Income Tax on Businesses

For other personal income tax enquiries, you may use Ask Jamie our Virtual Assistant (available 24/7) at this webpage or Chat with us online  to resolve your tax matter quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Am I eligible to claim tax reliefs? 

    You can claim personal reliefs and rebates if you are a Singapore tax resident and have met the qualifying conditions for the respective reliefs/rebates in the preceding year.

You may check your eligibility for the personal reliefs and Parenthood Tax Rebate using the ‘Personal Reliefs Eligibility Tool’ and ‘Parenthood Tax Rebate calculator for tax resident individuals’ available at our website to check your eligibility for Personal Reliefs and Parenthood Tax Rebate. From YA 2018, the total amount of personal income tax reliefs is capped at $80,000.

You can view your pre-filled reliefs for Year of Assessment 2020 and make the necessary claims or withdrawals based on your eligibility when e-Filing your tax return.

2. I disagree on my tax bill as I have overlooked to claim for business expenses/ reliefs or wrongly declared my income. What should I do? 

    Please make amendments to your income information and/or tax relief claims through the “Object to Assessment” digital service at myTax Portal. See details in Q4 of Tax Season 2020 – About Your Tax Bill.

3. I am on GIRO. Why is IRAS deducting from my bank account when I have not received my tax bill?

    Once you are on GIRO payment scheme, your instalment payment for your taxes will continue in May each year to April of the following year, based on a Provisional Instalment Plan (PIP).

The PIP allows you to enjoy the maximum 12 months instalment. Your PIP will be revised once your tax assessment for the year is finalised. The tax instalments that you have paid will be used to offset your tax assessed and the instalments for the remaining months will be adjusted accordingly.

Excess payment, if any, will be automatically refunded to you. There is no need for you to make a claim for refund.

4. I wish to claim expenses incurred in my business. What are the business expenses that I can claim against my earnings?

    Business expenses are the costs you have incurred in the course of running your business. Only allowable business expenses may be deducted against your business income to reduce the amount of tax payable.

For details, please refer to allowable and disallowable business expenses.

5. I am a self-employed person and I have made contribution to my CPF account. How do I claim the CPF relief?

    CPF relief is allowed based on the date of payment of your contributions. For example, to claim for the CPF relief in the Year of Assessment 2020, the contributions must have been paid by 31 Dec 2019.

If you have made Medisave contributions or voluntary CPF contributions during the year, the relief will be automatically allowed in the following year based on information received from CPF Board. You need not make a claim for the relief.

No CPF relief will be allowed in respect of your compulsory Medisave or voluntary CPF contributions made in 2019 if you have no assessable net trade income for the Year of Assessment 2020

For details, please refer to CPF contributions by a self-employed person.

If your enquiry is regarding your personal tax matters, email us via myTax Mail with your SingPass 2FA.

You do not need to email to us. Please make your request through myTax Portal e-Service. You will have to log in with your SingPass.

You will receive the outcome of your request on the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. I have received a letter informing me of overdue tax and/or appointment of agent. 
    Find out more on how to make payment for your outstanding tax amount.

2. I have received a letter informing me of outstanding tax return and/or a late filing fee or summons.     
    Please file your tax return at myTax Portal with your SingPass.

3. Why did I receive the appointment of agent notice?     
    IRAS appoints agents (e.g. bank, tenant, employer etc.) to recover unpaid tax. Find out more on how to make payment for your outstanding tax amount. Please log in to myTax Portal to check on your outstanding tax.  

4. I have not filed my income tax return by the due date. Can I request for an extension of time to file?    
    You do not need to email to us. Please make your request through myTax Portal e-Service. You will have to log in with your SingPass.

Note: If you would like to seek IRAS’ guidance and advice on the tax treatment for your case (excluding hypothetical or tax planning enquiries), please give us the full facts of the case and your company’s UEN.