30 Aug 2010
We refer to the letter "Iras should offer more ways to pay", (ST Forum, 24 Aug 2010) by Ms Tan Saw Bin.
IRAS offers various payment modes to the public to pay stamp duty. Registered users of our e-Stamping system pay by GIRO. Other users of e-Stamping system pay by eNETs ; if the amount of stamp duty is above the payment limit set by their banks for eNETS payment, users pay by cheque. Those who e-stamp their documents at our Taxpayer Service Centre can pay by cashcard, NETS or eNETS, while those who e-Stamp at the service bureaus operated by SingPost can pay by cash, cashcard, NETS, cashier's order or cheque.
Users who pay electronically enjoy the convenience of completing the entire e-Stamping process and having their stamp certificates printed immediately, For cheque payments, the stamp certificate can only be available after the cheque has been cleared.
Prior to the launch of the new e-Stamping website, IRAS sent circulars to inform regular users including estate agents, lawyers and accounting and secretarial firms of the change in service bureau and conducted seminars for them to familiarise themselves with the new e-Stamping website. In addition to issuing a media release, brochures explaining the change in service bureau were also distributed at IRAS' Taxpayer Service Centre, CrimsonLogic service bureau as well as the new service bureaus at SingPost.
We thank Ms Tan for the opportunity to clarify.
Deanna Choo
Director (Corporate Communications Branch)
Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore