If you run a business in Singapore, GST is one of those compliance items that quietly turns into a problem if you ignore it. Cross the wrong threshold, miss a registration deadline, and you can end up backdated to the date you should have registered — owing GST on past sales you never collected, plus penalties.
This guide walks through how GST registration works in 2026: the compulsory threshold, the voluntary route, the reverse charge and overseas vendor rules that catch many directors out, and the documents and timeline you should expect when you apply via myTax Portal.
What GST Is and Who Charges It
The Goods and Services Tax is Singapore’s broad-based consumption tax. It applies at 9% (from 1 January 2024) on the supply of most goods and services made in Singapore, and on the import of goods. The legal framework sits in the Goods and Services Tax Act 1993, administered by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).
A GST-registered business charges GST on standard-rated supplies (output tax), reclaims GST on business purchases (input tax), and pays the difference to IRAS in its GST return. If input tax exceeds output tax in a period — common for exporters and businesses with heavy capex — the business receives a refund.
Compulsory Registration: The S$1 Million Threshold
You must register for GST if your taxable turnover crosses S$1 million on either of two tests:
- Retrospective basis: taxable turnover at the end of the calendar year exceeded S$1 million. You must apply within 30 days of the end of that year, and the effective registration date is 1 March of the following year.
- Prospective basis: at any time, you reasonably expect taxable turnover in the next 12 months to exceed S$1 million — typically because of a signed contract, an expanded operation, or a confirmed pipeline. You must apply within 30 days of the date you formed that expectation, and the effective date is the 31st day after that.
Failure to register on time exposes the business to a backdated registration from the date you should have registered. IRAS will assess output GST on all sales made from that date — even though you never collected GST from your customers. A 10% late registration penalty applies, and the maximum fine on conviction is S$10,000 with possible imprisonment under Section 64 of the GST Act.
What Counts as Taxable Turnover
Taxable turnover means the total value of all taxable supplies made in Singapore in a 12-month period, including:
- Standard-rated supplies (most domestic sales of goods and services).
- Zero-rated supplies (exports of goods, international services that meet Section 21(3) conditions).
It does not include:
- Exempt supplies — financial services, sale and lease of residential properties, sale and import of investment precious metals.
- Out-of-scope supplies — sale of goods that never enter Singapore (third-country sales).
- Sale of capital assets.
Many directors underestimate turnover by forgetting zero-rated exports. A logistics or trading company exporting S$1.2 million of goods a year must register even though every sale is at 0%.
Voluntary Registration
You can apply for voluntary registration even if you are below S$1 million. This makes sense if:
- You sell mostly to other GST-registered businesses — they can recover the GST you charge.
- You export a high proportion of supplies — zero-rated turnover lets you recover input GST on your costs.
- Your capex or set-up costs carry meaningful input GST you would rather recover.
Voluntary registrants must stay registered for at least two years, file returns quarterly, maintain proper records, and (for some applicants) take the e-Learning course or sign a GIRO arrangement. IRAS may also require a security deposit for new businesses with limited trading history.
The Reverse Charge for Imported Services
Since 1 January 2020, GST-registered businesses that make exempt supplies have had to account for GST on imported services under the reverse charge mechanism. From 1 January 2023, this was extended to imported low-value goods.
If your business is partly exempt (a fund, a financial services entity, a property landlord earning residential rent), you self-account for output GST on overseas software subscriptions, consulting fees, and digital services. You can claim the corresponding input GST only to the extent of your taxable use under your partial exemption ratio.
Reverse charge is one of the most common audit findings. Get the partial exemption methodology written down and reviewed annually.
The Overseas Vendor Regime
If your company is based outside Singapore but supplies digital services, low-value goods, or B2C remote services to Singapore customers, you may need to register under the Overseas Vendor Registration (OVR) regime when:
- Global turnover exceeds S$1 million; and
- B2C supplies to Singapore exceed S$100,000.
OVR registrants charge GST on B2C supplies, file simplified returns, and don’t recover input GST. Marketplaces (Amazon, Lazada, Shopify) are treated as the supplier under the deemed supplier rules and account for GST on behalf of overseas merchants on their platforms.
How to Apply: The myTax Portal Process
Compulsory and voluntary GST registrations are submitted through myTax Portal using CorpPass. Read our CorpPass setup guide if your company doesn’t have a CorpPass admin yet.
Documents you’ll need to upload:
- ACRA business profile.
- Financial statements or management accounts showing taxable turnover.
- Sales and purchase listings for the prior 12 months (retrospective) or projected pipeline (prospective).
- Signed contracts or invoices supporting the prospective basis.
- GIRO authorisation form (for voluntary registration).
- Director’s NRIC / passport.
IRAS typically processes the application within 10 working days for straightforward cases. Complex applications — overseas directors, multiple shareholders, voluntary registration with low turnover — may take 4 to 8 weeks and trigger requests for additional information.
After You Register
Once registered, you must:
- Charge GST at 9% on standard-rated supplies from the effective registration date.
- Display GST-inclusive prices on price tags, menus, and advertisements (B2C sellers).
- Issue tax invoices within 30 days of supply, containing the prescribed particulars under Regulation 11 of the GST (General) Regulations.
- File GST returns (Form F5) and pay within one month after the end of each accounting period (usually quarterly).
- Keep records for at least 5 years under Section 46 — see our records retention guide.
Late return filing or late payment carries a 5% penalty plus 2% per month (capped at 50%). Repeat offences can be prosecuted.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Five mistakes we see regularly:
- Late registration after a contract win. A signed S$1.5m contract for delivery next year is grounds for prospective registration today.
- Forgetting zero-rated exports in turnover. Zero-rated still counts toward the S$1m threshold.
- Charging GST before the effective date. If you charge GST before you are registered, you must refund customers. IRAS treats this as an offence.
- Not invoicing within 30 days. Late invoicing distorts the time of supply and complicates input tax recovery for your customers.
- Mixing exempt and standard-rated supplies without partial exemption analysis. If exempt supplies exceed S$40,000/month or 5% of total taxable supplies, partial exemption rules bite — and input tax has to be apportioned.
Should You De-Register?
You can apply for cancellation if turnover falls below S$1 million for at least 12 months and you do not expect it to recover. You must apply within 30 days of becoming aware. On de-registration, you must account for GST on assets on hand (output tax) — fixed assets, inventory, work in progress.
If you are winding down or striking off, see our strike-off guide — GST de-registration is a prerequisite before ACRA can process striking off.
How RCS Can Help
We handle GST registration end-to-end: turnover analysis, prospective basis justification, documentation pack, myTax submission, and post-registration set-up. We also run the first GST return so you have a clean template to copy.
For directors who want a quick check on whether registration is required, send us a turnover schedule (last 12 months + next 12 months pipeline) and we’ll come back within 48 hours.
📧 Email: [email protected]
📱 Call, SMS or WhatsApp: +65 8501 7133
This article is for general information only and does not constitute tax advice. Always consult IRAS guidance and a qualified tax practitioner for advice specific to your business.
— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services