Tax agents & filing (category guide)

Most salary-only EP years do not need a paid tax agent — file via myTax Portal, set GIRO before the NOA due date, and keep IR8A / AIS figures. Engage a Singapore tax professional when IR21 withhold looks wrong against your package (housing, equity, leave encashment), when a US/UK/Australia filer needs Certificate of Residence or DTA help, when overseas remote income or rental sits outside a clean IR8A, or when ESOP/RSU gains land without a local entity able to report them. Employer tax clearance (Form IR21) is an employer duty — agents help you challenge income classification and residual bills, not skip withhold. Ask whether the firm regularly clears foreign work-pass leavers and equity awards; compare fixed engagement fees against a one-hour IRAS myTax Mail first. This is a category guide, not a ranked firm list — verify any adviser against IRAS tax-agent materials and your own engagement letter. Family ops note: IRAS appointment season often collides with report-card publish weeks — book tax slots away from progress-meeting booking windows.