Working as an expat in Singapore - any advice ?

[alfaman]

I have just been given a provisional offer of an expat job in Singapore [with a different employer ]- flying out tomorrow to meet the local team.

I'd welcome any advice on what to be aware of, how long one needs to be out of the UK to avoid (ruinous) UK income tax , what it's like living in Singapore , cost of living , medical care etc.


Thanks ....

[JensenA]

No idea about the Tax regulations, but speaking to a friend who lived there.....it's very clean, very modern. Do NOT bring any chewing gum with you, it is illegal and you can a $10,000 fine and a year in Jail for 'smuggling' it in! Don't ever drop any litter, you'll be made to wear a nice Dayglo jacket and sweep the roads, and don't ever eat anything on the MRT.

[SLCZ3]

Singapore great place just keep away from drugs, they hang drug dealers!!!!! tax? UK tax payable if you are in the UK for more than 90 days on average per year over a 4 year period iirc, so still liable for tax until April the 5th 2011. You can of course offset your, erm expenses, against that. Malaria not a problem unless you go into into the jungles of the asian area, but dengue fever can be, again carried by the ever present mozzie, best repellent is anything containing 50% DEET. "Household goods" can be repatriated to the UK, without tax/vat on your return to the uk as long as they have been purchased for a year.
Hope that helps

[alfaman]

thanks for the advice - just as well I hate chewing gum and dont do drugs !

[anonymous-user]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Take a look here, and I understand Chewing Gum is now legal in Sing, part of the USA requirments for them to enter the WTO,

[Dupont666]

go to the asia forum and talk with XJSJohn and BingO, they are out there and can offer advice... I want to go but it looks like i could be getting a contract extension at my current job due to them being understaffed and the project im on is over running and they have already been asking about my next step in Jan.

[Mattt]

The non-dom tax rules changed recently, and AFAIK we are yet to see how they will affect the 'average' expat.

Assuming your life is substantially outside the UK, you need to leave the UK before the start of a new tax year, and arrive back after the end of that tax year - e.g. 1st April 2011 to 15th April 2012.

Inside that period you are allowed visits back to the UK (although as said above what you do in these might impact tax status) - up to a max of 150 days in any one year and average out to no more than 90 days over a period. IIRC that is - it's been a little while since I didn't pay tax

[Sebo]

Dupont666 said:

go to the asia forum and talk with XJSJohn and BingO, they are out there and can offer advice... I want to go but it looks like i could be getting a contract extension at my current job due to them being understaffed and the project im on is over running and they have already been asking about my next step in Jan.

Are they hiring more than London? Across particular areas?

[Dupont666]

Sebo said:

Dupont666 said:

go to the asia forum and talk with XJSJohn and BingO, they are out there and can offer advice... I want to go but it looks like i could be getting a contract extension at my current job due to them being understaffed and the project im on is over running and they have already been asking about my next step in Jan.

Are they hiring more than London? Across particular areas?

They are offering me contract rates from London over there in Sing... I get about 2 phone calls a week from Singapore and I get 4/5 from london based recruiters.

All for equities... As for emails, I lose count and just delete as they are usually the spam variety

[Sebo]

Dupont666 said:

Sebo said:

Dupont666 said:

go to the asia forum and talk with XJSJohn and BingO, they are out there and can offer advice... I want to go but it looks like i could be getting a contract extension at my current job due to them being understaffed and the project im on is over running and they have already been asking about my next step in Jan.

Are they hiring more than London? Across particular areas?

They are offering me contract rates from London over there in Sing... I get about 2 phone calls a week from Singapore and I get 4/5 from london based recruiters.

All for equities... As for emails, I lose count and just delete as they are usually the spam variety

I remember you being a LTD Co. in London so are probably not paying too much Tax anyway? What would be the appeal? Lower cost of living and the chance to live somewhere else for a bit?

[Dupont666]

Sebo said:

Dupont666 said:

Sebo said:

Dupont666 said:

go to the asia forum and talk with XJSJohn and BingO, they are out there and can offer advice... I want to go but it looks like i could be getting a contract extension at my current job due to them being understaffed and the project im on is over running and they have already been asking about my next step in Jan.

Are they hiring more than London? Across particular areas?

They are offering me contract rates from London over there in Sing... I get about 2 phone calls a week from Singapore and I get 4/5 from london based recruiters.

All for equities... As for emails, I lose count and just delete as they are usually the spam variety

I remember you being a LTD Co. in London so are probably not paying too much Tax anyway? What would be the appeal? Lower cost of living and the chance to live somewhere else for a bit?

That and I want to try Singapore for a bit and travel around Asia for holidays.

Being a Ltd Co in UK doesnt mean not paying tax, still pay a goo whack and then you have an limit, after which you cant/shouldnt touch above with out being taxed to the hilt.

Say it was £150k profits for the LTD Co:

You pay yourself £15k NI/PAYE and then the rest in Dividends up to the limit, this is £43.5k total for a year.

Say you have expenses for the company (legitmate ones) of circa £10k, that is £53.5k total now.

There is now £96.5k left over is now subject to Corp tax which is what??? 21% or something like that.

so now you pay £20265 in tax leaving you:

£76k that if you touch you get hit for an additional 32% tax or 40% depending how much you take out.

---

Singapore is £150k at 15% and then £135k straight home... Can you see the attraction

[LC23]

Mattt said:

The non-dom tax rules changed recently, and AFAIK we are yet to see how they will affect the 'average' expat.

Assuming your life is substantially outside the UK, you need to leave the UK before the start of a new tax year, and arrive back after the end of that tax year - e.g. 1st April 2011 to 15th April 2012.

Inside that period you are allowed visits back to the UK (although as said above what you do in these might impact tax status) - up to a max of 150 days in any one year and average out to no more than 90 days over a period. IIRC that is - it's been a little while since I didn't pay tax

It's 183 days, not 150 days.

[alfaman]

Dupont666 said:

go to the asia forum and talk with XJSJohn and BingO, they are out there and can offer advice... I want to go but it looks like i could be getting a contract extension at my current job due to them being understaffed and the project im on is over running and they have already been asking about my next step in Jan.

Thanks - just got back on Thursday from a brief visit - place looks quite reasonable , though rents a bit pricey : 2-3 bed flat around $8k+ / month [!] - fortunately the company I hope to be joining would pay that.

I will need a bit of advice about where to live ( or not live ) - and tax regs.

[Slaav]

I am pretty sure that if you are going abroad for a permanent position due to last (I think 2 years+) then you can be non res from teh moment you arrive in Sing.

The 90 days and 183 days is near enough correct though so be careful about long stretches back home.

CGT needs to be non res fo r5 yrs if I remeber correctly...

Sure someone will confirm for you

And non Dom rules are irrelevant to you as presumably you are UK DOm?