Example 6: Director's Fees approved in Arrears.The company voted and approved director's fee of $20,000 on 30 Jun 2014 to be paid to you for your service rendered for the accounting year ended 31 Dec 2013.
Your fee will be treated as income for the year 2014, even though the service you rendered was for year 2013. You will therefore be taxed on the director's fee in YA 2015.
ii. Director's Fees Approved in Advance
For director's fees approved in advance, the director may not have rendered the requisite services for the accounting year concerned when the fees are approved at the company's AGM. Hence, the earliest date on which the director can be entitled to the director's fees, is as and when he renders his services.
Example 7: Director's Fees approved in Advance.An AGM held by the company on 9 Dec 2014 resolved that the amount of director's fees voted and approved for the accounting year ending 31 Dec 2015 was up to $100,000. The amount of director's fees voted and approved on 9 Dec 2014 was therefore approved in advance, and the directors were not entitled to the director's fees on 9 Dec 2014. This is because they have yet to perform requisite services for the accounting year ending 31 Dec 2015.
B. Non-Taxable Director's Fee
As a general rule, director's fee derived from a company that has no presence in Singapore is not liable to Singapore tax, even if the directors may, on some occasions, conduct their meetings in Singapore. This is because director's fee is generally sourced in the country where a company is resident. However, only fee attributable to attending board meetings in Singapore is not liable to Singapore tax. All other payments made for discharging duties carried on within Singapore will be taxable.