Tech Workers Keep 35-40% More Income By Moving to Singapore (Legal Tax Hack)

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]Did you know that tech workers are legally keeping 35 to 40% more of their income just by moving to Singapore?

[00:00:07]Here's exactly how they're doing it.

[00:00:09]Singapore has what's called a territorial tax system. This means you only pay taxes on money earned inside Singapore. Combine this with America's foreign earned income exclusion, and you can exclude over $100,000 from US taxes if you live abroad. Here's the magic formula. Spend at least 183 days per year in Singapore to become a tax resident. Work remotely for US companies or start your own business. Singapore won't tax that foreign income and the US won't tax the first 112,000 either. One software engineer I know went from paying 42% in California taxes to just 15% total. That's $27,000 saved annually on a $100,000 salary.

[00:00:53]You'll need an employment pass or entrepreneur visa, and Singapore isn't cheap to live in. But if you're making over 150,000 yearly, the math works beautifully. Just make sure you track those days carefully.