Philippines vs Singapore taxes (2026): CREATE, estate tax and GST

Philippines vs Singapore tax rates at a glance

Tax	🇵🇭 Philippines	🇸🇬 Singapore
Income tax	Taxable income up to PHP 250,000: 0% PHP 250,001 to PHP 400,000: 15% of excess PHP 400,001 to PHP 800,000: PHP 22,500 + 20% PHP 800,001 to PHP 2,000,000: PHP 102,500 + 25% PHP 2,000,001 to PHP 8,000,000: PHP 402,500 + 30% Over PHP 8,000,000: PHP 2,202,500 + 35%	Resident income tax: 0% - 24% Non-resident income tax: 24% Employment concession: 15% or resident rates Foreign income: 0% / limited exceptions CPF employee: 20% CPF employer: 17%
Corporate tax	Standard domestic corporate tax: 25% Qualifying small domestic company: 20% Minimum corporate income tax: 2% of gross income Non-resident foreign corporation: 25% of gross income Qualifying NRFC dividend rate: 15% VAT: 12%	Corporate income tax: 17% Start-up exemption: Up to S$125,000 Partial exemption: Up to S$102,500 YA 2026 rebate: 50% GST: 9% Dividend withholding tax: 0%
Capital gains tax	Unlisted shares: 15% of net gain Listed shares and covered securities: 0.1% of gross sale Capital-asset real property: 6% Ordinary business assets: Regular income tax Digital assets: No dedicated rate	Capital gains tax: 0% Crypto gains tax: 0% Share gains tax: 0% Property gains tax: 0%
Dividend tax	Domestic dividend to resident individual: 10% Domestic dividend to domestic corporation: 0% Domestic dividend to qualifying NRFC: 15% Domestic dividend to other NRFC: 25% Treaty rate: May be lower	Dividend withholding tax: 0% Domestic dividends: 0% Foreign dividends: 0% / limited cases
Wealth tax	Broad net wealth tax: 0% Basic real property tax in a province: Up to 1% Basic real property tax in a city or Metro Manila municipality: Up to 2% Special Education Fund levy: 1% Idle-land levy: Up to 5%	Net wealth tax: 0% Net worth tax: 0% Annual asset tax: 0%
Inheritance / estate tax	Estate tax: 6% Standard estate deduction: PHP 5 million Donor tax: 6% Annual exempt gifts: PHP 250,000 Family-home deduction: Up to PHP 10 million	Inheritance tax: 0% Estate duty: 0% Gift tax: 0% Probate tax: 0%
VAT / GST / sales tax	VAT: 12%	GST: 9%
Standard VAT / GST	12%	9% GST
Estate tax	6%	0%

Who wins on each tax

Personal income taxSingapore

Singapore's resident scale is 0% to 24%; the Philippines reaches 35%.

Corporate taxSingapore

Singapore's 17% rate is below the Philippines' 25% standard rate and 20% small-company CREATE rate.

Capital gains taxSingapore

Singapore generally has no personal CGT; the Philippines uses 15% on unlisted shares, 0.1% stock transaction tax on listed exchange sales, and 6% on presumed real-property gains.

Estate / transfer taxSingapore

Singapore has 0% inheritance tax; the Philippines levies a 6% estate tax and a 6% donor tax.

The verdict

Singapore is the lighter personal, company and succession base. Resident individuals pay 0% to 24%, companies pay 17%, personal capital gains are generally not taxed, and there is no estate tax. The Philippines taxes individuals at 0% to 35%, standard companies at 25% or 20% if they qualify under CREATE-size tests, and estates at 6%.

The non-rate constraint is succession plus the difference between ordinary Philippine rates and CREATE incentives. A 6% estate tax applies even though there is no annual wealth tax. CREATE MORE reliefs can lower tax for registered business enterprises, but they are conditional, not the default 17% Singapore company rate.

Choose Singapore for a holding company, typical share gains and estate planning without a 6% death duty. Choose the Philippines when the BPO, domestic market or family is Philippine, and treat 12% VAT, 6% estate tax and CREATE conditions as part of the operating model.

How to read this comparison

The Philippines is a broad, source-based system with a citizenship distinction that matters. Resident Filipino citizens are generally taxable on worldwide income. Non-resident citizens and aliens are generally taxed only on Philippine-source income, and the source of personal services usually follows where the work is performed. Individuals use progressive rates from 0% to 35%. Domestic companies generally pay 25% corporate income tax, or 20% when they meet the CREATE size tests of PHP 100 million of assets and PHP 5 million of net taxable income. VAT is 12%. There is no broad annual net wealth tax, but unlisted-share gains can be taxed at 15%, listed exchange sales at 0.1% stock transaction tax, and capital-asset real property at 6% on presumed gains.

Singapore is lighter on almost every headline: 0% to 24% personal tax, 17% corporate tax, generally no personal capital gains tax, no estate tax, and 9% GST. Ordinary Singapore-company dividends are one-tier exempt. That is why holding companies and regional executives still sit in Singapore even when the delivery centre is in Manila.

The constraint is death duty and the temptation to treat CREATE as a Singapore substitute. The Philippines levies a 6% estate tax and a 6% donor tax. Singapore has neither. CREATE MORE can change the result for qualifying registered business enterprises, but those incentives are conditional. They are not the ordinary rate for every Philippine company, and they do not remove 12% VAT, withholding, local business tax or the 6% estate tax.

Choose Singapore when the share register, investment portfolio or estate should sit in a 17% and 0% estate-tax system. Choose the Philippines when the people, customers or family are there, and only count 20% corporate tax if the CREATE size or incentive conditions are actually met. A Filipino citizen who remains resident can still be taxed on worldwide income even with a Singapore company in the chart.

Which one fits you

🇵🇭 Choose Philippines if you're a…

BPO, domestic retail and Philippine-facing services
Resident citizens with Philippine family and property
Registered enterprises that actually qualify for CREATE MORE

🇸🇬 Choose Singapore if you're a…

Regional holding and HQ companies
Investors who want no general CGT or estate tax
Founders who can staff a Singapore company for real

Frequently asked questions

Is the Philippines or Singapore better for tax?

Singapore is usually better on personal income tax, corporate tax, capital gains, GST and estate tax. The Philippines is the operating-market choice, especially if CREATE incentives genuinely apply.

What is the Philippines estate tax rate?

The Philippines charges a 6% estate tax. Singapore has no estate or inheritance tax. Donor tax in the Philippines is also 6%.

Is the Philippine corporate rate 20% or 25%?

Domestic companies generally pay 25% on worldwide income, or 20% when total assets do not exceed PHP 100 million and net taxable income does not exceed PHP 5 million. CREATE MORE incentives are separate, conditional reliefs for qualifying registered business enterprises.