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The Daily Insight

Is additional wages subject to CPF?

Author

James Craig

Published Feb 12, 2026

My employee who is below 55 years old, earned a monthly salary of $7,000. He received a total Additional Wage (AW) of $100,000 in 2018. In this case, the maximum AW that is subject to CPF in 2018 would be $30,000. The remaining AW of $70,000 would not be subject to CPF, if your employee works till the end of the year.

What is considered as additional wages?

Additional Wages (AW) refers to wages which are not granted wholly and exclusively for the month such as annual bonus, leave pay and incentive payments, such as long service awards.

How is additional wages calculated for CPF?

The Additional Wage Ceiling is a CPF contribution cap on your additional wages, such as your bonuses. The formula for calculating the Additional Wage Ceiling is $102,000 – Ordinary Wages subject to CPF for the year. So for example, say you earn $7,500 a month, and earn an annual bonus of $15,000.

Which employers are not subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act?

Employees at businesses that have an annual revenue of less than $500,000 and who do not engage in interstate commerce[i] Railroad workers (covered instead by the Railway Labor Act) Truck drivers (covered instead by the Motor Carriers Act) Independent contractors and freelance workers (they’re not employees)[ii]

How do you calculate additional wages?

For example, if your employee earns $8,000 a month, and earns an annual bonus of $20,000. Only the first $6,000 of his/her monthly income will be subject to CPF contributions. As for his/her annual bonus, the Additional Wage Ceiling is $102,000 – $6,000 x 12 = $30,000.

Is AWS considered additional wages?

The variable portion of your wages can include the 13th month bonus or Annual Wage Supplement ( AWS ), bonus and variable payments. These payments are not compulsory, unless they are in your contract.

Is Commission an additional wage?

Monthly Commission is classified as Ordinary Wages (OW), whereas Non-Monthly Commission is classified as Additional Wages (AW). …

Is leave pay ordinary or additional wages?

Wages not granted wholly and exclusively for the month – made at intervals of more than a month. Examples of AW would be Annual Bonus, Leave Pay, Commissions.

Which is an example of an additional wage?

<p>​Additional Wages (AW) are:</p><ul><li><p>wages which are not granted wholly and exclusively for the month; or</p></li><li><p>wages made at intervals of more than a month.</p></li></ul><p>Examples of AW are annual bonus and leave pay.</p>.

When is OT pay considered an AW for the month?

Additional Wages (AW) are wages which are not granted wholly and exclusively for the month or wages made at intervals of more than a month. The OT pay is considered as an OW for the month if it satisfies both the above OW requirements. If otherwise, it is considered as an AW. All CPF contributions for the month are due at the end of the month.

Do you pay taxes on the full amount of wages?

Subject wages are the full amount of wages, regardless of the UI and SDI taxable wage limits. Certain types of employment and payments are not considered subject to some or all of the employment taxes. Refer to Information Sheet: Types of Employment, DE 231TE, and Information Sheet: Types of Payments, DE 231TP.

Where does the right to earned wages come from?

An employee’s right to earned wages does not come from an employment contract or the circumstances of one’s employment; rather, it comes directly from the letter of the law. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York State Labor Law, employers have a legal obligation to pay employees for the work that they have performed.