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I am currently in Germany and moving from there to Singapore in April next year. I am a remote worker and continue to be paid by the same employer. After quite a lot of searching, I am quite confused about my tax situation.

Both countries' tax years run from Jan to Dec. I believe I am considered a resident by both countries - in Germany due to living there consecutively for over six months (despite it being over two tax years) and in Singapore because I will spend the majority of my tax year there. I have rental homes in both countries but am a citizen of neither. I also have close ties to both countries.

I tried deciphering through the legal document here but it's still unclear where I should declare and pay tax or if I should split my income and pay different amounts of tax to each country.

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    You should probably talk to a professional. Without knowing your specific circumstances it's hard to answer this. Your citizenship and legal status in each may also play a role.
    – littleadv
    Jul 11 at 20:03
  • So what country are you a citizen of? Do you need to file taxes there too?
    – 0xFEE1DEAD
    Jul 11 at 22:21
  • I do not need to file taxes in my home country but good point to keep in mind for those who do! @littleadv yes, I do plan to speak to a professional if I can't figure it out myself. Thank you!
    – user1936752
    Jul 12 at 1:58

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Do you need to file taxes yourself? I cannot speak of Germany, but when I left the UK for a job in Austria, PAYE automatically computed the tax refund I got because I moved just after the first quarter which meant the monthly tax deducted from my income was too high. In the UK you will receive a check. I doubt that will be the case in Germany. In Austria, you would simply get a refund paid to your bank account.

Generally, I agree with littleadv that it will be best to seek professional advice in case you do need to file yourself. However, I would say only Article 21 - Other Income applies in your case, which means you simply declare income in the state you earned it.

So assuming you work until end of April 2024 in Germany and afterwards move to Singapore, you simply pay the full year 2023 in Germany, as well as the income derived in Germany for 2024 (which will be whatever you made before your move). Starting May 2024, you derive your income from Singapore, in which case you declare only your income since you moved to Singapore in your 2024 tax for Singapore.

Assuming you are from Germany, you may need to seek professional advice in Singapore. That said, I did not when I moved because PAYE automatically reached out once I declared that I'll leave the UK.

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  • Yes, I need to file taxes myself in both places since my employer will not. The UK is clear about this with the split year treatment doing exactly what you propose. Thanks for highlighting Article 21 - it does seem to make it clear but I will probably need a professional opinion just to be sure :)
    – user1936752
    Jul 12 at 2:01

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