn't research yet.

This post has been edited by Ramjade: Nov 14 2025, 11:26 AM

In theory and in real life, anything can happen. plus we are talking about a policy to be enforced in a decade's time. For all we know, the next gov will decide to change the rules again for whatever reason.

Yeah, same same here. I also don't have the intention to remit my overseas fund back to Malaysia... as I have no idea what to do with the funds afterwards in Malaysia. Local bursa holdings and EPF div basically covers my monthly spending budget.

I may occasionally remit like 10 to 30K rm back from overseas once in a blue moon as spare spending cash. I reckon such small amount will not trigger anything....

My understanding is that MY and SG have similar tax code wrt taxation on div from corporations registered in respective countries. SG still maintain 0% tax rate, while MY now have 2% for amt abv 100K.
So, it is considered not relevant to individuals.... yeah, there are some special requirements like corporations/partnerships... but that has nothing to do with most of us.

Well, 2036 is quite far away really.... that is a decade away. Can keep it in mind, but no need to overstress within next few years.
Just think back to 2015... how much is different now? even gov is diff... (and yet same same type of MPs... lol).
2015 EPF says those too much money can take out, now... ops... want to keep your cash in form of pension cashflow...

(there's another solution... can always pass the overseas fund to your kids directly there... no need to remit back... That's my other plan... have to pay for educations overseas, if they can make it)
edit: a friend jokingly suggested that I also go overseas again to get a PhD at same time at same uni... if nothing, just to spend down the funds... lol

This post has been edited by Wedchar2912: Nov 14 2025, 12:37 PM

wah... your third proposal only makes sense if one is dirty rich... in context of Malaysians here, be at least a hectomillionaire in ringgit. else, not cost effective...
or just gift the accumulated wealth to your decendants without remitting the funds back.

there is another method: throw the extra funds you have into EPF as epf div is tax free... (maybe not you, since you don't like EPF... lol)

Having said all this, the 2% tax for div abv 100K rm is a rounding error issue... I don't mind letting gov take that... cos buying gold itself also I kena bid-ask spread of like 5% min.

Not really. Got poor Americans who did what I said. Last time got Portugal foreign viaa. So they pay tax in Portuguese. I heard some Australian also did the same thing. Live in Span or Portugal for retirement.

This post has been edited by Ramjade: Nov 14 2025, 01:19 PM

(me just thinking out loud here akin to brainstorming... so anyone reading, take this with a big pinch of salt... )

If the goal is simply to bring money back to Malaysia, isn’t this whole arrangement a bit too much hassle? If someone is already willing to spend long stretches overseas (like 6 months in Oz and NZ), then the easiest option is just spend overseas money overseas and avoid the remittance issue entirely.

Most low ringgit deca-millionaires don’t really have the scale to live that kind of lifestyle and still insist on remitting money back to Malaysia tax-free.
(10m 3% swr => 300K spending)

Plus, if already retired with no active income (so no rental as it counts as active income and is taxable), then anything remitted to Malaysia get taxed according to personal bracket. For example, remitting 100k might mean an average tax of around 6%... 30K to 40K would be fully tax free due to deductions.

My secondary goal after FAT FIRE is be able to move to any cheap European countries to case things go south.

With our MYR, there's no 'cheap' European country. Even Romania and Bulgaria is not cheap

Can be achieved if you got RM4-6m per person. Plus spouse it will become 8-12m. How did I know? The poor American couple move to Portugal. I think they have around USD1m when they make the move.

for those who've invested in SGX stocks, what if you transfer out to a local broker like Moomoo Malaysia https://www.moomoo.com/sg/support/topic5_590. giving an example of Moomoo SG as per below, no idea how much your sg broker will charge



anyway i did ask moomoo sg before, no discount if transfer out to moomoo MY

This post has been edited by Medufsaid: Nov 14 2025, 10:55 PM

Please forgive my ignorance. Let's say I buy 1 lot of DBS via Moomoo SG and I have DBS Vickers account. If I want to transfer my DBS shares to my CDP account, I need to pay 110 SGD (100 to Moomoo SG and 10 to CDP), and the dividend that I will be receiving in the future will continue to credit to my Moomoo SG account, right?

Buy gold etf and eliminate the spread.

Take YouTube as entertainment, don't take them too seriously. They may have pension, rental and YouTube income 😊 if not the 1mio will run out in a short while. Most importantly they're white, anti migrant is serious in all of Europe

May I ask if there is a particular reason why you wish to transfer your overseas holding (ie sgx shares) form a broker overseas back to a local broker?

cos transaction costs (buying or selling) in general is a lot cheaper overseas in SG or HK rite?

Thank you.
My passive income in Msia is not from stocks. I still practise my profession on a case by case basis.
If I’m to live overseas, I’ll choose to be close to my young ones, or in SG. But I still tjink…. Msia is good.

Thank you. I’ll address ur 7th paragraph first - kids ‘ education all completed and they graduated, doing well overseas.🙂

To your first few paragraphs, IF the dividends we earn do not fulfill the conditions, then we are staring down at possible tax against all funds remitted-back in the next 10 years.

Remitting 300k to chg the car would mean a lot of difference. 🙂
Subsequently, taking Business Class for 2, three times a year would remit back 100k. I’m still trying to find ways to buy such tickets from an overseas ticketing agent.

Edited by adding : If one spends all his time overseas and don’t spend at all in Msia… then yeah, it’s easy to maneuver this…. The local income is enough to maintain the local assets.

This post has been edited by Hansel: Nov 15 2025, 02:55 PM

For "FIRE" issues, please post at its own topic. https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/5203278/+3220

Needless to "infest: with every topic (be it exchange rate, EPF topic etc) on "FIRE" or financial management issues.

This topic is about exchange rate matter.

Moderating team doesn't want to see every topic talking about similar issue, whilst it can be concentrate on its own topic as above link.

Thank you.

Curious... what dividends are those that you are refering to? div from partnerships or special trusts?
At the end, in spite of all the jugglings done, if one still has to pay tax on forex remitted back, then have to pay lor. That is 2036 onwards...

btw, a traveller can carry up to 10K usd in notes in and out of malaysia, without declaration. Legal and clean.

This post has been edited by Wedchar2912: Nov 15 2025, 05:32 PM