Referring Clients to a Singapore Family Office: An Adviser's Guide
For lawyers, accountants and wealth advisers: when to refer, the decision tree, what to gather, and how the warm handoff keeps you in the loop.
This page is written for the advisers and introducers — lawyers, accountants, private bankers and wealth advisers — who refer clients into a Singapore family office. If you have a client weighing a single family office or multi-family office, this is the decision tree, the qualifying questions, the documents to gather, and how the warm handoff works so you keep the relationship. The deeper client-facing material lives on the family office hub and the 13O/13U for family offices page; this page is your routing guide.
When should you refer a client to a Singapore family office?
Refer a client to a dedicated SFO when they have roughly S$20–50 million or more of investable assets, want control, privacy and tax efficiency, and are thinking about succession. Below that, point them to an MFO or external asset manager — it is the answer, and it protects your credibility. Clients with very large portfolios who also want Singapore PR may fit the GIP family-office route (S$200M AUM, S$50M deployed).
The referral decision tree
| Client profile | Likely structure | Tax incentive |
|---|---|---|
| < S$20M investable | MFO or EAM | Per-family sub-fund may carry 13O |
| S$20–50M, wants control | SFO + VCC | 13O (S$5M, 2 IPs) |
| S$50M+, institutional base | SFO + VCC | 13U (S$50M, 3 IPs) |
| Multiple branches / generations | VCC umbrella, sub-fund per branch | 13O or 13U per sub-fund |
| UHNW, wants PR | SFO via GIP Option C | 13U + GIP (S$200M / S$50M) |
| Doesn't want to license a manager | VCC + appointed MAS-licensed manager | 13O or 13U |
What information should you gather before referring?
A clean referral packet lets the receiving partner scope the structure without re-interviewing your client:
- Approximate investable AUM and asset mix (public equities, PE, real estate, credit, operating businesses).
- In-house vs appointed manager — does the family want to build and license its own management company, or appoint a MAS-licensed fund manager?
- Target tax incentive — 13O or 13U, based on AUM and headcount.
- Residency goals — is Singapore PR via the GIP a priority?
- Succession objectives — number of branches/generations, how wealth should be segregated and handed down.
- Timeline and any deadlines (e.g. an existing pre-2025 award nearing its FY-2027 compliance runway).
Which tax incentive will the client use?
Most single family offices use 13O (S$5M AUM, two investment professionals). Clients with S$50M+ and a third investment professional, or an institutional investor base, use 13U. At least one investment professional must be non-family in both cases. The receiving partner confirms eligibility and files with MAS; the full numbers are on the 13O/13U for family offices page and the substance on the requirements page.
Does referring mean handing over the relationship?
No — and this is the part advisers most want to hear. The model is a warm handoff: you are tagged as the referrer for white-glove handling, you stay in the loop, and you keep ownership of the client relationship. The fund-setup partner handles only the structuring, licensing and MAS-application work you are not set up to do — the VCC incorporation, the Permissible Fund Manager arrangement, the 13O/13U filing. We partner with MAS-licensed CMS fund managers; we never displace the introducing adviser.
How the referral works
- You introduce the client with the packet above (or just the basics — the partner will fill gaps).
- We match the client to a vetted Singapore fund-setup partner and, where needed, a licensed fund manager.
- You stay informed throughout structuring, application and launch.
- The client keeps you as their trusted adviser; the partner handles only the FO build.
Refer a client — and stay in the loop
Send us the adviser and client basics (your firm, the client's AUM band and goals) and we'll arrange a vetted, MAS-licensed partner for the family-office build while keeping you informed as the referrer.
Refer a client →Frequently asked questions
When should an adviser refer a client to a Singapore family office?
When the client has roughly S$20–50M+ investable, wants control, privacy and tax efficiency, and is planning for succession. Below that, an MFO or EAM usually fits better. UHNW clients targeting PR may suit the GIP family-office route.
What information should an adviser gather before referring a family office client?
Approximate AUM and asset mix, in-house vs appointed manager, target tax incentive (13O or 13U), whether GIP PR is a goal, succession objectives, and timeline. This lets the receiving partner scope the structure without re-interviewing the client.
Does referring a client mean handing over the relationship?
No. It is a warm handoff: the introducing adviser stays in the loop, is tagged as the referrer for white-glove handling, and keeps the client relationship. The partner handles only the structuring, licensing and MAS work.
Which tax incentive will my client's family office use?
Most single family offices use 13O (S$5M AUM, two investment professionals). Clients with S$50M+ and a third investment professional, or an institutional base, use 13U. The receiving partner confirms eligibility and files with MAS.
VCC Singapore is an independent informational resource and is not a regulator, law firm or tax adviser. Thresholds are set by MAS, IRAS, ACRA and the EDB and change periodically — confirm the current figures before advising a client. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.