CPF · Annual Limit · Employee CPF Cap

CPF Annual Limit Calculator Singapore 2026
(S$37,740 Employee CPF Cap Tracker)

The only calculator that shows exactly where you stand against the S$37,740 CPF Annual Limit — how much your salary uses, how much bonus headroom remains, and when employee CPF deductions stop (while employer CPF continues).

✅ S$37,740 Annual Limit ✅ OW + AW Combined ✅ Employer CPF Not Capped ✅ PDF Report ✅ Free — No Login
Annual Limit 2026S$37,740
Employee OnlyCap on EE
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Employer CPFNo Cap
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Min at S$8K salaryS$18,540 left

Understanding the S$37,740 CPF Annual Limit — Employee Contribution Cap, OW vs AW & Employer CPF Rules 2026

The CPF Annual Limit (S$37,740 in 2026) caps the total employee share of CPF contributions in a calendar year, across all sources — Ordinary Wages (salary), Additional Wages (bonuses, AWS), and voluntary top-ups made by the employer on the employee’s behalf. It does not cap employer CPF contributions, which continue regardless.

Once the Annual Limit is reached, no more employee CPF is deducted — not from payroll salary, not from bonuses, not from any payment. The employer, however, must continue paying their share of CPF on any CPF-assessable wages below the AW ceiling. This is why high earners sometimes see zero CPF deducted from a large bonus while their company’s payroll still carries a significant CPF cost.

Who Actually Hits the CPF Annual Limit — Salary, Bonus & Age Band 2026

Monthly SalaryAnnual OW Employee CPFRemaining LimitBonus Needed to Hit Limit
S$2,000S$4,800S$32,940S$164,700+
S$4,000S$9,600S$28,140S$140,700+
S$6,000S$14,400S$23,340S$116,700+
S$8,000 (OW ceiling)S$19,200S$18,540S$92,700+
S$10,000+S$19,200 (same)S$18,540S$92,700+

Rates for age 35 and below (employee 20%). Higher salaries above S$8,000 don’t increase OW employee CPF due to the OW ceiling.

Enter Your Details
S$

Monthly ordinary wage. CPF capped at S$8,000/month for OW.

S$37,740 Annual Limit Progress
OW employee CPF AW employee CPF Remaining limit
S$

Leave at 0 to see OW-only impact. Add bonus/AWS to check if Annual Limit is hit.

Older age bands have lower rates — harder to hit the Annual Limit.

Your Annual Limit Results
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Enter your monthly salary to see your Annual Limit progress, remaining headroom, and exactly when employee CPF stops.

Monthly Cumulative Employee CPF vs Annual Limit

Annual Employee CPF by Monthly Salary — How Close to the S$37,740 Limit?

Most Singaporeans never hit the Annual Limit from salary alone. Even at the S$8,000 OW ceiling, only S$19,200 of S$37,740 is used (51%). The remaining S$18,540 is available for bonuses and AWS.

How This CPF Annual Limit Tracker Works — Payslip Deduction, Bonus CPF Cap & Employer Exclusion

Step 1 — Calculate Annual OW Employee CPF from Your Monthly Salary

Monthly employee CPF is rounded down on the capped OW (MIN(salary, S$8,000)). Multiply by months worked. This is how much of the S$37,740 Annual Limit is consumed by your ordinary salary alone — for most Singaporeans, this is between 25% and 51% of the limit.

Step 2 — Determine Remaining Annual Limit Headroom for Bonuses

Annual Limit Remaining = S$37,740 − Annual OW Employee CPF. Employee CPF on your bonus, AWS, and other AW is then capped at this remaining amount. Once the remaining limit is zero, NO further employee CPF is deducted regardless of bonus size.

Step 3 — Confirm Employer CPF Continues Regardless of the Annual Limit

This is the most misunderstood CPF rule. After the Annual Limit is hit, the employer must continue paying employer CPF on any CPF-assessable wages up to the AW ceiling. So a large December bonus may attract zero employee CPF deduction but still cost the company employer CPF of up to 17% on the CPF-assessable portion.

3 Real Singapore Annual Limit Examples — Junior Exec, PMET & High Bonus Earner 2026

Example 1: Junior Executive S$3,500

Monthly SalaryS$3,500
Annual OW Employee CPFS$8,400
Annual Limit Used22%
Remaining LimitS$29,340
Bonus to hit limitS$146,700
Will ever hit limit?Very unlikely

Example 2: PMET S$8,000 + S$30,000 Bonus

Monthly SalaryS$8,000
Annual OW Employee CPFS$19,200
Limit After OWS$18,540
AW CeilingS$6,000
Employee CPF on BonusS$1,200
Total Annual EE CPFS$20,400 (54%)

Example 3: S$6,000 + S$110,000 Bonus

Monthly SalaryS$6,000
Annual OW Employee CPFS$14,400
Remaining LimitS$23,340
Employee CPF on BonusS$23,340 (capped)
Annual Limit Hit?Yes — S$37,740
Employer CPF continues?Yes — not capped

3 Expert Tips on the CPF Annual Limit — Bonus Timing, RSTU & Tax Strategy Singapore 2026

1

Split Large Bonuses Across Two Calendar Years to Avoid Limit

The Annual Limit resets on 1 January each year. If you are due a large performance bonus and have almost hit the limit by December, negotiating payment into January of the next year means the employee CPF reset gives you S$37,740 of fresh Annual Limit. This strategy can save an employee on the 20% rate thousands in CPF deductions without any loss of CPF entitlements — although it defers the CPF accumulation to the following year.

2

RSTU Voluntary Top-Ups Count Separately — Not Against the Annual Limit

A common misconception: voluntary cash top-ups made under the Retirement Sum Top-Up Scheme (RSTU) — up to S$8,000/year to your own SA/RA and S$8,000/year to a family member’s — do NOT count toward the S$37,740 Annual Limit. They go directly into your SA or RA. You get income tax relief, and the money earns 4% p.a. The Annual Limit only captures mandatory OW and AW CPF contributions plus employer voluntary contributions made on behalf of the employee.

3

Employer CPF After Annual Limit Is a Hidden Cost — Budget for It in Payroll

HR managers and business owners frequently underestimate total payroll cost for high earners who hit the Annual Limit. After the limit, employees see zero CPF on their payslip — but the employer’s obligation continues. For a PMET at S$8,000/month with a S$100,000 bonus, employer CPF on the S$6,000 AW ceiling portion is still S$1,020 (S$6,000 × 17%). Scale this across a team and the employer CPF cost doesn’t go away just because employees’ deductions have stopped.

16 FAQs — CPF Annual Limit S$37,740, Employee Cap, Employer CPF & Bonus Rules Singapore 2026

What is the CPF Annual Limit in Singapore 2026?+
The CPF Annual Limit in 2026 is S$37,740. It caps the total employee share of CPF contributions in a calendar year (January to December) across all wages — Ordinary Wages, Additional Wages (bonuses, AWS), and employer voluntary contributions. It does not cap employer CPF contributions. The Annual Limit has been S$37,740 since 2016 and remains unchanged for 2026.
Does the Annual Limit apply to employer CPF too?+
No. The Annual Limit applies only to the employee share of CPF contributions. Employer CPF contributions have no annual cap — they continue on all CPF-assessable wages below the applicable ceilings (S$8,000 OW ceiling per month; AW ceiling formula for bonuses). This is why an employee can receive a large bonus with zero CPF deduction while the company still incurs employer CPF costs on the CPF-assessable portion.
How much of the Annual Limit is used by salary alone at S$8,000/month?+
At the S$8,000 OW ceiling (age 35 and below), monthly employee CPF is S$1,600. Over 12 months: S$19,200 of the S$37,740 Annual Limit is used — exactly 50.9%. This leaves S$18,540 of Annual Limit remaining for bonuses and AWS. To exhaust the remaining limit from a bonus alone, you would need a bonus above the AW ceiling (S$6,000) that yields S$18,540 employee CPF — requiring assessable AW of S$92,700.
What happens after the Annual Limit is reached — do deductions stop automatically?+
Yes. Once the Annual Limit is reached, no further employee CPF is deducted from any payment for the rest of the calendar year. Payroll systems should track cumulative contributions and stop deductions automatically. Employer CPF continues on CPF-assessable wages. On 1 January of the following year, the limit resets to S$37,740 and contributions resume as normal.
Do voluntary CPF top-ups count toward the Annual Limit?+
It depends on who makes them. Employer voluntary contributions on behalf of an employee (above mandatory rates) count toward the Annual Limit. Cash top-ups made by the employee themselves under the Retirement Sum Top-Up Scheme (RSTU) — up to S$8,000/year for self and S$8,000/year for family — do NOT count toward the Annual Limit. They go directly to SA or RA and qualify for separate tax relief.
Does the Annual Limit apply to MediSave top-ups?+
No. MediSave top-ups made under the MediSave Top-Up Scheme are not part of the Annual Limit framework. They have their own separate annual cap based on the Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS of S$75,500 in 2026). You can top up MediSave without affecting the S$37,740 Annual Limit or the RSTU tax relief cap.
Can I receive a tax refund if CPF is over-deducted and the Annual Limit is exceeded?+
Yes. If an employee works for multiple employers in the same year and total employee CPF exceeds S$37,740, the overpayment can be refunded. The employee claims the refund from IRAS through their income tax assessment — it appears as a refundable excess CPF amount in the tax computation. Employers cannot coordinate the limit across companies, so this situation arises when changing jobs mid-year with CPF from both employers.
Does the Annual Limit apply differently for different age bands?+
The Annual Limit amount (S$37,740) is the same for all age bands. However, employees in higher age bands have lower employee CPF rates and are therefore less likely to approach the limit from salary alone. A worker aged 56–60 on S$8,000/month pays 15% employee CPF = S$1,200/month = S$14,400/year (only 38% of the Annual Limit). It would take a large bonus to hit the cap.
Is the CPF Annual Limit the same as the Annual Wage Ceiling (S$102,000)?+
No — these are two different ceilings. The Annual Wage Ceiling (S$102,000) is used to calculate the Additional Wage (AW) ceiling: it determines the total OW + AW on which CPF can be computed in a year (AW Ceiling = S$102,000 − Annual OW). The Annual Limit (S$37,740) caps how much employee CPF is actually collected. You can have wage above the AW ceiling (and no CPF on it) while still having not hit the Annual Limit.
What is the relationship between the Annual Limit and the OW Ceiling?+
The OW Ceiling (S$8,000/month) caps how much monthly salary attracts CPF. The Annual Limit (S$37,740) caps total annual employee CPF. At the maximum OW ceiling: S$8,000 × 20% × 12 = S$19,200. This is only 50.9% of the Annual Limit — so salary alone cannot exhaust the Annual Limit even at the highest earner level. The remaining Annual Limit (S$18,540) can be consumed by AW contributions on bonuses and AWS.
How does the Annual Limit affect employees who change jobs mid-year?+
Each employer independently tracks CPF contributions without knowing what the previous employer contributed. If the combined contributions from two employers exceed S$37,740, the employee has an excess contribution and can claim a refund via IRAS. The employers do not need to coordinate. This is a common situation for employees who change jobs, receive a large bonus from the first employer, and then have salary contributions at the second employer push total contributions above the limit.
Do PR Year 1 and Year 2 employees have the same Annual Limit?+
Yes. The S$37,740 Annual Limit applies equally to all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents regardless of PR year. However, PR Year 1 employees (at 5% employee rate) will use far less of the Annual Limit from salary — S$8,000 × 5% × 12 = S$4,800/year (only 12.7% of the limit). It is virtually impossible for a PR Year 1 employee to hit the Annual Limit.
Does the Annual Limit apply to CPF on commission payments?+
Yes. Whether commissions are classified as OW (paid monthly) or AW (paid quarterly/annually), the resulting employee CPF contributions count toward the Annual Limit. Sales professionals with both high base salaries and large quarterly commissions are among those most likely to approach the Annual Limit. The calculator handles this by including total AW (commissions + bonus + AWS) in the Annual Limit analysis.
How does the Annual Limit interact with self-employed MediSave contributions?+
The Annual Limit applies to mandatory CPF contributions by employees and employers. Self-employed persons (SEPs) are not subject to the Annual Limit framework in the same way — their mandatory MediSave contributions are calculated separately based on net trade income and have their own rules. SEPs making voluntary CPF contributions to OA/SA must check the specific SEP CPF contribution rules at cpf.gov.sg.
Is tax relief for employee CPF affected by the Annual Limit?+
Yes. The mandatory employee CPF contribution is excluded from taxable income (CPF Relief). The maximum CPF Relief equals the actual employee CPF paid, which is capped at the Annual Limit — so the maximum CPF Relief claimable is S$37,740/year. Employees who hit the Annual Limit have maximised their mandatory CPF Relief. They can claim additional tax relief via RSTU (up to S$8,000/year) and SRS (up to S$15,300/year) separately.
Will the CPF Annual Limit increase in future years?+
The Annual Limit has been S$37,740 since 2016 and no increase has been announced as of June 2026. The government’s recent CPF changes have focused on the Ordinary Wage ceiling (which affects contribution amounts rather than the limit). Any future change to the Annual Limit would require a Budget announcement. Given the OW ceiling has now reached S$8,000, discussions about a corresponding Annual Limit increase are ongoing among CPF policy researchers, but no confirmed change exists.
Legal Disclaimer & Editorial Transparency. The CPF Annual Limit Calculator on SGFinanceCalculators.com is provided for informational and educational purposes only. The S$37,740 Annual Limit, contribution rates, and all CPF figures are sourced from CPF Board official publications as of 1 January 2026. This calculator assumes a constant monthly salary and does not account for mid-year salary changes, employer voluntary CPF contributions, or multi-employer situations. The Annual Limit refund process for excess contributions is administered by IRAS, not CPF Board. This tool does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Verify all figures at cpf.gov.sg. SGFinanceCalculators.com is operated by MAFHH INTERNATIONAL LTD and is not affiliated with the CPF Board, IRAS, or any Singapore government agency.