Time to file your tax! But before you do that, do you know of these reliefs for parents?

calculating your finances

If you are a Stay-at-home Mothers (SAHM)

What: Spouse / Handicapped Spouse Relief

Who can claim: Husband

Eligibility: Your earnings must be less than $4,000 in the previous year. This includes all of your income, and not just your salary.

Amount you can claim: $2,000 / $5,500 for Handicapped Spouse Relief

How to claim (online):

Spouse relief

(Click on the image for more details on how to apply)

Note: If you have claimed Spouse / Handicapped Spouse Relief, none of your children or their spouses are allowed to claim Parent / Handicapped Parent Relief (except Grandparent Caregiver Relief) on your spouse. For example, if you are claiming Spouse Relief on your husband, your child cannot claim Parent Relief on your husband.

If you are a new mother or just gave birth to another child

What: Parenthood Tax Rebate

Who can claim: Parents – Married, divorced or widowed Singaporeans

Eligibility: Your child has to be born a Singapore citizen, or become one within the 12 months from birth

Amount claimed: This rebate ranges from $5,000 for your first child (born from 2008 onwards) to $20,000 for your fourth and subsequent child. You and your spouse may also choose to split your rebate into a ratio of your choice. E.g. 50 (husband) – 50 (wife) or 20 – 80.

How to claim (online):

Parenthood tax rebate

If you are a Working Mum

What: Working Mother’s Child Relief (WMCR)

Who can claim: Working mothers who are married, divorced or widowed who have an earned income

Amount: The amount of WMCR that you can claim for each child is based on the child order and the corresponding percentage of your earned income. Starting at 15 per cent of your earned income for one kid, it reaches 25 per cent for your third and subsequent child.

Eligibility: You have a child who is a Singapore citizen (as of 31 Dec 2014) and have satisfied all conditions under Qualifying Child Relief (QCR) or Handicapped Child Relief (HCR).

How to claim (online):

Working mother's tax relief

If you are a working mother, and/or have a handicapped child:

What: Qualifying/ Handicapped Child Relief (QCR/HCR)

Who can claim: If you are a married, divorced or widowed Singapore tax resident maintaining an unmarried child who meets all the conditions below in 2014:

QCR and HCR relief

Eligibility: If you child is below the age of 16, and you earn less than $4,000 last year, which includes income from bank interest, dividends and part-time jobs.

Amount: $4,000 per child for QCR, or $7,500 per child for HCR

How to claim (online):

Qualifying or handicapped child relief

Note: If you are a working mother and have met all the conditions for Working Mother’s Child Relief (WMCR), you may claim also claim the Qualifying Child Relief and WMCR on the same child. QCR + WMCR is capped at $50,000 per child.

If your parents are helping you to look after your child

What: Grandparent Caregiver Relief

Who can claim: Working parents

Amount: $3,000 on one of your parents, grandparents, parents-in-law or grandparents-in-law.

Eligibility: Your parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, or grandparent-in-law (including that of ex-spouse) has to be living in Singapore in 2014, and not working. Your child must be younger than 12 years old and a Singapore citizen.

How to claim (online):

Grandparent caregiver relief

If you have a foreign maid at home

What: Foreign maid levy relief

Who can claim: If you have an employed foreign domestic worker and you are married, lived with your husband, or separated from your husband, divorced or widowed. Single taxpayers or male taxpayers are not eligible for this relief.

Amount: You or your husband can claim twice the total foreign domestic worker levy paid in the previous year, on one foreign domestic.

If the Ministry of Manpower had approved your application for the Foreign Domestic Worker Levy concession, your FML Relief will be computed based on the lower amount of levy.

Foreign maid levy relief

This relief can only be used to offset your earned income*.

*Earned income = Taxable earned income from employment, pension, trade, business, profession or vocation less allowable expenses

How to claim (online):

how to claim Foreign maid levy relief

Taxes are due on 18 April 2015.

For more details and to check if you qualify for these reliefs, visit IRAS website for more details.

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