# Self-employed in Singapore: MediSave contributions, tax relief and how they fit together

> How compulsory MediSave is worked out from your net trade income and age, when it is billed, how it reduces your income tax, and what is left in your pocket.

- Tool: [Self-Employed Tax & MediSave Calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/self-employed-tax-medisave-calculator)
- Language: en (available: en, zh, ms, ta)
- Last verified against official sources: 2026-10-27
- Source site: ToolSG — a planning guide, not official or financial advice. Cite the agencies listed under Sources.

## Key figures at a glance

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Compulsory MediSave starts above | Net trade income of $6,000 — For self-employed Singapore Citizens and PRs. At or below $6,000 nothing is due. | [IRAS](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/employees/deductions-for-individuals/personal-reliefs-and-tax-rebates/compulsory-and-voluntary-medisave-contributions) |
| Flat-rate band ends at | $12,000 NTI — $6,000–$12,000 is charged 4%, 4.5%, 5% or 5.25% by age band. | [CPF Board](https://www.cpf.gov.sg/MAconrate) |
| Full rate applies above | $18,000 NTI — 8%, 9%, 10% or 10.5% by age band, up to the yearly maximum. Between $12,000 and $18,000 the rate is phased in. | [CPF Board](https://www.cpf.gov.sg/MAconrate) |
| 2026 yearly maximum | $7,680 / $8,640 / $9,600 / $10,080 — Below 35 / 35 to below 45 / 45 to below 50 / 50 and above, non-pensioners. Each is the full rate × $96,000. | [CPF Board](https://www.cpf.gov.sg/MAconrate) |
| 2025 yearly maximum | $7,104 / $7,992 / $8,880 / $9,324 — Same age bands, for NTI earned in 2025 (YA 2026). | [IRAS](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/employees/deductions-for-individuals/personal-reliefs-and-tax-rebates/compulsory-and-voluntary-medisave-contributions) |
| Overall personal relief cap | $80,000 — The MediSave relief counts towards it together with all other reliefs. | [IRAS](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/employees/deductions-for-individuals/personal-reliefs-and-tax-rebates/compulsory-and-voluntary-medisave-contributions) |

## From earning the income to paying MediSave: step by step

MediSave for the self-employed is billed after you file your tax return, not during the year.

1. **Earn and record your trade income** (Through the income year) — Keep records of income, business expenses and capital allowances. Net trade income is gross trade income less allowable expenses, capital allowances and trade losses.
2. **File your income tax return** (By the filing deadline of the next year) — Declare your trade income. NTI earned in 2026 is assessed in Year of Assessment (YA) 2027. Tools: [Singapore Income Tax Calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/income-tax-calculator)
3. **Receive your Notice of Assessment** (After IRAS assesses you) — IRAS issues the income tax bill. If your NTI is above $6,000, CPF Board then sends the MediSave notice.
4. **Receive the CPF notice** (After the Notice of Assessment) — Since 1 Nov 2024, CPF Board (not IRAS) issues the Notice of CPF Contributions for Self-employed Persons stating how much to contribute.
5. **Pay within 30 days** (30 days from the date of the notice) — Pay in full, or arrange a GIRO instalment plan with CPF Board.
6. **Check the relief on your next assessment** (Same YA as the NTI) — The compulsory amount is allowed as a tax relief in the YA that assesses that NTI, within the $80,000 personal relief cap.

## How the contribution is worked out

Two things decide the amount: your **age as at 1 January** of the income year and your **net trade income (NTI)**. The rates below are for non-pensioners.

| Age as at 1 Jan | NTI $6,000–$12,000 | NTI $12,000–$18,000 | NTI above $18,000 | 2026 maximum |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Below 35 | 4% | phased in 4% → 8% | 8% | $7,680 |
| 35 to below 45 | 4.5% | phased in 4.5% → 9% | 9% | $8,640 |
| 45 to below 50 | 5% | phased in 5% → 10% | 10% | $9,600 |
| 50 and above | 5.25% | phased in 5.25% → 10.5% | 10.5% | $10,080 |

In the phase-in band the contribution is a fixed amount plus a slope on every dollar above $12,000:

- below 35: $480 + 16% × (NTI − $12,000)
- 35 to below 45: $540 + 18% × (NTI − $12,000)
- 45 to below 50: $600 + 20% × (NTI − $12,000)
- 50 and above: $630 + 21% × (NTI − $12,000)

The amount is the lower of the full rate × NTI and the yearly maximum. Net earnings from platform work that your platform operators have declared to CPF Board are excluded from NTI.

## Worked examples

These come from the calculator itself.

| Age | NTI (year) | MediSave | Why |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 37 | $65,000 (2025) | $5,850 | 9% is below the $7,992 maximum — same as the IRAS example |
| 30 | $15,000 (2026) | $960 | Phase-in: $480 + 16% × $3,000 (an effective 6.4%) |
| 35 | $80,000 (2026) | $7,200 | 9% is below the $8,640 maximum |
| 50 | $150,000 (2026) | $10,080 | 10.5% would be $15,750, so the maximum applies |

## How it reduces your tax

MediSave for NTI earned in year N is allowed as a relief in YA N+1, the year that assesses that NTI. It lowers chargeable income and counts towards the $80,000 overall relief cap.

For a 35-year-old with $80,000 NTI earned in 2026 (YA 2027): MediSave $7,200, chargeable income $72,800, tax $2,846. Without the relief the tax would be $3,350, so it saves $504. That is $7,200 at the 7% marginal rate. Income after MediSave and tax is $69,954. MediSave is not lost: it sits in your own account for approved healthcare costs.

## Edge cases and common mistakes

- **Using today's age.** The band is set by your age on 1 January of the income year, not when the bill arrives.
- **Pensioners.** Self-employed persons who receive a pension use a different table: the full rate is 6% with a $5,760 maximum for 2026. The calculator does not model it.
- **Employee and self-employed.** Your employer's CPF and your own NTI are separate. The combined relief rules can differ, and the calculator uses NTI only.
- **Foreigners and non-residents.** MediSave contributions apply to Citizens and PRs. Non-residents are taxed at different rates.
- **Treating the bill as final.** The CPF notice is the final figure and may round slightly differently from the calculator.

## Which tool for what

- [Income tax calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/income-tax-calculator) for tax on a full set of reliefs and rebates.
- [CPF calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/cpf-calculator) for employee CPF contributions.
- [SRS contribution calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/srs-contribution-calculator) to see what extra relief an SRS top-up adds under the same $80,000 cap.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do self-employed people have to contribute to MediSave in Singapore?**

Yes, if you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident and your net trade income is above $6,000 for the year. CPF Board sends the amount after you have filed your income tax return and received your Notice of Assessment.

**How much is the self-employed MediSave contribution?**

It depends on age as at 1 January and NTI. Between $6,000 and $12,000 the rate is 4%, 4.5%, 5% or 5.25% by age band. Between $12,000 and $18,000 it is phased in. Above $18,000 it is 8%, 9%, 10% or 10.5%, up to a yearly maximum of $7,680, $8,640, $9,600 or $10,080 for 2026.

**Which Year of Assessment does the MediSave relief fall in?**

The compulsory MediSave for NTI earned in a year is allowed as a relief in the Year of Assessment that assesses that NTI. NTI earned in 2026 is assessed in YA 2027, and NTI earned in 2025 in YA 2026.

**Is the MediSave contribution tax deductible?**

Yes. The compulsory contribution is a tax relief and counts towards the $80,000 overall personal relief cap. The calculator reduces your chargeable income by it and shows the tax saved.

**Is the MediSave money lost?**

No. It is paid into your own MediSave account and earns interest. You can use it for approved healthcare costs, such as hospital bills and MediShield Life premiums.

**What is the maximum MediSave contribution for 2026?**

For non-pensioners the 2026 maximums are $7,680 (below 35), $8,640 (35 to below 45), $9,600 (45 to below 50) and $10,080 (50 and above). The maximum is the full rate applied to $96,000 of NTI.

**Does platform work count towards NTI here?**

Not for MediSave. Net earnings from platform work that your platform operators declare to CPF Board are excluded from NTI for the MediSave table from work year 2025. Enter only your other trade income.

**Is this the official CPF or IRAS calculator?**

No. It applies the published CPF Board rate table and IRAS resident tax rates for a quick private estimate. Your CPF notice and IRAS Notice of Assessment are the final figures.

**Are my numbers uploaded?**

No. The rates and tax bands are in the page and the calculation runs in your browser.


## Sources

- [CPF Board — MediSave contribution rates for self-employed persons](https://www.cpf.gov.sg/MAconrate) — 2026 table for non-pensioners (Table 1) and pensioners (Table 2), phase-in formulas, yearly maximums.
- [IRAS — Compulsory and voluntary MediSave contributions](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/employees/deductions-for-individuals/personal-reliefs-and-tax-rebates/compulsory-and-voluntary-medisave-contributions) — Who must contribute, the 2025 table, the worked example, relief and the $80,000 cap.