Our Mission
About ExpatMemo
An independent editorial resource for founders and cross-border professionals. Every guide is traceable to primary sources (IRAS circulars, IRD ordinances, MoF publications), never sponsored, never paywalled behind a consultation.
Why ExpatMemo exists
The intersection of international tax law, banking compliance, and corporate structuring is genuinely complex. Most online resources either oversimplify it into listicles or gate every useful detail behind an expensive consultation.
ExpatMemo was built to fill that gap: practitioner-level information, free and openly published, with every claim traceable to its primary source. We cover what the official IRAS, IRD, and MoF publications say, not what a forum commenter thinks they say.
Thomas Lenoir, ExpatMemo's editor, brings 14 years of direct practitioner experience across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dubai. When ExpatMemo publishes on company formation or UAE tax residency, it draws from hands-on advisory work, not secondary sources.
Meet the Editor
Thomas Lenoir
International Corporate & Tax Structuring Advisor
Thomas Lenoir is an international corporate and tax structuring advisor based in Southeast Asia. Trained at a French university in international corporate law, he has spent the past 14 years advising founders, family offices, and international entrepreneurs across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dubai. His career started at a Big 4 firm. He moved to boutique corporate services practices after five years, where he now handles the technical, client-specific mandates.
His work covers the four areas ExpatMemo explores in depth: tax residency planning, business banking for non-residents, corporate structuring across jurisdictions, and cross-border employment for international teams.
ExpatMemo exists because too many business owners pay consultants four-digit fees for answers that should already be public. This site publishes the analysis he would have wanted available when his own clients first came to him.
Trust Standards
How we earn your trust
As a YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) resource, ExpatMemo is held to the highest editorial standards. Here is how we apply Google's E-E-A-T framework in practice.
Experience
Thomas has personally incorporated Singapore Pte Ltd companies, structured Hong Kong holdings, and handled offshore restructurings across Asia. Every article draws from work done, not research done. If it's on ExpatMemo, it has been navigated first.
Expertise
Thomas holds a Master's in international corporate law and 14 years of practitioner experience. Every claim on ExpatMemo cites its primary source: tax authority publications, government legislation, enacted regulations. Nothing is written from memory.
Authoritativeness
ExpatMemo cites only primary sources. IRAS publications for Singapore, IRD notices for Hong Kong, MoF releases for the UAE. No third-party summaries, no repackaged content. When regulations change, we update the articles and mark the verification date.
Trustworthiness
The editorial methodology is published openly. Affiliate relationships are disclosed on every applicable article. Review dates are visible. YMYL disclaimers appear site-wide. We don't hide commercial relationships, because readers deserve to make their own judgment.
Every article is written from experience, verified against official sources, and updated when regulations change, but no article is a substitute for a qualified advisor.
When you need one, hire one.