How do you get a tax ID number in Singapore in 2026?

Finish pass issuance so the FIN appears on the MOM or ICA record. That FIN is what IRAS lists as the tax reference number for foreigners, alongside NRIC for citizens and permanent residents. There is no parallel German-style Steuer-ID mailing after you rent in Tiong Bahru.

Register Singpass next. Log into myTax Portal at mytax.iras.gov.sg with Singpass, or use a Singpass Foreign user Account (SFA) only if you cannot obtain Singpass. Under Profile, open Update Contact & Notification Preferences and confirm mobile, email and address details so notices do not die unread. Foreigners update residential and mailing address inside myTax Portal; citizens and permanent residents push residential address through ICA and let IRAS follow.

IRAS treats you as a tax resident for a Year of Assessment when you meet published tests: staying or working at least 183 days in the previous calendar year, continuous presence across three consecutive years, or certain straddling employment periods of at least 183 days. Foreigners issued a work pass valid for at least one year are also initially treated as tax residents, but IRAS reviews status at tax clearance when employment ends. If your stay is under 183 days at that review, you can be regarded as a non-resident.

Tax residents use progressive resident rates and may claim reliefs. Non-resident employment income is taxed at 15% or the resident progressive amount, whichever produces the higher tax. Other non-resident income can face different rates on the live IRAS tables. Employers report employment income; you still need the portal for notices, e-Filing when invited, and contact updates. Banks will ask tax-residence answers during KYC: Open a bank account. Keep the address on your pass and IRAS file aligned: Register your address. Fold the tax step into Paperwork after moving.

Leaving Singapore usually triggers employer tax-clearance duties. Do not assume a quiet exit without IRAS steps just because your EP card still looks valid for a few more weeks.