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Tourist fined $16,000 for false GST refund claims
A tourist from Hong Kong has been fined $16,000 Friday for declaring items he did not purchase to claim goods and services tax (GST) refunds.
Businessman Hung Yat Sing admitted to declaring that he had bought pearl necklaces and bracelets here, claiming some $5,481 in refunds at Changi Airport on 12 June.
The 46-year-old took advantage of the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) that is available to non-residents, who are exempted from paying GST on items purchased here to be brought out of the country.
It turned out, however, that Hung was a courier for the items, bringing them out of Singapore for a commission — he had not paid for the items, and they did not belong to him either, an offence under the GST act.
Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) principal legal officer Patrick Nai said investigations revealed that when Hung made his claims for GST refunds, he had not satisfied the required conditions.
Hung was then questioned by IRAS when he returned here last month on holiday.
In a statement, IRAS said it takes a “serious view” of foreigners who try to abuse the TRS scheme by making false declarations of their purchases.
“Strong enforcement measures, including prosecution, will be taken against such offenders,” it said.