Employee or independent contractor
The infographic, dated 29 February 2024, gives consultants, coaches, designers, delivery riders, private-hire drivers, tutors, babysitters and home bakers as examples. Employees work under a contract of service and employer control over how, when and where work is done, usually without business profit or loss exposure. Independent contractors undertake assignments under a contract for service and generally control their work. Gig workers are generally self-employed; the label alone does not settle the actual relationship.
Part-time work and non-cash receipts
Gig income, including benefits in kind, is taxable business or professional income even if casual, intermittent or supplementary. A hobby such as baking for family and friends is generally not a business, but repeated or habitual activities in exchange for money or non-monetary benefits can be taxable. Working only occasionally does not automatically exclude income.
Three independent filing triggers
The source requires reporting if IRAS sends Form B/B1 or a filing notification, if preceding-year net trade income exceeds S$6,000, or if preceding-year total annual income exceeds S$22,000, including employment income and gross rent. These alternatives are not three conditions that must all be met. It links the Filing Checker and myTax Portal and tells first-time filers without notification to contact IRAS about account activation.
Two-line or four-line reporting
Report under item 2, Trade, Business, Profession or Vocation, of Form B/B1. Annual revenue of S$200,000 or less uses the two-line statement; revenue above that uses four lines. This revenue threshold is distinct from the net-income filing trigger.
Actual deductible expenses
Business costs must be wholly and exclusively incurred to produce the income and not prohibited by law. The graphic excludes private-car costs even when a private car is used for business, personal travel, personal or family food and entertainment, and capital expenditure such as fixed assets. Capital allowances have separate rules; the absence of an ordinary expense deduction does not itself decide those rules.
Every simplified expense percentage
For delivery workers with annual gross delivery income not exceeding S$50,000, the graphic lists 20% for walking, public transport or non-power-assisted bicycles; 35% for motorised PMDs, power-assisted bicycles or motorcycles; and 60% for vans. The private-hire/taxi panel lists 60% of gross commission income. For commission agents, it lists 25% where annual gross commission from all sources does not exceed S$50,000. These are occupation-specific entries in the 2024 source, not one universal deduction for all gig workers.
Five-year records and conditional simplification
Keep records for five years so income and expense claims can be determined and verified with supporting documents. Where annual revenue is S$200,000 or less for the preceding two financial years and the business also qualifies for simplified record keeping, the source permits business registers or listings without source receipts or invoices. The revenue condition alone does not establish every qualifying condition. This article retains the infographic’s 2024 reference date.
Official source
This article independently explains the substantive contents of the official PDF, including the relevant conditions, procedures and annexes. The linked document remains the authoritative source for its original wording, and later changes should be checked separately.
Read the official PDF ↗