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Course Fees Relief

Course Fees Relief is given to encourage individuals to continuously upgrade their skills and enhance employability. It is targeted at those who are currently employed or who have been employed previously. Vacation jobs or internships are not considered employment for the purpose of this relief.
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Courses that Qualify for Relief

You can claim relief for the Year of Assessment (YA) 2021 on the course fees incurred in 2020 for:

  1. Any course, seminar or conference you attended in 2020 leading to an approved academic, professional or vocation qualification;
    Approved Academic or Professional Qualification

    To qualify for relief, the course, seminar or conference should lead to a recognised academic and professional qualification.

    Approved Vocational Qualification

    To qualify for relief:

    1. the acquired skill or knowledge should be one that can be applied in a vocation or a specific area in an industry; and
    2. the course, seminar or conference provider is a Singapore registered entity with the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).

    You can use the online tool on ACRA website or check with the programme provider to find out if the course provider is a Singapore registered entity.

  2. Any course, seminar or conference you attended in 2020 that is relevant to your current employment, trade, business, profession or vocation; or
  3. Any course, seminar or conference that you completed between 1 Jan 2018 to 31 Dec 2019 which is relevant to your new employment, trade, business, profession or vocation in 2020.
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Courses Not Eligible for Relief

  1. Courses, seminars or conferences for recreational or leisure purposes;
  2. Courses, seminars and conferences for general skills or knowledge (e.g. Internet surfing course, social media skills, basic website building skills and Microsoft Office skills); and
  3. Courses, seminars and conferences to acquire skills or knowledge for a hobby instead of your profession (e.g. photography, language and sports courses).
  4. Polytechnic/University courses if graduates have never exercised any employment or carried on any trade, profession or vocation previously.
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Amount of Course Fees Relief

You can claim the actual course fees incurred by yourself up to a maximum of $5,500 each year regardless of the number of courses, seminars or conferences you have attended.

You can claim only the portion of course fees which you paid. Any amount paid or reimbursed by your employer or any other organisation cannot be claimed.

You may claim the following types of fees:

  1. Aptitude test fees (for computer courses);
  2. Examination fees;
  3. Registration or enrolment fees; and/or
  4. Tuition fees.
Example 1: Course fees partially paid by employer

You are a photographer and you attended a two-day workshop on photo editing which costs $1,500. Your employer subsidised 75% of the cost of the workshop. You can claim the relief as follows:

Workshop Fees

$1,500

Workshop Fees Subsidised by Employer

$1,125 (75% X $1,500)

Workshop Fees Paid by Employee

$375 (25% X $1,500)

You may claim

$375

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Courses That Span a Number of Years

For courses that span a number of years and where full payment has been made upfront, you may divide the course fees paid equally over the years.

Example 2: Courses where full payment has been made upfront

You paid $9,000 for a three-year course in 2020, you can claim the relief as follows:

Course Fees Paid in Full in 2020

$9,000

Claim in YA 2021

$3,000

Claim in YA 2022

$3,000

Claim in YA 2023

$3,000

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Deferring Course Fee Relief Claims

You can defer your claim for Course Fee Relief if your assessable income is $22,000 or below throughout the duration of the course, seminar or conference that leads to an approved academic, professional or vocational qualification and claim the relief:

  1. in the first Year of Assessment when your assessable income exceeds $22,000; or
  2. Within 2-YA period from the YA relating to the year you have completed the course or attended the seminar or conference, whichever is earlier.
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Scenarios for Deferring Course Fee Relief Claims

Scenario 1: Assessable income ≤ $22,000 throughout the course duration

Ms Lim is a hairdresser and she took up a part-time vocational course in tourism. Her course began on 1 July 2016 and ended on 30 May 2018.

She continues working as a hairdresser after she completed the course. Her annual assessable income, course fee expenditure and amount of Course Fees Relief are as follows:

Year

Year of Assessment (YA)

Annual Assessable Income

Course Fees Paid

Course Fees Relief

2016

2017

$19,000

$2,000

Deferred

2017

2018

$20,000

$3,000

Deferred

2018

2019

$21,000

$1,000

Deferred

2019

2020

$21,500

 Nil

Deferred

2020

2021

$23,000

 Nil

$5,500

Ms Lim is allowed to defer her claim on Course Fees Relief since her assessable income for YA 2017 to YA 2019 (i.e. during the course duration) did not exceed $22,000. She is allowed to defer her claim to YA 2020 or YA 2021.

However, as her income did not exceed $22,000 in YA 2020, she can claim the relief in YA 2021.

In YA 2021, she is entitled to claim a relief of $5,500, even though she has incurred $6,000 on course fee. This is because when a taxpayer defers a claim in Course Fees Relief, it can only be claimed once, with a maximum allowable relief of $5,500.

Scenario 2: Assessable income fluctuates above and below $22,000

Mr Goh is an IT security executive. In 2017, he resigned from his company and took a two-year Master's degree course in IT Security Management.

After completing his first year, he deferred his course for a year and in 2018, worked full time. He resumed his full time course in 2019.

On completing his course in 2020, he was again employed by his former employer. His annual assessable income, course fee expenditure and amount of Course Fees Relief are as follows:

Year

Year of Assessment (YA)

Annual Assessable Income

Course Fees Paid

Course Fees Relief

2017

2018

$15,000

$4,000

Deferred

2018

2019

$40,000

Nil

$4,000

2019

2020

Nil

$3,000

Deferred

2020

2021

$50,000

Nil

$3,000

In YA 2019, Mr Goh must claim the relief for course fees of $4,000 incurred in 2017 as his income exceeded $22,000 in YA 2019.

Similarly, in YA 2021, he has to claim the relief on course fees of $3,000 incurred in 2019 as his income has exceeded $22,000 in YA 2021.

Scenario 3: Deferred claim is forfeited

Mrs Lau was a finance executive. She attended a three-year part-time accountancy post-diploma course from 2016 to 2018. On completion, she became a homemaker.

Her annual assessable income, course fee expenditure and amount of Course Fees Relief are as follows:

Year

Year of Assessment (YA)

Annual Assessable Income

Course Fees Paid

Course Fees Relief

2016

2017

$20,000

$2,500

Deferred

2017

2018

$25,000

$4,000

$5,500

2018

2019

Nil

$1,000

Deferred

2019

2020

Nil

Nil

Deferred

2020

2021

Nil

Nil

Forfeited 

In YA 2018, Mrs Lau must claim the relief for course fees incurred in 2016 and 2017 (total: $6,500) as her income exceeded $22,000 in YA 2018. The relief has been capped at $5,500.

As Mrs Lau has no assessable income during YA 2020 and YA 2021, she cannot claim the relief on the course fees ($1,000) incurred in 2018.

This amount is forfeited in YA 2021.

Scenario 4: Claim in YA 2021 for course taken in 2018

Ms Tan is an engineer. She quit her job and took up a baking course in Mar 2018. She completed the course in Aug 2018. In Sep 2020, she opened a bakery.

Her annual assessable income, course fee expenditure and amount of Course Fees Relief are as follows:

YearYear of Assessment (YA)Annual Assessable IncomeCourse Fees PaidCourse Fees Relief
20182019$80,000$3,000Nil. The course is not related to her profession as an engineer in 2018.
20192020NilNilNil
20202021$30,000Nil$3,000. Her income is above $22,000 and she has changed her career to one that is relevant to her course. Therefore, she is eligible to claim Course Fees Relief.
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How to Claim (e-Filing)

  1. Login with your SingPass or IRAS Unique Account (IUA) at myTax Portal.
  2. Go to Individuals > “File Income Tax Return”.
  3. Select “Edit My Tax Form”.
  4. Go to “4. Deductions, Reliefs and Parenthood Tax Rebate”.
  5. Go to “Course Fees” and enter your claim.
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How to Claim (Paper Filing)

Form B1

Complete item 6(h) on page 2.

Form B

Complete item 6(h) on page 3.

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  • I have filed my tax return for the Year of Assessment (YA) 2021. What should I do if I have forgotten to claim or need to revise or withdraw my claim for Course Fees Relief?

    1. If you filed your tax return online

      Re-file within 7 daysNew of your previous submission or by 18 Apr 2021, whichever is the earlier. You can only re-file once.
      When you re-file, you must include all your income details and expenses, donations and relief claims, where applicable. Once you have re-filed successfully, your new submission will override the previous submission.

    2. If you filed a paper tax return or you could not re-file your tax return online

    Please email us:

    1. your request to claim or revise the relief for the YA 2021;
    2. the amount of relief that you wish to claim or revise;
    3. the name of institution/school and the course attended;
    4. the date(s) of payment of the course fees;
    5. the amount of course fees paid on each date in (iv); and
    6. that you have met the qualifying conditions

  • I have received my tax bill for the Year of Assessment (YA) 2021. The amount of Course Fees Relief is incorrect/ I wish to withdraw my claim for Course Fees Relief. What should I do?

    Please file an objection within 30 days from the date of your tax bill using the “Objection to Assessment” e-Service in myTax Portal.

    If you are unable to use the e-service, you may email us stating:

    1. your request to claim or revise the relief for the YA 2021;
    2. the amount of relief that you wish to claim or revise;
    3. the name of institution/school and the course attended;
    4. the date(s) of payment of the course fees;
    5. the amount of course fees paid on each date in (iv); and
    6. that you have met the qualifying condition