Contents of this article are applicable to the following users
Tier: NA
Product: PayrollAny
Platform: Web
Access Level: Owner
Note: We comply with the latest CPF Contribution Changes from 1 September 2023 and 1 January 2024, to ensure that you comply with the CPF board while using PayrollAny for payroll.
This guide will cover the following:
How are CPF contribution rates calculated
CPF contribution rates are applied differently for your staff (CPF reference)
This depends on the following:
Citizenship – Singapore Citizen; or Singapore PR (SPR) in the 1st and 2nd year or from the 3rd year of obtaining SPR status;
PR Contribution Rates
Age group
Student classes who are exempted
Citizenship
There are 3 types of contribution rates for Citizenship
Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents (3rd year onwards)
Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) during 1st year of SPR status
Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) during 2nd year of SPR status
Foreigners are exempted from CPF contributions
Note that the 1st year rate for CPF contribution will apply the day your staff becomes an SPR. See here on how to properly pro-rate this. The second and third year rates will apply from the month following the anniversary of your staff’s SPR conversion. (CPF reference)
PR Contribution Rates
There are 3 types of contribution rates for Permanent Residents -
Graduated Employer & Employee Rates (G/G)
Full Employer & Graduated Employee Rates (F/G)
Full Employer & Employee Rates (F/F)
(F/G) & (F/F) is the scenario where you and / or your staff choose to contribute CPF at higher rates in the first two years after your staff has obtained Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) status, while (G/G) is the default rate of contribution (CPF reference).
The most commonly used option is Graduated Employer & Employee Rates (G/G), and this is selected by default. Note that we only support Graduated Employer & Employee Rates (G/G) at this point of time, if you need to support (F/G) or (F/F) do reach out to us.
Age Group
There are different contribution rates for different age groups -
55 & below
Above 55 - 60
Above 60 - 65
Above 65 - 70
Above 70
For the purpose of CPF contribution, your staff is considered to be “55 years”, “60 years”, “65 years” or “70 years” in the month of their 55th, 60th, 65th or 70th birthday. They will be counted above 55, 60, 65 or 70 years the month after their 55th, 60th, 65th or 70th birthday. (CPF Reference)
For example, if your staff’s 55th birthday falls on 13 January 2022.
In January 2022, they will be in the age group “55 & below”
In February 2022, they will be in the age group “Above 55 - 60”
Student classes who are exempted
CPF contributions are exempted for certain classes of student employees. Find out more about who you need to pay CPF contributions for (CPF Reference) under the header “Students”.
How to set up employees so CPF contribution is calculated correctly
In your staff’s profile, please ensure that you complete the following fields accurately:
Staff’s date of birth
Citizenship status
If citizenship status is PR, please make sure that you fill up PR effective date correctly
If the staff is part of “Student classes who are exempted" from CPF contributions, exclude them from CPF contributions in Statutory & Payment > Other Statutories > Exclude from CPF Contributions
Additionally, you can allow the employer to fully cover the CPF payment by checking the “Allow Full Employer CPF”.
How do we calculate CPF contributions for multiple payruns
CPF is ultimately calculated and paid by the month. However, within a month, you might run multiple payruns for a single staff. CPF contributions for each payrun will be an estimate, and uses the below formula:
CPF for payrun [N] = CPF for all payruns till [N] - CPF for previous payruns till [N-1]
Where payruns occur in chronological sequence
Example scenario:
Bob is paid twice this month, $500 in an earlier payrun - payrun 1, and $1000 in a later payrun, payrun 2.
Assuming he is a Singaporean citizen, under 55, who needs to pay CPF
His CPF for payrun 1 of $500
Employer CPF = EmployerCPF($500) = $85
Employee CPF = EmployeeCPF($500) = $0
His CPF for payrun 1+2 of $500 + $1000 = $1500
Employer CPF = EmployerCPF($1500) = $255
Employee CPF = EmployeeCPF($1500) = $300
His CPF for payrun 2
Employer CPF = Employer CPF of payrun 1+2 - Employer CPF of payrun 1 = $255 - $85 = $170
Employee CPF = Employee CPF of payrun 1+2 - Employee CPF of payrun 1 = $300 - $0 = $300
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are CPF contributions rounded to the nearest dollar? (CPF Reference)
A: Yes, they are. The following is the full formula on how it is rounded:
Compute the total CPF contribution (rounded to the nearest dollar). Cents should be dropped for an amount less than 50 cents. An amount of 50 cents and above should be treated as an additional dollar.
Compute the employee’s share of CPF contribution (cents should be dropped).
Employer’s share = Total contribution - Employee’s share
Q: What are some common mistakes made by employers, and how do I rectify them?
A: Refer to CPF Reference
Q: How much CPF contributions to pay?
CPF contributions are payable to employees who are Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents (SPRs) at current CPF contribution rates. You can click here to learn how to calculate the amount of CPF contributions you need to pay.
Q: What is the limit for Ordinary Wages and Additional Wages?
A: For Ordinary Wages:
Monthly: $6800
Annual: $102000
For Additional Wages:
Monthly: N/A
Annual: $20400
Q: My employee is first-month PR. Why is their CPF contribution amount is counted differently from CPF calculator?
A: There are a few reasons why the amount is different:
If your employee is a first-month PR, based on the CPF recommendation you need to pay the CPF with a prorated amount since CPF calculator doesn't account for this edge case yet. To prorate Ordinary Wage and Additional Wage:
(Number of days the employee was a PR ÷ total number of calendar days in the month) x Total OW or AW
Example:Employee becomes a PR on the 5th of May
Total monthly OW is $2000
Prorated OW = (5 days
÷31 days) x $2000 = $322.58
The amount that we shown on the system is the amount of the CPF that's already prorated.
If you're still unsure on how the computation works. You can contact CPF for further assistance.