Singapore Family Office Setup & Cross-Border Planning

CM1 GROUP provides five categories of cross-border service: Singapore family office setup (coordination of 13O/13U/13D tax incentive applications), international tax and cross-border tax residency planning, identity planning and investment migration, company incorporation and corporate compliance, and international education planning. Headquartered in Singapore with coverage across 22 jurisdictions, CM1 coordinates Greater China families, founders and cross-border businesses from structuring through to execution.

The two differ mainly in minimum assets under management and the number of investment professionals required. Under current Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) requirements, a family office fund under Section 13O (onshore fund tax exemption) needs a minimum of S$20 million in designated investments and at least 2 investment professionals, of whom at least 1 is not a family member. Section 13U (enhanced-tier fund tax exemption) requires a minimum of S$50 million and at least 3 investment professionals, again with at least 1 non-family member. Both carry local business spending requirements: S$200,000 per financial year for 13O; for 13U the amount is tiered — S$200,000 below S$50 million AUM, S$500,000 from S$50 million to under S$100 million, and S$1 million at S$100 million and above. The fund must also maintain the applicable minimum AUM for its entire life. Figures are as published as of September 2026; confirm the prevailing terms with MAS before acting.

Section 13D is the offshore fund tax exemption, available to a fund incorporated outside Singapore but managed by a Singapore-based fund manager. Two differences matter most: 13D has no minimum AUM threshold, and it requires no application to MAS — eligibility is self-assessed, with the fund responsible for meeting and documenting the conditions in Section 13D of the Income Tax Act. Note that from Year of Assessment 2028 (financial year ending 2027), the fund manager must employ at least one investment professional in Singapore. 13D commonly suits families below the 13O threshold, or those with an existing offshore fund structure, as an interim arrangement.

A 13O application goes to MAS for approval with the full fund and family office structure. The core conditions are a minimum of S$20 million in designated investments, at least 2 investment professionals of whom at least 1 is not a family member, local business spending of at least S$200,000 per financial year, and local investment of at least 10% of AUM or S$10 million, whichever is lower. CM1 coordinates structuring, document preparation, investment professional recruitment, incorporation and bank account opening; approval rests with MAS.

Chiefly for tax certainty. Singapore's corporate income tax rate is 17% and there is no capital gains tax; qualifying new companies also receive the Start-Up Tax Exemption for their first three Years of Assessment, exempting 75% of the first S$100,000 of chargeable income and 50% of the next S$100,000. Combined with a common-law legal system, political and currency stability, and MAS's dedicated family office incentive schemes, these are the factors Greater China families weigh most heavily when allocating cross-border assets. (Rates per the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, current as of September 2026.)

As of September 2026, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) sets the EP minimum qualifying salary at S$5,600 per month for most sectors and S$6,200 for financial services, rising with the applicant's age — to S$10,700 for most sectors and S$11,800 for financial services at age 45 and above. Beyond the salary floor, most applicants must also score 40 points under the COMPASS framework. MOM has announced that from 1 January 2027 the floor rises to S$6,000 for most sectors and S$6,600 for financial services for new applications.

The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) currently offers three GIP options: Option A, at least S$10 million invested in a new or existing business; Option B, at least S$25 million into a GIP-select fund; and Option C, establishing a single family office managing at least S$200 million in assets, of which at least S$50 million is deployed into Singapore-based investments. The GIP application fee has been S$20,000 since 5 May 2025. GIP is aimed at applicants with an established business track record, and approval rests with EDB.

CM1 GROUP is headquartered in Singapore and, through qualified entities within the group, holds corporate service provider (CSP), corporate secretarial and employment agency credentials covering company services, statutory filing, human resources, and trust and corporate services. The group's focus is cross-border project management and compliant execution — preparing documents, coordinating processes and carrying arrangements through in each jurisdiction involved.

No. CM1 GROUP's role is to structure and coordinate cross-border projects: designing the arrangement, preparing documents, managing the process and driving execution. Where a matter calls for jurisdiction-specific tax advice, legal opinions or audit work, CM1 coordinates licensed local accountants, lawyers and auditors to issue it. That separation keeps every professional opinion signed and owned by a licensed practitioner in the relevant jurisdiction.

CM1 covers 22 jurisdictions, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, and several Caribbean and African states. Reach us through the form on this page, by phone at +65 8299 7558, or by email at contact@cm1-group.com. A first conversation typically covers family structure, tax residency, where assets sit, identity objectives and education plans, and produces an assessment of viable routes and their sequence.