Claiming Input Tax in the Right Accounting Period

Before making an input tax claim, you need to obtain the tax invoice issued by your supplier or import permit and ensure that all conditions for claiming input tax are satisfied.

The input tax should be claimed in the accounting period corresponding to the date shown in the tax invoice or import permit.

You can claim for your purchases before your subsequent supply of goods or services. It is not necessary to match the input tax claim (for purchases) with output tax charged (for subsequent supply) in the same prescribed accounting period.

You may claim input tax based on the date that you post/process the tax invoice or import permit into your accounting system. However, you must comply with the following requirements:

1. Your basis of claiming input tax based on the date of posting/processing of the suppliers' tax invoices or import permit into your accounting system is applied consistently for all your GST returns;
2. You have the original tax invoices/import permits at the time of claiming; and
3. There are internal controls in place to ensure that there is no double claiming of input tax.