Singapore VCC insights

Does Singapore Have Estate Tax? What the 2008 Abolition Means for International Families

By VCC Editorial Team · Published 11 October 2026

Short answer: No. Singapore abolished estate duty for deaths on or after 15 February 2008, and it has no inheritance tax. A Singapore-resident family can still face death taxes elsewhere: UK inheritance tax for long-term residents and leavers, US estate tax on US-situs assets, and Japanese or Korean inheritance tax on heirs and assets connected to those countries.

This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or investment advice. For matters needing legal advice, we work with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms.

Does Singapore have estate tax? It is usually the first succession question a family asks when weighing Singapore as a base, and the answer is short. What matters more is the follow-up: whether moving to Singapore actually takes a family outside the reach of death taxes. For many internationally mobile families it does not, because estate and inheritance taxes elsewhere attach to citizenship, long-term residence, the heirs’ residence or the location of assets. This article sets out the Singapore position and the five places a Singapore-based family most often meets a death tax, using official sources checked on 11 October 2026.

Does Singapore have estate duty or inheritance tax?

No. IRAS states that “Estate Duty has been removed for deaths on and after 15 February 2008”, and Singapore does not levy an inheritance tax on heirs.

The abolition was enacted by the Estate Duty (Abolition) Act 2008 (Act 13 of 2008). Section 2A of the Estate Duty Act 1929 now provides that “This Act shall apply only in relation to persons dying before 15 February 2008.” IRAS also confirms that estate duty clearance is not required for deaths on and after that date, so executors of recent estates do not deal with IRAS on duty before distributing.

Singapore also does not tax capital gains as such. IRAS states that gains from the sale of property, shares and financial instruments in Singapore are generally not taxable, though gains from trading may be. The absence of both estate duty and a capital gains tax means that, in Singapore, death is not itself a tax event.

Is stamp duty payable when Singapore property or shares are inherited?

Not on a distribution made in accordance with the will or the intestacy rules. Stamp duty can arise where the estate is distributed differently.

IRAS’s guidance on additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) states: “If your inheritance is in accordance with a Will, Intestacy Law or Muslim Inheritance Law, ABSD is not payable.” IRAS also lists the “Transfer of property by way of assent to the beneficiaries in accordance to the Will, Intestate Succession Act or Muslim Law of Inheritance” among documents no longer liable to fixed duty, for documents executed on or after 19 February 2011.

By contrast, IRAS’s pages on buyer’s stamp duty and on stamp duty for shares state that duty is payable on a “distribution from the estate of a deceased that is not in accordance with the Will, Intestate Succession Act or Muslim Law of Inheritance”. Families who plan to rearrange inherited assets among heirs should take advice before the estate is distributed.

Where can a Singapore-based family still face death taxes?

Wherever another country’s rules attach to the deceased, the heirs or the assets. The table summarises the five most common exposures; each country’s own authority is the source.

Jurisdiction	What triggers the tax	Headline figures	Official source
Singapore	None for deaths on or after 15 February 2008	No estate duty	IRAS
United Kingdom	Long-term UK residence (10 of previous 20 tax years); tail after leaving; UK assets	40% standard rate; GBP 325,000 threshold	gov.uk
United States	Citizens: worldwide assets; non-resident non-citizens: US-situs assets	Top rate 40%; USD 60,000 filing threshold for non-residents; USD 15 million basic exclusion for 2026	irs.gov
Japan	Japanese assets; worldwide assets where heirs or the deceased have Japanese residence within the relevant periods	Top rate 55%; basic exemption JPY 30 million plus JPY 6 million per statutory heir	National Tax Agency
South Korea	Resident deceased: worldwide assets; non-resident deceased: Korean assets	10% to 50%; 50% above KRW 3 billion	National Tax Service

How does UK inheritance tax follow a family to Singapore?

Through the long-term residence test and its tail. From 6 April 2025, HMRC replaced the domicile and deemed domicile rules with long-term UK resident rules.

A person is a long-term UK resident if they were UK tax resident for the previous 10 consecutive years, or “a total of 10 years or more within the previous 20 years”. Long-term residents are within UK inheritance tax on worldwide assets. On leaving, the exposure continues for up to 10 tax years: three years for 10 to 13 years of residence, four years for 14 years, five years for 15 years, rising to a maximum of 10. The standard rate is 40% above the GBP 325,000 threshold. A principal relocating from London to Singapore should therefore expect UK inheritance tax exposure to continue for several years after the move, regardless of Singapore’s position. Our note on home-country exit questions sets out the wider checklist.

How does US estate tax apply to Singapore residents?

US citizens remain within US estate tax on worldwide assets wherever they live. Non-citizens who are not US domiciled are taxed only on US-situs assets.

The IRS states that US citizens are taxed on “worldwide assets, even if they are not residents”. For non-resident non-citizens, the estate must file Form 706-NA if US-situated assets exceed USD 60,000; this filing threshold is often described as an exemption, but it is the level at which a return is required. The top rate is 40%. For US citizens and domiciliaries, legislation signed on 4 July 2025 set the basic exclusion amount at USD 15 million for calendar year 2026. A Singapore-resident family holding US-listed shares directly may therefore have a US estate tax exposure that a Singapore holding structure, such as a company or a variable capital company (VCC), can change. Our comparison of trusts, VCCs and family office structures discusses holding choices.

What about Japanese and Korean inheritance tax?

Both countries tax on residence-linked tests that can reach assets outside their borders, and both have high top rates.

Japan’s National Tax Agency explains that heirs with no address in Japan are, by default, taxed on property in Japan, but a Japanese-citizen heir who has had an address in Japan within the last ten years is taxed on all property acquired. A “temporary resident” is someone with ten years or less in Japan within the last 15. The basic exemption is JPY 30 million plus JPY 6 million per statutory heir, and the top rate is 55% on amounts over JPY 600 million.

Korea’s National Tax Service applies five progressive bands from 10% to 50%, with 50% on amounts above KRW 3 billion. Where the deceased was resident (domiciled in Korea or living there for 183 days or more), domestic and foreign assets are taxed; for a non-resident deceased, only Korean assets are taxed. The test is the deceased’s status at death. A Korean family that relocates to Singapore must therefore consider when residence in Korea genuinely ends.

What succession steps still matter in Singapore without estate duty?

Probate, wills and the intestacy rules. Without a tax to drive planning, the practical issues are delay, control and recognition across borders.

1. Make a valid Singapore will. Under section 6 of the Wills Act 1838, it must be in writing and signed in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the same time, who sign in the testator’s presence.
2. Know the default rules. The Intestate Succession Act 1967 does not apply to the estate of any Muslim; under section 112 of the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966, the estate of a Muslim domiciled in Singapore is distributed according to Muslim law.
3. Plan for probate. The Family Courts and the Family Division of the High Court hear probate and administration applications. Some assets, such as CPF monies and certain jointly held property and nominated policies, may pass without a grant.
4. Plan for foreign grants. Under section 47 of the Probate and Administration Act 1934, a grant from any part of the Commonwealth, or from a country declared by the Minister, may be resealed in Singapore and then has the like force and effect as a Singapore grant.
5. Consider holding structures. A trust with a Singapore trustee, or assets held through a company or VCC, can reduce the number of assets that need a grant, and may alter foreign-situs exposure such as US estate tax; take advice in each relevant country.

Our guide to why UHNW families move structures to Singapore places succession within the wider hub decision, and our sister site Singapore Secretary Services supports the corporate side of holding companies.

Frequently asked questions

When was estate duty abolished in Singapore?

For deaths on or after 15 February 2008, by the Estate Duty (Abolition) Act 2008. The Estate Duty Act 1929 continues to apply to deaths before that date.

Is there inheritance tax in Singapore for foreigners?

No. Singapore levies no estate duty or inheritance tax on anyone for deaths on or after 15 February 2008, whatever the nationality of the deceased or the heirs. Their home countries may still tax.

Do heirs pay stamp duty on inherited Singapore property?

ABSD is not payable on an inheritance in accordance with a will, intestacy law or Muslim inheritance law. Stamp duty can apply to a distribution that departs from the will or intestacy rules.

Does moving to Singapore end UK inheritance tax exposure?

Not immediately. Long-term UK residents remain within UK inheritance tax for between three and 10 tax years after leaving, depending on how long they were UK resident.

Can a foreign grant of probate be used in Singapore?

A grant from a Commonwealth country, or a country declared by the Minister, can be resealed under section 47 of the Probate and Administration Act 1934. Other grants require a fresh Singapore application.

Sources

• IRAS: estate duty
• GOV.UK: inheritance tax if you are a long-term UK resident
• IRS: some nonresidents with US assets must file estate tax returns

Raffles Corporate Services helps family offices and fund managers with VCC incorporation, family office set-up and ongoing compliance, including the holding structures that sit beneath a family’s succession plan; will and probate work is referred to our panel of Singapore law firms. Email hello@rafflescorporateservices.com or Call/SMS/WhatsApp +65 8501 7133, or visit Raffles Corporate Services.

Last reviewed: 11 October 2026. The Editorial Team, Variable Capital Companies Act.