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Employment & MOM Guidelines

Stay updated on Singapore employment and MOM guidelines, including work permits, foreign worker rules, employment requirements and HR compliance.

Employment & MOM Guidelines

Demystifying IR21 & Tax Clearance: A Comprehensive Guide for Foreigners in Singapore

As an employer, one of your responsibilities is filing Form IR21 for your employees. This form details their employment and income up until their last working day or the day before they leave Singapore. It’s also your duty to withhold funds from non-Singaporean employees for tax clearance purposes upon their departure. Given the complexity of the process, we recommend using a comprehensive HR software solution in Singapore to make filings more accurate. Adaptive Pay provides a robust HRMS platform equipped with an advanced payroll module designed to ease the complexities of tax filing. This cloud-based software simplifies tax-related processes while boosting your overall operational efficiency. With features encompassing leave and claims management, attendance tracking, and employee appraisals, Adaptive Pay ensures that your HR tasks are managed effectively and efficiently. Understanding IR21 and the tax clearance process is vital for compliance with Singapore’s local regulations. This guide aims to equip you with the latest information and insights on these topics, ensuring you stay compliant and informed.  Understanding tax clearance in Singapore Tax clearance is a mandatory process for employers with non-Singapore citizen employees (this includes Singapore Permanent Residents and foreign employees). Employers must notify the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) and withhold any payments owed to these employees when they are about to end their employment or if they plan to leave Singapore for more than three months, including if they are relocating for an overseas assignment. However, there are specific scenarios where tax clearance isn’t required: If the employee was in Singapore for no more than 60 days within the calendar year. This exemption doesn’t apply to company directors, public entertainers, or professionals in similar roles. If the employee has been working in Singapore continuously for more than 183 days over two years and their annual earnings have not exceeded $21,000. This is relevant for foreign employees who arrived in Singapore from January 1, 2007, onwards. If the Non-Singapore Citizen employee has worked in Singapore for at least 183 days in a calendar year and earns less than $21,000 annually. If the employee has been with your company for three consecutive years, with an annual salary below $21,000.  Payments to withhold from Non-Singapore Citizen employees  As an employer, you must withhold all monies, including reimbursements, allowances, overtime and leave pays, lump sum payments, and gratuities due to the employee from the date you become aware of their impending departure from Singapore or termination of employment. If you’re unable to withhold these payments for some reason, you must clearly state your reasons on Form IR21. Failing to do so could make you responsible for any taxes the employee owes to the IRAS. It’s important to note that the Employment Act prohibits employers from deducting parts of an employee’s monthly salary to cover tax clearance funds. What is Form IR21? IRAS requires employers to file Form IR21 for all non-Singapore citizen employees. This form reports the employee’s income and employment details up to their last day of work or the day before they leave Singapore. Filing Form IR21 helps prevent foreign tax defaulters. It ensures that employees pay any taxes they owe before leaving Singapore. To ensure a smooth exit process for your employee, you should file Form IR21 at least one month before any of these events: They end their employment with your company in Singapore. They leave Singapore for a period exceeding 3 months. They depart for an overseas work assignment. Submitting Form IR21 Use IRAS’ myTaxPortal for a quicker tax clearance process. This online service requires authorisation through your company’s Corppass login. To avoid delays, you need to make sure that the information on your employee’s Form IR21 is accurate: Include all your employee’s income earned during the year they are leaving or their cessation year. If you did NOT electronically report their income from the previous year using the Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS), include that as well. Provide details on any severance payments offered as compensation for loss of office. IRAS will determine if these payments are taxable. Use your HR software (if applicable) to confirm the amount of gratuity your employee receives for past services. Remember, gratuity and any salary payments made in place of notice are taxable income and should be reflected on the form. These are just some of the things you must know about Form IR21 and tax clearance. Request a demo of Adaptive Pay today to see how HR software in Singapore can help you with the tax clearance process.

Employment & MOM Guidelines

Topic: Demystifying AIS Submission to IRAS: A Comprehensive Guide by Adaptive Pay Solutions

Key takeaway: According to Section 68(2) of the Income Tax Act, if your company has 5 or more employees, you’re required to enrol in the AIS. This also applies to companies with fewer than 5 employees if they’ve received a ‘Notice to File Employment Income of Employees Electronically’ under AIS. If you have 5 employees and haven’t joined the AIS yet, it’s recommended that you do so. The AIS allows employers to electronically submit their employees’ employment income information to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore by March 1 of each year. Understanding AIS  AIS aims to simplify tax filings for employees by allowing employers to submit employment income directly to IRAS online. Employees can go to myTaxPortal to check their payslips to see their employment income and auto-included information through the ‘Income, Deductions and Relief Statement’ when they file their individual income tax returns. In this guide, we will share more details about AIS to make submissions a breeze. AIS registration  The AIS registration for YA (Year of Assessment) 2024 is closed. However, registrations for YA 2025 will start from April 1, 2024, to December 32, 2024. If you missed the registration deadline on December 31, you can register for the next YA from April to December of the following year.  To register, visit myTaxPortal and choose from any of these registration methods:  1. Personal Tax  Enter your Singpass Choose ‘More,’ then ‘Register for AIS.’ Choose your organisation’s UEN type and input the tax reference number Click ‘Next’ Fill out the registration details and click ‘Register.’  2. Business Tax  This registration process is only for employers with an existing Preparer/Approver role with the IRAS’ digital service (such as Corporate Tax and GST).  Enter your UEN/Entity ID and Singpass before logging in Pick ‘Employers,’ ‘Register for AIS’ Click ‘Next’ Complete the registration by providing the necessary details and clicking ‘Register.’  3. Tax Agent Login via Business Client  This applies only to tax agents with existing Approver or Preparer roles with the IRAS’ digital service.  Enter the Tax Agent Company’s UEN or Entity ID and your Singpass to log in. Choose ‘Employers,’ ‘Register for AIS’ Pick your client’s organisation UEN type and provide the tax reference number. Click ‘Next’ Fill out the details and click ‘Register.’  Who is expected to participate in the AIS?  Starting YA 2024, joining the AIS is compulsory for the following types of employers:  1. Those who have 5 or more employees, including:  Full-time and part-time resident employees Non-resident employees (this includes employees who are based overseas and are required to provide their services in Singapore during the year) Company director, including a non-resident one Pensioner Board member receiving Committee or Board member fees Employee who left the organisation but has received income in the reporting year  2. Those who received the ‘Notice to File Employment Income of Employees Electronically under the AIS.’  Voluntary AIS participation  Employers are encouraged to participate in the AIS, even if they have less than 5 employees.  Experience Adaptive Pay Adaptive Pay makes tax filing straightforward for AIS employers by removing the need to distribute and fill forms IR8A, IR8S, Appendix 8B, and Appendix 8A. Instead, Adaptive Pay’s payroll module automatically prepares and submits these documents, saving time and reducing errors for both employers and employees. As a verified and approved partner of the IRAS, Adaptive Pay allows you to directly submit to the AIS without the hassle of handling forms. Request a demo to discover how our software can streamline your tax filing process, saving you valuable time and effort.

HR Tips

Recruitment and Onboarding Made Easy: The Power of HR Management Software

HR management software is one of the essential tools every modern human resources department should have, especially when it automates the most critical tasks. It adds value to your company by streamlining work to increase productivity, ultimately leading to employee satisfaction. The best platform is cloud-based and integrates all the relevant HR processes in one, so you don’t need to get a separate attendance tracker or payroll software in Singapore. Several HR management software solutions are available today, but not all of them can perform all the necessary HR tasks to keep your business running smoothly. One of the important things an HRMS solution should do is simplify recruitment and onboarding by covering all steps in those processes. Make sure to choose a software solution that can make it easier to organise and conduct initial screenings, interviews, assessments, and other crucial aspects of candidate evaluation. Make the best impression on new hires and candidates Candidates show their best when they step into your office. You must do the same as a prospective employer. Recruitment is a critical stage that can define the long-term success of your business, so be sure it’s effectively managed using reliable and flexible HR management software. Simplify onboarding Onboarding is the process that follows after a candidate accepts and commits to a job offer. While it may appear simple, the onboarding process can be complex because it involves training the new hire to ensure that they are suitable for the company. The process is not limited to providing new hires with a workstation and giving them the company manual to familiarise them with in-house procedures and policies. You must also ask them to sign all pertinent documents, track these papers, and orient them on their roles and responsibilities. It will be easier to manage these tasks with HR management software. Ensure timely and accurate pay Additionally, you will want your new hires to be paid accurately and on time to increase their job satisfaction. A cloud-based HR management platform that functions as payroll software in Singapore can help. That way, you can integrate HR and payroll, get automatic calculations, and simplify tax filings. It’s time to improve your recruitment and onboarding Adaptive Pay is a versatile, cloud-based HRMS solution with all the necessary features, including payroll software in Singapore. It’s a comprehensive HR management platform you can get at a fixed price, with a mobile app that allows access anytime, anywhere. Request a demo on this website to learn how it can improve your HR processes, including recruitment and onboarding.

HR Tips

A Complete Guide to HR Risk Management

Do you want to improve the way you manage your employees while keeping employee satisfaction up? Or are you looking for a way to protect yourself from some of the many issues that can hurt your business? Whichever of these it is, the answer is simple: you need HR risk management. If you’ve never heard of it before or are uncertain what it entails, you’re on the right page. Today, we’ll go over what it is and how it can help you fight a lot of business problems. You’ll also get the basics of how to implement it as we discuss common HR risks, so you can get started on planning your own HR risk management. What is HR Risk Management? There are many ways to describe HR risk management. We can put it this way: it’s the process of looking for potential HR risks and finding the best solution to handle or prevent them even before these risks eventuate. In other words, it’s looking out for potential HR problems and addressing them before they become problems. The focus for this type of risk management is usually the employees. This can be related to the way they’re managed, how they behave, how much they can access in their roles, or even how you hire and let go of employees. For example, some risks that may arise are internal theft, benefits liabilities, employee-related lawsuits, and workers’ comp. We’ll talk about them in more detail later, but these give you an idea of what risks HR risk management addresses. The risks faced often depend on the nature of the business and its structure. For instance, SMB HR risks are usually slightly different from those faced by bigger organisations. What’s more, note that all employees are included in the risk assessment: it doesn’t matter whether you’re in the C-suite or a part-timer. Why is it important? HR risk management is vital because it ensures that your company is ready for potential issues that would otherwise hamper it if they do arise. Remember: businesses are powered by people. Employees make your business possible and are critical in achieving your aims and success. Without the right employees to power your organisation, you’d be unlikely to get anywhere. An HR risk management plan helps you with that. Among other things, it does the following: Mitigates the risks of taking on employees who may cause trouble Make better hiring decisions Manage your human resources as effectively as possible This gives you an idea of the value HR risk management brings to the table. And you wouldn’t be alone in seeing that value: it’s why we’re seeing a surge in popularity for HR systems in Singapore that have risk management tools in them. Most of the best HR software is actually designed specifically around risk management strategies now. As such, more and more companies are integrating risk management into their organisations as they modernise. Of course, you don’t technically need HR software to do risk management. However, modern utilities do make it much easier, especially as certain tasks and can be automated with software now. Common HR Risks to Address in Risk Management Now that you know what risk management is, let’s talk about some of the most common HR risks and how to deal with them. Again, remember what we said about risks depending on companies’ structures, natures, and unique needs. This means that your organisation may require unique strategies for certain risks – ones that we can’t provide for in this generalised guide. Even if the recommendations here aren’t exhaustive, though, they can still give you a sense of what to do and how to address the risks discussed. 1. Taxes, Regulations, and Compliance Most HR personnel already know that there can be a lot of legalese involved in their jobs. There are laws and regulations to look out for. Think of employment regulations, payroll requirements, and the like. Companies need to comply with a lot of legislation. The straightforward solution here is for your HR personnel to audit the relevant departments and processes regularly for compliance. This can be a lot of tedious work, granted, but it’s worth it to prevent costly fines from errors or oversights. Fortunately, as we mentioned earlier, there’s HR software now that can help you with it, like ones that do automated tax calculations and filing for payroll regulation compliance. 2. Legislative Changes Laws change more often than people think. Even laws affecting employees, like ones on disability inclusions, can be altered at any time. Updates to legislation have to be tracked and observed by your HR team. Again, it’s about minimising the possibility of getting slapped with a non-compliance penalty or fine. An easy fix is to make sure your HR team has news alerts set up for the appropriate topics and agencies, like the organisations that usually announce such legislative changes. 3. Technological Security Concerns Well, we all know digitalisation has been sped up by the pandemic. What this means, though, is that businesses now have bigger responsibilities than ever before when it comes to data security. The solution here is to ask your IT team to provide suggestions on security. Ask them to help your HR team disseminate good operating procedures across all personnel. 4. Recruitment Woes This is one of the most common concerns for HR in all organisations. There are so many risks that come with recruitment, like hiring people with a history of legal issues or not hiring enough people for the business’s needs. All of these can be resolved with a strong hiring system. The goal is to mitigate those risks we mentioned, which means having clear processes for background checking, standardised requirements, and so on. 5. Onboarding Processes Onboarding and training are other common pain points. A lot of organisations don’t realise that they’re having trouble getting employees to adapt to their roles simply because of their faulty onboarding processes. A good solution here is to survey or interview your current

HR Tips

5 Signs Your F&B Business Needs An HRMS

One of the things that Singapore’s most well-known for is its food and beverage or F&B industry. This is the island where a hawker stall once earned a Michelin star. But it’s not all stars and rainbows on the horizon for F&B businesses here. With a year-on-year decline in F&B sales of 26% in 2020 and continued uncertainty ahead thanks to the pandemic, there are clear challenges for any F&B business owner. Fortunately, there are many strategies available for overcoming those challenges. Among other things, business owners can strengthen their human resource management. Doing so is beneficial for any business, as it keeps the many parts of the organisation aligned in pursuit of common goals. It makes for an efficient and effective organisation. Today, the task of human resource management has to deal with new issues. A shift to the digital age, remote work, and the like are all realities today… which is part of why even human resource management has turned digital. Cloud-based HRM software is now one of the chief tools business owners can wield in this area. If you’re not sure if you need one in particular, then let’s go over some of the signs that you do: Your HR team may show signs of low productivity during salary periods They may take a lot of time to disburse wages due to complexities of figuring out the appropriate figures for each worker, for instance. This usually happens when there’s a wide range of part-time and full-time employees or employees with different levels and positions. That may mean differing hours, pay grades, and so on. When this happens, getting rid of your antiquated payroll system is usually the better way to go. Simply automate or streamline the process with an HRM that can keep track of salaries better than an entirely manual system. Never-ending pain points If you seem to have a list of never-ending pain points, it may be a sign that your HR isn’t able to handle your operations smoothly. Especially for a business that’s still growing, this may mean regularly outgrowing current business practices and tools. There are so many things to manage in a business, from recruitment and training to incorporating employees in the system. Then there’s the matter of recording leaves, claims, payroll, etc. The policies for those things can shift as a business ages and evolves. If your current system can’t cope with the growing or changing demands of your business, you may need HR software to fill in the gap. Trouble keeping up with compliance requirements With the frequently changing compliance guidelines and employee regulations, it’s key that any F&B HR department keeps up to date on myriad rules. Otherwise, it could very well fall into serious trouble. Some oversights may even lead to legal issues… or even the closure of your business. That’s the last thing you want for something you worked hard to build and grow. Luckily, it’s not something you need to struggle with too hard if you have capable HR software. The better examples of such software aren’t just flexible enough to adjust easily to regulatory changes: they’re even updated by developers so certain regulatory changes reflect immediately in your policies. Confusion of processes Just as it’s important to consistently produce the best quality of food and drinks your business is able to provide, you know how important management is when it comes to maintaining that quality. Processes and standard operating procedures have to be clear and enforced for a consistent, high-quality experience. That applies to everything from inventory management (which obviously affects food quality and hygiene, as well as availability) to order processing (which affects service quality). If your HR has trouble with that, you can use HR software to make it easier. That’s because it can help you keep track of processes and policies while streamlining them. Having a high turnover rate Have a high turnover rate in your workforce? That may come down to messy workforce management, interestingly enough. That’s because this can lead to confusion in scheduling, poor employee engagement, duty manager problems, lower service quality, and more. It means having to retrain new employees regularly, which can take a serious toll on resources. And of course, all of this can affect your business’s reputation. So that you’re not left during a busy dinner shift with barely any employees and the remaining ones running around in a frenzy, get HR software with a strong attendance feature. Having a good attendance rostering system will help! Conclusion An F&B business faces quite a few challenges in Singapore today, especially where its HR is concerned. But as you can see, several of them can be addressed quite effectively by good HR software. Modern HR software can make an F&B business owner’s life much simpler by automating and streamlining a lot of traditionally manual tasks. These range from complex payroll calculations to regulatory compliance checks. All of it is about strengthening your HR department’s capabilities to suit your specific situation. Software like Adaptive Pay, for instance, can allow an extremely lean HR department to manage a fairly large team. Yet, it can also function capably as HR software for startups in the industry with only a handful of employees. Ultimately, software of this type is the future of HR as the world grows increasingly more integrated with the digital realm. F&B businesses seeking to survive and thrive in this new world should take note.

HR Tips

Where are We Going? The Future of SMEs

Did you know that micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up for more than two-thirds of all jobs contributing to about 48% of GDP in Singapore? With the right support, these companies could significantly boost economic growth! SMEs face different challenges compared to their larger competitors. This includes having limited ability and resources for planning. Working towards business goals is another problem, such as the recruitment and retention of core staff. The same management team that handles the issues mentioned usually also needs to oversee the planning and delivery of work in the company. Now that sounds stressful! As you can imagine, this is a difficult job and may result in stressed-out employees. (And we all know where burnt-out employees go. Here’s a hint: resignation!) Moreover, many SMEs are still operating on a fairly traditional basis, and may have not embraced digital technology to further move their business forward. So we can’t help but wonder: with the acceleration of digitalisation, what is the future of SMEs, really, and where are we headed? Let’s explore this together! Finding the right team Ensuring cultural fit for the company We can all agree that finding the right employees to form a dream team can directly lead to a company’s success. When talking to prospective hires, it’s important to find out if the person’s values and work ethics align with that of the existing team members. For example, in startups, having an adaptable attitude is an absolute must-have. The startup work culture requires an individual to wear multiple hats and take on different roles, which may be outside of their area of expertise. But that may not be everyone’s cup of tea! So when interviewing, ask the right questions to make sure that your potential hire has the right attitude and ethics to fit your growing business. Mapping career progression for employees Another thing to take note of: map out a path of progression for each employee. Though not everyone may ask about it directly, employees want to know what career prospects they have with your company. And if they feel that you can bring their career to the next stage, they’re more likely to stay! On the other hand, if they feel opportunities are limited or there’s no room for further growth, they may start looking for opportunities elsewhere. As globalisation continues, companies are also no longer limited by geographical distance when choosing to hire employees anyway. This means job seekers now have an easier time looking for companies that can hire them remotely. This brings us to the next point of digitalisation. Going digital Digital transformation has been a big topic among businesses and government sectors in recent years. And there’s no doubt that this has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, where businesses were forced to move online in order to survive! Technology is also now more accessible at all levels of the workplace. Yes, we’re referring to the increase in uptake of collaborative apps and cloud solutions like Microsoft Teams and Asana. These platforms help employees stay productive yet connected with the rest of their teammates, whether they’re working from their own homes in the same city or from a different continent altogether! Digitalisation for SMEs SMEs can make the most of these solutions to grow and expand their horizons too. If you think about it, a key factor to an SME’s success is having reliable people. And the management and HR team are in charge of taking care of these employees. But that’s not their only role. In a small company, (where there are only 1-2 HR staff) they’re likely to also have other responsibilities, such as managing: Attendance tracking Payroll processing (which could require hours of full attention each week) Recruiting and interviewing Benefits and compensation Employee training and wellbeing And in the case of SMEs, the management’s role not only involves overseeing staff, but also the planning, directing, and overseeing operations and the fiscal health of a business unit/department. On top of all of that, they also have to look out for their own career development. Just reading that made us tired! By digitising the HR process, managers and the HR team can collect data more easily and therefore make decisions more quickly. This means freeing up time for them so that they can work on other high-value tasks. It’s a win-win situation for all. The future is digital For an SME to thrive in this day and age, embracing new business trends and solutions is a must, to not only help your business stay afloat, but also give it a better chance at success! (And that means going digital if you haven’t already done so!) The future of SMEs relies on not only having the right employees, but also embracing technology and digitalisation. People training and management can only benefit your business when it’s paired with the right mindset. If you want to know how Adaptive Pay can redirect your business path and make your HR process simpler, contact us today for a free demo. HR Tips