Singapore’s Budget 2025 introduces several measures to help businesses manage rising costs, improve workforce skills, and promote inclusive hiring. As businesses navigate economic challenges such as inflation and workforce shifts, these initiatives provide essential financial relief and long-term workforce development support. Many of these measures extend existing schemes, ensuring continued assistance for businesses. Here are the key initiatives employers should know about.
Corporate Income Tax Rebate (CIT Rebate)
To help businesses cope with higher costs, the government is offering a 50% Corporate Income Tax Rebate to all taxpaying companies, whether tax resident or not, for the Year of Assessment (YA) 2025.
- Eligibility: Active companies that employed at least one local employee in 2024.
- Rebate Amount: At least S$2,000, capped at S$40,000 per company. This rebate provides financial relief to help businesses manage rising costs.
Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS)
Beyond tax relief, Budget 2025 also focuses on wage support. The government will increase its funding share to support employers in meeting progressive wage requirements for lower-income workers.
- 2025: Government co-funding rises from 30% to 40%.
- 2026: Government co-funding rises from 15% to 20%.
This scheme, introduced in 2022, helps businesses adjust to required wage increases while ensuring fair pay for lower-income workers
SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC)
To further support workforce development, the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit will be redesigned in 2026 to replace the current scheme and help businesses invest in workforce training, covering up to 90% of out-of-pocket expenses.
- Eligibility: Registered Corppass administrators will receive an eligibility letter from EnterpriseSG via email.
- Credit Amount: A one-off credit of S$10,000 per company.
- Easier Access: Functions as an online wallet, allowing instant tracking and usage without waiting for reimbursement.
- Availability: Available from the second half of 2026 for three years.
Senior Employment Credit (SEC)
To build a more inclusive workforce, the government is extending support for businesses hiring senior workers. The Senior Employment Credit will be extended to 31 December 2026.
- Eligibility: Employers hiring Singapore Citizens aged 60 and above earning up to S$4,000 per month.
- Changes from 2025: The highest SEC wage support tier raises from 68 to 69 years old, in line with the re-employment age increase.
- Wage Offsets: Employers can receive up to 7% in wage offsets for older employees.
This extension ensures continued support for employers in hiring and retaining senior workers.
Uplifting Employment Credit (UEC)
Continuing the push for inclusive hiring, the Uplifting Employment Credit Scheme, which supports businesses hiring local ex-offenders, is extended until 31 December 2028.
- Eligibility: Employers hiring Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents (ex-offenders) earning below S$4,000 per month.
- Support Level: Wage offset of up to 20% for the first nine months of employment.
- Cap: S$600 per employee per month.
- Impact: In 2024, 700 employers hired over 1,500 ex-offenders under this scheme.
Introduced in Budget 2023, the Uplifting Employment Credit (UEC) encourages employers to hire ex-offenders and support their reintegration into society.
Enabling Employment Credit (EEC)
As part of efforts to foster inclusivity, the Enabling Employment Credit has been extended until 31 December 2028 to support businesses in hiring employees with disabilities.
- Eligibility: Employers hiring Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 13 and above earning below S$4,000 per month.
- Support Level: Wage offset of up to 20% of employees’ monthly income.
- Cap: S$400 per employee per month for the first nine months of employment.
The scheme was introduced in 2021, with the extension to help employers retain and further support employees with disabilities.
CPF Transition Offset (CTO)
Recognising the challenges of rising labour costs, the government will extend the CPF Transition Offset for another year in 2026 to help employers manage increasing CPF contribution rates for senior workers.
- Contribution Increase: The total CPF contribution rates for employees aged above 55 to 65 will increase by 1.5 percentage points in 2026.
- Eligibility: Employers hiring Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents aged above 55 to 65.
- Offset Support: The government will cover 50% of the increase in employer CPF contributions for senior workers.
This measure ensures a smoother transition for businesses adjusting to higher CPF contributions.
Conclusion
Budget 2025 presents valuable support for businesses, from tax relief and workforce development incentives to inclusive hiring schemes. Employers should leverage these initiatives to manage costs, upskill their workforce, and comply with evolving regulations. By planning ahead and assessing eligibility for these schemes, businesses can maximise benefits and ensure long-term success.
How can PayrollServe Help?
With various Budget 2025 initiatives supporting workforce upskilling, PayrollServe offers payroll training courses, such as the WSQ Process Payroll course, which is eligible for SkillsFuture Enterprise Credits. Employers with remaining SkillsFuture Enterprise Credits, claimable until 30 June 2025, can use them for our WSQ Process Payroll course to gain practical payroll management skills.
Upcoming course dates include:
- 26-27 March 2025
- 29-30 April 2025
- 29-30 May 2025
- 19-20 June 2025
Beyond training courses, our HR Advisory Services help businesses optimise workforce planning and implement effective HR strategies. We offer guidance on leveraging wage support schemes and improving employee retention to build a stronger workforce.
Contact us today to explore how our expertise can help you maximise the benefits of Budget 2025 and strengthen your workforce for the future.
