Transforming a small sovereign country in Asia into a financial powerhouse
The Singaporean Variable Capital Company Act, or VCC Act, is one of the most significant developments in Asian finance to occur in recent years.
Administered by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore (ACRA), this legislation opens an entirely new world for foreign and domestic funds seeking to incorporate Asian investment instruments into their portfolios.
Offering a highly flexible fund structure, the VCC is poised to solidify Singapore’s position as the de facto financial and investment capital of Asia.
First piloted in 2019 with the inclusion of 18 fund managers, the VCC Act officially went live on January 15th, 2020. Launching or redomiciling a VCC in Singapore is a straightforward process that is doable via the ACRA website. To ease the financial burden of registration, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has launched a Variable Capital Companies Grand Scheme program.
This program will co-fund up to 70% of incorporation or registering expenses, so long as they are paid to a Singapore-based service provider.
One of the most attractive benefits of using the VCC structure is the ability to issue a fund as a stand-alone entity or an umbrella entity. The former is comprised of a single investment portfolio and is a relatively traditional format for a fund. A VCC umbrella fund is much more dynamic and allows investors to issue various segregated sub-funds, all held under the same umbrella investment fund. Part 4, Subsection 29 of the VCC Act, is one of the essential sections of the Act that touches on umbrella funds.
This section states that the segregation of sub-funds means that the liabilities are self-contained to each specific sub-fund. If one sub-fund goes under, the other sub-funds within the same umbrella fund are not affected.

Both open and closed funds are available for registration under the new VCC Act. Open-ended funds can issue an unlimited number of shares, which are generally priced daily based on the fund’s net asset value (NAV). Open-ended funds are usually more liquid and hold diversified portfolios. Close-ended funds raise a fixed amount of capital and publicly trade on secondary markets. This fund style generally entails higher yields than their open-ended counterparts and are priced more frequently than once per day. Each of these fund styles has relative pros and cons, and Singapore’s VCC Act allows investors exposure to both types.
The United States represents a significant portion of the investment world. With portfolios becoming increasingly globalized, any legal framework is well-advised to consider how to incorporate US investors with relative ease. Bringing previously off-shore capital into on-shore funds is often best accomplished using the “check the box” rules associated with IRS Form 8832. These rules allow entities to be treated by the US as “pass-through” entities, offering US investors an enticing level of inclusion. While the legislation is still young, Singapore’s VCC Act allows US investors to take advantage of this attractive election opportunity.
Investors may wish to make the permanent move and redomicile in Singapore, given its emerging status as the de facto entry point to Asian financial markets. If a company is already doing business in Singapore, redomiciling allows for complete business continuity and confers many tax benefits.
It is important to note that redomiciling in Singapore is irrevocable as there are currently no provisions for entities incorporated in Singapore to redomicile overseas.
While this means redomiciling is a permanent decision, the VCC Act demonstrates that the city state’s financial environment is further liberalizing, conferring both business and legal benefits for any entities that decide to redomicile in Singapore.
If a company is already doing business in Singapore, redomiciling allows for complete business continuity confers many tax benefits.
The subject of taxation naturally entails bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, of which Singapore has many. Singapore beats out most other nations in terms of tax treaties with 86 in its jurisdiction. This amount compares to 83 tax treaties in Luxembourg, 74 in Ireland, and 37 in Hong Kong. Any potential investor must consider the tax treaty benefits conferred by incorporating or redomiciling in Singapore as a second-order benefit. The OECD’s Base Erosion of Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative focuses on eradicating predatory tax rate shopping by international corporations, and Singapore is a dedicated signer of this initiative. Notwithstanding this further demonstrates the veracity of the VCC Act and Singapore’s earnest approach to confidently stepping up to the plate as the new financial doorway to Asia.
The VCC Act takes the best aspects of other tax havens’ financial frameworks and optimizes them Singapore’s unique situation. This Act comes at a near-perfect time as the city-state is poised to receive massive investment from off-shore funds seeking to redomicile as on-shore entities due to geopolitical uncertainties. Many considerations must be taken into account before a company decides to expand into a new legal jurisdiction.
However, with Singapore’s dedication to Common Law, near-perfect position in the Strait of Malacca, and increasing economic liberalization, one would be hard-pressed to find a better candidate for foreign investment.