FAQs

The account application can be completed online and should take about 15 to 20 minutes for most customers. To begin the process, click Open New Account at the top of the page.

There is no minimum amount to open an account. We recommend people start with at least USD$3,500. If you do fund with at least USD$3,500, we will rebate your wire fee up to USD$100 (for the first time funding only). You need USD$25,000 to actively day trade, USD$5,000 to sell options naked, and USD$2,000 to have margin capability in your account. At a minimum, you need at least USD$500 to receive live real time data.

Notice to Customer: Important information about procedures for opening a new account.

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money-laundering activities, Singapore law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. What this means to you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We will also ask to see your National Registration Identity Card (NRIC), a copy of a recent bank account statement, and/or other identifying items.

TD Ameritrade Singapore does not make any decisions on a new customer's account until we have received all the necessary documentation. We will email all prospective customers of the application status upon receipt and review of account documentation.

Yes. To update your application information, please log in to our website and click Edit Personal Information (on the left). Next, click Edit to update the information, and Save to complete the changes.

Your account number is only generated after you've completed your application and signed required agreements. You can get your account number by logging in to your account and going to the Account Centre, then Statement section. Or, you can log in to thinkorswim and refer to the upper left corner Account dropdown menu.

Please contact our office at +65 6823 2250 for more information.

2FA is an enhanced level of security for you and your account. 2FA is a stronger form of identity validation and authentication as it relies on:

1. Information known to you (User ID and Password)
2. Something you possess (your mobile phone)
   
   

This layer of protection provides substantially better security and makes it more difficult for an attacker to access your accounts.

Log in to your account. Click on User Profile and expand Account Security Information. Under Second Factor Authentication, toggle the button to “Yes”.

You will be prompted to download the TD Ameritrade Authenticator app to your phone or tablet from your device’s App Store or Google Play Store.

Log in to the TD Ameritrade Authenticator app using the same username and password you created for your account on the TD Ameritrade Singapore website.

Enter the code being displayed online in your account application Enable Two-Factor Authentication section, into the TD Ameritrade Authenticator app when prompted. This will then synch your phone or tablet to act as the “Approver Device” to your new TD Ameritrade Singapore account.

Once enabled, logging into the TD Ameritrade Singapore website, thinkorswim desktop trading platform, and thinkorswim mobile application will require you to validate your access via a push notification sent to the Approver Device you enabled through the steps above. If you tap “approve” from the push notification, you will be allowed to log in; if you tap “deny,” your login request will be refused.

Should you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at help@tdameritrade.com.sg or call +65 6823 2250.

Effective as of 1 January 2012, the MAS requires financial institutions (including  brokerage firms, banks and financial advisors) to assess whether a retail investor has the relevant knowledge or experience to understand the risks and features of a Specified Investment Product (SIP) before that product is offered to them. 

Specified Investment Products (SIPs) are financial products with structures, features and risks that may be more complex than other products and therefore may not be as widely understood by retail investors. There are two categories of SIPs:

Listed SIPs
Examples of SIPs listed on securities markets include the following:

• Certificates
• Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
• Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
• Futures (Extended Settlement Contracts)
• Structured Warrants
• Callable Bull / Bear Contracts (CBBCs)
• Options

Unlisted SIPs
Examples of Unlisted SIPs include the following:

• Over-The-Counter Products
• Leveraged Foreign Exchange

Prior to offering you the ability to invest in products, TD Ameritrade Singapore will have to conduct a Customer Account Review (CAR) for Listed SIPs based on your declaration of your educational qualifications, work experience and investment or trading experience.

The criteria used to qualify a retail investor for the CAR are:

Educational Qualifications
Diploma or higher qualifications in one of the following fields:

• Accountancy
• Actuarial Science
• Business Administration/Business Management/Business Studies
• Capital Markets
• Commerce/ Economics /Finance
• Financial Engineering
• Financial Planning / Computational Finance and Insurance
• Professional Finance-related qualifications (including Chartered Financial Analyst Examination conducted by CFA Institute, USA and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Qualifications)

Working Experience
Have a minimum of 3 consecutive years of working experience (such working experience would also include the provision of legal advice or possession of legal expertise on the relevant areas listed below) in the past 10 years, in the development of, structuring of, management of, sale of, trading of, research on or analysis of investment products, or the provision of training in investment products (as defined in Section 2 of the Financial Advisers Act (Cap. 110)). Work experience in Accountancy, Actuarial Science, Treasury or Financial Risk Management activities will also be considered relevant experience.

Note: Support functions in the areas mentioned above that are administrative or clerical in nature will not be considered as relevant experience.

Investment Experience
Completed at least 6 transactions in Listed SIPs in the preceding 3 years. Please refer to the earlier FAQ for examples of what are some common examples of Listed SIPs.

You only need to satisfy ONE of the 3 criteria to qualify for the CAR.

For Individual Accounts: The Account Holder must qualify for the CAR. If the account has also provided a Limited Trading Authority (LTA) to another person, that person must also qualify for the CAR.
 

For Joint Trading Accounts: Both Account Holders must qualify for the CAR. If the account has also provided a Limited Trading Authority (LTA) to another person, that person must also qualify for the CAR.

At this time TD Ameritrade Singapore requires all clients to complete the CAR.

If you do not qualify for the CAR but still wish to invest in Listed SIPs, you are required to complete the SGX Quiz at www.sgx.com/sip. Alternatively, you may also let us know if you have personally undergone and pass the examination for CMFAS Modules 6A, 8A or 9A.

Once you have passed the SGX quiz or had undergone and pass the examination for CMFAS Modules 6A, 8A or 9A, please email accounts@tdameritrade.com.sg the answers to the following questions:

• The results of any previous attempts BEFORE passing the quiz (if applicable)
• The name of any brokers who have rejected your application to open an account to trade Specified Investment Products

Note: In order to pass the SGX Quiz, you must attain a score of 75% or greater.

Please refer to “What if I do not qualify for the CAR?”

For new account applicants, the CAR is part of the online application and you will need to ensure the information filled is up to date.

During the application process, the relevant questions are found in the following sections of the online application form:

• Personal Information - Education Level
• Employment Information
• Trading Experience

A qualified CAR is valid for three years and needs to be reassessed for every three-year cycle. You will be able to continue trading listed SIPs if you fulfil the criteria stated in “What criteria is used to qualify the investor in the Customer Account Review ("CAR")?”

You have to undergo a CAR assessment for each account.

You have to undergo three assessments - one for each account.

Yes, each financial institution is required to conduct its own CAR for their customers.

Accounts can be funded by DBS/POSB electronic transfer, a cheque deposit, telegraphic transfer (international wire) from your bank, or through an account transfer from another broker. Please visit our funding page for instructions on funding.

DBS/POSB Electronic Transfer:

Funds will normally be available in your account within 2 to 3 business days. Please note that this is for DBS/POSB bank account holders only.

Cheque:

Funds will normally be available in your account within 3 to 5 business days. Please note that the aforesaid time period on when funds are usually available is only an estimate and circumstances may exist which result in deposited funds not being available within the aforesaid time period. Please check your account by logging in to the trading software for confirmation that funds deposited by you have been credited into your account.

Deposits made via cheque are subject to a hold period, to allow the funds to clear from the sending institution. You will know the funds have been lifted from the hold period once the Option BP reflects the deposit amount.

Wire:

Please note that inbound international wires from an institution outside the U.S. typically take 3 to 5 business days.

Wire deposits are not subject to a hold period. Funds will be posted and available as soon as the deposit is received.

We do not charge for an incoming wire transfer. However, the institution sending the funds may impose a fee. The client will need to contact the sending institution to inquire what their fees are.

We will rebate for the initial funding charges (up to USD$100) assessed by the sending institution if the deposit exceeds USD$3,500. We will not rebate for any wires beyond the initial deposit.

ACATS:

ACATS generally take approximately 7 to 10 business days to complete. All securities are frozen during the transfer process and all trading activity must cease in the delivering account once the transfer has been initiated. However this process will be delayed when a customer attempts to transfer positions that are not paid in full, have unsettled funds, or are restricted stock. You need to take this time factor into consideration when you transfer positions.

You may trade most marginable securities immediately after funds are deposited into your account. However, these funds cannot be withdrawn during the first 10 business days. Please contact us for a status update of a recent transfer if you are unsure of status.

To request for a wire from your TD Ameritrade Singapore account, scroll to the top of the page and click on log in at the top right hand corner. From there click on Account Centre, then Withdrawal on the left hand panel and expand on Wire Transfers.

You need to talk to the receiving Broker Dealer that you are transferring your account to for their ACAT form. They will then forward your instructions to our Clearing Firm for processing. 

Note: Regretfully full ACAT transfers out of TD Ameritrade Singapore are charged USD$75 and will result in account closure.

Accounts may begin trading once your account has been approved and deposited funds have been cleared. Our clearing firm in the U.S., TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc., will automatically notify us when wires have been received. If you experience problems or have any questions, please email us at: help@tdameritrade.com.sg.

TD Ameritrade Singapore facilitates the trading of U.S. Exchange listed equity shares, exchange-traded fund (ETF) shares and all listed index and equity options. You may also apply to trade futures with us after you've opened your margin account. TD Ameritrade Singapore will set your product permissions based upon MAS regulations and Singapore Exchange (SGX) minimum qualification requirements.

Please refer to our Margin Handbook to find out more information.

Forex, FX, foreign currency exchange, currency trading, and CT are all terms that refer to the over-the-counter (OTC) global currency markets, where actual physical currency is exchanged and traded.

Unfortunately, TD Ameritrade Singapore does not offer forex trading at this time.

Not at this time.

Equities & ETF trading:

• Pre-market:  7:00 AM – 9:28 AM ET
• Day session:  9:30 AM – 4:00  PM ET
• After-hours:  4:02 PM  -8:00 PM ET

Option trading:

• 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET (most equity and narrow-based index options
• 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET (most broad based index options)

Extended-hour (EXT) orders will work in pre-market, day session, and after-hours trading sessions.

Yes. However, please be aware that the extended hours market is generally less liquid than regular market hours. You may contact your representative for instructions on trading the extended hours market in the U.S.

There are three basic order types: market order, limit order, and stop order.

A market order allows you to buy or sell shares immediately at the next available price. Typically, you’d use market orders when you need to get in or out of your position quickly. Market orders are only guaranteed for execution but not price.

The limit order is to set your order at a specific price so it can only be executed if the prevailing price is at that price or better.

Limit orders to buy are usually placed below the current ask price. Limit orders to sell are usually placed above the current bid price.

The stop order (sometimes called a “stop-loss” order) allows you to enter or exit a position once it reaches a specific price level.  Once your activation price is reached, the stop order turns into a market order, filling at the next available ask price (in the case of a buy stop order) or best bid price (in the case of a sell stop order).

Stop orders to buy stock or options specify prices that are above their current market prices. Stop orders to sell stock or options specify prices that are below their current market prices. A stop order will not guarantee an execution at or near the activation price. Once activated, they compete with other incoming market orders.

Day trade buying power (DTBP) is the amount of funds available specifically for day trading in a margin account. When using DTBP, long and short positions are expected to be closed out at the end of the same trading day and are not intended to be held overnight. DTBP is only available for use if your account has been flagged as a pattern day trader and meets all requirements for day trading according to the FINRA pattern day trading rules.

Please note that a day trade is considered the opening and closing of the same position within the same day. Per FINRA rules, if you make more than 3 day trades in any 5 business day period, you will be marked as a pattern day trader. Effective September 28, 2001 the NYSE and NASD imposed a USD$25,000 minimum equity requirement for "pattern day traders." Consistent with the new margin rules, if a TD Ameritrade Singapore customer's margin account falls under USD$25,000 and the customer has been marked as a “pattern day trader,” the customer will not be allowed to open new positions until the USD$25,000 requirement is restored.

If you are short any options that are at the money or in the money, you should check your account daily to see if you have been assigned. In the case of early assignment (assignment prior to expiration), we will make every attempt to reach you prior to the opening of the market on the day we receive the exercise notice on your behalf, but you still need to maintain the habit of checking your account personally. At expiration, any equity option that is .01 of a point or more in the money will be automatically exercised unless the owner of that option chooses otherwise. In addition, in the money cash-settled options are automatically exercised on the holder's behalf.  While we do contact clients on a best efforts basis to alert them to assignment,  you will need to monitor your accounts on the TD Ameritrade Singapore website or thinkorswim platform on Monday morning after expiration to see if assignment occurred. In any case, our clearing firm will send you a confirmation showing your purchase or sale of stock on an exercise.

You may contact the TD Ameritrade Singapore Trade Desk at +65 6823 2250 to discuss the process. We will assess your choices with you on a case-by-case basis. You are urged to contact us before taking any action on your own if you are assigned on any short options.

Index and equity options that are in the money by .01 of a point or more by the close of trading on the Friday before expiration are automatically exercised. Clients who wish to exercise options that are not automatically exercised must contact their broker to do so, no later than 4:20 p.m. U.S. ET.

A regulatory fee may be charged on certain transactions and may include any of the following: a sales fee on certain sell transactions (assessed at a rate consistent with Section 31 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934) and options regulatory fee (option transactions only), among other charges.

Yes, and at no additional charge. The TD Ameritrade Singapore trade desk is staffed with representatives 24 hours a day, 5 days a week from 9 a.m Monday to 5 a.m. Saturday (SGT.) Please call +65 6823 2250.

"Buying power" is the amount of money available in an account to buy stocks, options, or futures. Buying power is determined by the sum of the cash held in the brokerage account and the loan value of any marginable securities in the account without depositing additional equity.

"Net liquidity" is the current value of an account, consisting of cash in the account and the current fair market value of any open positions.

"Negative buying power" occurs in an account when the requirements of existing positions exceed the available equity in the account. If an account has negative buying power, this indicates a deficiency in equity with regards to fulfilling the account margin obligations. For example, one of the causes of negative buying power could be a margin call.

When an account is negative buying power, the thinkorswim trading platform will not accept any order that would require additional buying power or add risk. If a client encounters negative buying power in their account, you should immediately call our office at +65 6823 2250  or access live chat from the Support/Chat button within the thinkorswim platform.

"Negative net liquidity" occurs when the fair market value of positions currently being held in the account have depreciated to a point where the equity is below zero. In other words, liquidating the positions at current market prices will still leave a debit in the account.

When an account is negative net liquidity, the thinkorswim trading platform will not accept any order that would require additional buying power or add risk. If you encounter negative liquidity in your account, you should immediately call our office at +65 6823 2250  or access live chat from the Support/Chat button within the thinkorswim platform.

"Negative unsecured buying power" is a term used to describe a situation where an account has BOTH negative buying power AND negative net liquidity. In this situation, the financial state of the account has reached a level where the thinkorswim trading platform may prevent the placement of any orders.

If you encounter negative liquidity in your account, you should immediately call our office at +65 6823 2250  or access live chat from the Support/Chat button within the thinkorswim platform.

Not at this time.

To update your email address, please log in and under Account Centre click Change email.

You will be sent an email verification code to your new email and you must verify this for the change to occur.

To update your address, please log in. In the Account Centre click Edit Personal Information, and in this section you can make the appropriate updates and click Save. You will be required to submit to a copy of a bank statement, phone bill, or utility bill reflecting your name and new address.

For account services support, call +65 6823 2250, 24 hours a day, 5 days a week from 9 a.m Monday to 5 a.m. Saturday (SGT.)

Account statements will be provided to you in the Account Centre, in the Statement & Confirmation Centre. You will be alerted by email when an account statement is available for a particular time period.

Customers may access their account statements through the Account Statements tab on the trading application or on our website by logging in to our secure website.

Yes. Customers of TD Ameritrade Singapore may access past account statements for up to 13 months at our secure website. Simply log in and go to Account Centre tab and click Statement & Confirmation Centre on left menu. Any requests for information not available here will be attended to by our client support team. For such requests, please email help@tdameritrade.com.sg.

Navigate to the Form Library and expand the section titled "Limited Trading Authorisation."  Download, complete, and return the PDF form to us for processing.  

No. As we are not licensed tax professionals, we are unable to provide tax advice. Please contact your tax advisor for information regarding your personal taxes. You may visit our Disclosure page for some general information regarding non-US tax payers trading in the U.S. markets.

No investment or trading advice is provided, as TD Ameritrade Singapore is not a financial advisor. Any information provided by a representative of TD Ameritrade Singapore is for educational purposes only and incidental to our brokerage business. We will be happy to provide you with information regarding the characteristics of options, equities, and ETFs. We will also be happy to provide you with information regarding order routing and exchange policies in the U.S.

Yes, accounts may be linked as long as the same beneficial ownership applies between the accounts or we have been authorised to do so by the account's beneficial owner. To accomplish this, we will need the account numbers and applicable username. Please call us at +65 6823 2250 and we can process your linking request.

Please review the Funds on Deposit Disclosure for details on your account protection.

Stocks & ETFs

Trade unlimited shares for $0.00 per trade.

Note: $0 commission applies to U.S. exchange-listed stocks and ETFs. A USD$7.44 commission applies to online trades of over-the-counter (OTC) stocks.

Options

USD$0.70 per contract, with no ticket charge, exercise or assignment fees. Option fees are waived when you buy to close any short individual or single leg option for USD$0.05 or less.

Futures and Options on Futures

USD$2.41 per contract (plus exchange and regulatory fees).

The options regulatory fee is USD$0.0169 per contract charge implemented by Cboe to fund its regulatory and surveillance duties. This fee will apply to any transactions that are/were executed by Cboe member firms regardless of the market place of execution.

TD Ameritrade, Inc. is the executing broker located in the USA and contracted by TD Ameritrade Singapore Pte. Ltd. to execute your trades on our behalf. At all times you remain a client of TD Ameritrade Singapore and no contractual relationship exists between yourself and TD Ameritrade, Inc. TD Ameritrade, Inc. is not licensed in Singapore and is not responsible for the products or services offered by TD Ameritrade Singapore. Nothing in any of TD Ameritrade Singapore's published material represents an offer or solicitation by TD Ameritrade to conduct business in any jurisdiction in which it is not licensed to do so. If you have any questions about your account or TD Ameritrade, please contact us at accounts@tdameritrade.com.sg.

Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC is a futures commission merchant, member National Futures Association (NFA). Futures customers should be aware that futures accounts, including options on futures, are not protected under the Securities Investor Protection Act. Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC is the futures commission merchant located in the USA and contracted by TD Ameritrade Singapore Pte. Ltd. to provide futures and options on futures custodial services for your account on our behalf. At all times you remain a client of TD Ameritrade Singapore and no contractual relationship exists between yourself and Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC. Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC is not licensed in Singapore and is not responsible for the products or services offered by TD Ameritrade Singapore. Nothing in any of TD Ameritrade Singapore's published material represents an offer or solicitation by Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC to conduct business in any jurisdiction in which it is not licensed to do so. If you have any questions about your account or Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC, please contact us at accounts@tdameritrade.com.sg.

All customers in Singapore are entitled to receive contract notes (trade confirmations) which are accessible at our secure website after signing in. You may also choose to receive them via postal mail for USD$20.00 a month.

In order to short a stock at TD Ameritrade Singapore, our clearing firm has to borrow it from someone that is another clearing firm who holds a long position, to deliver to the buyer on the other side of your short sale. There may be a borrowing fee associated with the transaction that you are responsible for. The rate depends on the demand for that particular stock. TD Ameritrade Singapore Pte. Ltd. has authorised TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc., the custodian, to charge your account this fee for any stock they lend to you.

Every time you are filled on a trade, a contract note is generated. For security purposes, we cannot send descriptions of the actual trades to a non-secure email address, however we will post them to your account on our website.  You will be alerted via email that a contract note is available; to view them, simply sign in to our secure website, click on the Account Centre header and then the Trade Confirmations tab.

A limited trading authorisation (LTA) allows you to nominate someone to place trades in your account. TD Ameritrade Singapore will not speak to anyone about your account details or accept trade instructions from any other person unless official approval has been granted by the account holder.

Yes, in accordance with rules and requirements of the Securities and Futures Act (SFA) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, TD Ameritrade Singapore will use information submitted by you at the time of account opening such as: name, address, FIN/NRIC number and/or passport number to provide reasonable assurance to ourselves and regulators that you are who you say you are.

Yes, TD Ameritrade Singapore charges GST on applicable commissions and fees at the prevailing rate.

TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. (TDAC) is the clearing firm located in the USA and contracted by TD Ameritrade Singapore Pte. Ltd. to provide securities and options clearing and custodial services for your account on our behalf. At all times, you remain a client of TD Ameritrade Singapore and no contractual relationship exists between yourself and TDAC. TDAC is not licensed in Singapore and is not responsible for the products or services offered by TD Ameritrade Singapore. Nothing in any of TD Ameritrade Singapore's published material represents an offer or solicitation by TDAC to conduct business in any jurisdiction in which it is not licensed to do so. If you have any questions about your account or TDAC, please contact us at accounts@tdameritrade.com.sg.

These guidelines cannot be considered to be, and are not tax or legal advice, so please consult your tax advisor to determine the U.S. tax consequences of investing in the U.S. TD Ameritrade Singapore Pte. Ltd. (TD Ameritrade Singapore) does not provide tax advice. Investors who are not U.S. tax payers are generally not required to file a U.S. tax return. TD Ameritrade Singapore will withhold the required amount of U.S. taxes, as applicable. (Please also refer to Foreign Investors and U.S. Taxes Disclosure)

Form W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for U.S. Tax Withholding, is a U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form that is required to be completed by a nonresident alien, who is not subject to U.S. tax reporting or backup withholding.

This form must be completed and signed when you open a non-resident account with TD Ameritrade and must be renewed every three years. A separate form is needed for each account holder on joint accounts and accounts with multiple account holders.

Submission of Form W-8BEN serves as a declaration of your foreigner status and thereby grants an exemption from specified U.S. information return reporting and backup withholding regulations.

Your completed W-8BEN will be valid for the year in which it is signed plus three years.

For example: If you opened an account and signed a W-8BEN form on July 30, 2019, the form will be valid until Dec. 31, 2022.

If any change in your circumstances that causes any information on the form to be no longer correct or valid, you will need to complete a new W-8BEN form with updated information. 

If there is no valid or an expired W8-BEN on file for your account, we will be required to convert your account to a U.S. Taxpayer account, and our clearing firm will be required by the U.S.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to withhold 24% of all interest, dividends, proceeds from options transactions, and sales proceeds until we receive the necessary documentation.

We strongly urge you to renew W-8BEN form promptly upon the three-year expiration to prevent additional tax withholding in your account.   

The FTIN is the tax identification number you use to file taxes in your country of residence. It is similar to a Social Security Number in the United States. Please provide your foreign tax identification number (FTIN) or an explanation of why you don’t have one.

Completing the electronic W-8BEN online is the quickest way to submit your documentation. This process is located by following this path after your login at our website: Account Centre > Forms and Documents > Account Forms > W8 > Click here to submit electronic W8.

Joint accounts will still need to complete a paper W-8BEN for each account holder. If you like to complete a paper W-8BEN form, please download the W-8BEN form.

As a non-U.S. investor, you will be sent a Form 1042-S by mid-March for the preceding tax year if you have reportable activity. Any U.S. withholding that occurred, along with the income it is attributed to, will be reported on Form 1042-S. This form is available online and is also mailed to your current mailing address on record. In addition, the form is sent to the U.S. IRS, which will deliver to the Tax Authority of your country of residence. Typically, no U.S. tax filing is necessary, however you may be required to report certain income earnings to your country. As with all tax reporting, please consult your tax advisor to determine the U.S. tax consequences of investing in the U.S.

Generally, TD Ameritrade will withhold an applicable percentage of dividend and interest income from U.S. securities at the time of payment and reported on Form 1042-S, so no additional tax is due after the year ends. The statutory withholding rate is 30% unless you have claimed an active treaty for your account, in which case it may be lower. Treaty claims are made through the IRS Form W-8BEN. For more information on tax treaties for international investors, please visit the IRS web site for Tax Treaty Tables. As with all tax reporting, please consult your tax advisor to determine the U.S. tax consequences of investing in the U.S.

Gains earned from trading activity are typically not subject to U.S. withholding or taxation, however your country of residence may require reporting of activity done in the U.S. markets. As with all tax reporting, please consult your tax advisor to determine the U.S. tax consequences of investing in the U.S.

Backup withholding is a form of tax withholding that all brokerage firms including TD Ameritrade, are required to make on income from stock sales, along with interest income, dividends, or other kinds of payments that are reported on the various types of Form 1099. If you have not completed and filed Form W-8BEN with the brokerage firm, the current rate of backup withholding is 24% as required by IRS. This rate is determined by the IRS and subject to change.

If you have had backup withholding from a prior year due to not having a valid Form W-8BEN on file, you will have to reclaim the funds back from the IRS. You will need to file a 1040-NR for the applicable tax year to the IRS in order to begin the reclamation process.  If you do not currently have a U.S. tax ID number, you will need to complete a W-7 along with your filing of the 1040-NR.  These forms and their instructions are available on the IRS website (http://www.irs.gov/).  You are able to use the Consolidated Forms 1099 generated as verification of the backup withholding that was done. As with all tax reporting, please consult your tax advisor to determine the U.S. tax consequences of investing in the U.S.

In a response to concerns that non-U.S. investors were able to avoid dividend withholding by using equity swaps, the U.S. Congress enacted a new withholding regime titled Section 871m as of January 1, 2017. This has an impact on investors outside the U.S. with “dividend equivalent payments” in the options market. Dividends paid by a U.S. security, held by a non-U.S. person, have been subject to NRA (Non-Resident Alien) withholding. Section 871m is treating a dividend received on the underlying security of an option as a “deemed dividend” to the option holder, and therefore as U.S. source income subject to withholding if certain qualifications are met. As of now, options are the only product TD Ameritrade Singapore offers that will be affected but this is subject to change. More information regarding dividend equivalent payments is available on the IRS website.

Corporate actions that qualify as a deemed redemption or tender offer under section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code are initially subject to withholding by non-U.S. investors. As a withholding agent, the firm is required to withhold a percentage of the value for this distribution; up to 30% of the distribution if a reduced withholding treaty was not claimed or applicable.  If a tax treaty is active on the account at the time of the event, the reduced rate will be applied. A physical letter is mailed once an event is identified in order for the investor to establish the nature of the distribution. If you have determined the event to be a substantially disproportionate redemption or a complete termination of interest within 60 days of the event, the withholding is returned. In addition to the letter announcing the event, you will receive an Election Certificate and instructions to help you make this determination.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have introduced new regulations under Internal Revenue Code, Section 1446(f) regarding publicly traded partnership (PTP) securities held by foreign persons (individuals or entities). The withholding requirements under the new regulations will go into effect on January 1, 2023 and could impact clients in the following ways:

• Beginning on January 1, 2023 we will withhold 10% of gross proceeds from sales of PTP securities and certain distributions by PTPs.

• The transactions and related withholding tax will also be reported on Form 1042-S, Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding.

• This new PTP withholding tax is separate from the existing 37% withholding for individuals and 21% withholding for entity accounts on payments of U.S. source income related to PTP securities.

• For more detail regarding Section 1446(f) regulations, please review the information available online on the IRS website: www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/partnership-withholding.

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Please log in to your account and navigate to the Trading Technology section. From there, click on thinkorswim Desktop on the left panel, scroll down to the Start Trading section at the bottom of the page, and click on the green Download thinkorswim button.  Follow the appropriate link for your machine type and build.

When you click the Start Installer button, the file download can take anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour depending upon the speed of your connection.  Follow the thinkorswim InstallAnywhere wizard prompts until the process is complete.  A successful download will result thinkorswim being listed in your computer program files and/or a thinkorswim desktop icon.

Make sure that your system has the following resources:

Operating System

PC: Windows XP or later

Mac: OS 10.10 or greater

Processor

PC: 2.0 Pentium 4 class

Mac: Intel Core 2 Duo

RAM

2 GB or more

Hard Drive Free Space

250 MB

Internet Connection

Broadband (DSL, cable, or faster)

Display Resolution

1024 x 768 or greater

Firewall

Ports 7001 and 7002 must be open.

Java Runtime Environment

Our software requires a valid Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to run correctly. For PC users, the JRE is automatically downloaded during the ThinkDesktop installation process. For Mac users, the JRE is included with your operating system.

You are most likely being blocked by a firewall. Contact your computer system administrator regarding software permissions and firewalls, and then call our technical support at +65 6823 2250 during support hours, or contact us via email.

The thinkorswim platform will automatically try to reconnect you until an Internet connection is established or you close the application. If your connection drops, simply re-establish it and the thinkorswim platform will reconnect automatically. The connection status will appear in the upper-left-hand corner.

No, but you must be connected to the Internet to receive quotes and execute trades through our software.

Your username and password are case sensitive. This is the most frequent cause of this error. Check your caps lock key and try again. Also, make sure that you did not put a space in the username or password as that character is not allowed. thinkorswim does not use your email address for your username. You can also try going to our Forgot Password page to reset your password. If you still have problems please contact technical support.

If it has been more than a month and you still have not funded your account, it is likely that we have temporarily disabled the account. Contact technical support to re-enable your access.