Getting on the GST register is well-trodden ground for Singapore businesses. Getting off it is less understood, and getting it wrong can leave a company charging tax it should not, or continuing to file returns it no longer needs. If your turnover has fallen, your business has ceased, or you registered voluntarily and no longer see the benefit, this guide explains exactly how to cancel your GST registration with IRAS in 2026, what the final return involves, and the traps to avoid.
If you are still weighing whether you must be registered at all, read our companion guide on when GST registration is compulsory in Singapore first.
Two ways registration ends: compulsory and voluntary cancellation
There are two routes off the register, and the distinction matters because the timing rules differ.
Compulsory cancellation applies when you no longer meet the conditions to be registered. You must cancel within 30 days if your business stops making taxable supplies altogether, for example because it has ceased trading, been sold, or transferred as a going concern. You are also required to cancel if you are certain your taxable turnover for the next 12 months will fall below the S$1 million registration threshold.
Voluntary cancellation applies when you are still eligible to be registered but choose to come off, typically because your turnover has dropped and registration is now more administrative burden than benefit. The key restriction here is that if you registered voluntarily in the first place, you must generally stay registered for at least two years before you can deregister.
When you must cancel (and when you may)
| Situation | Cancel? | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Business has ceased / stopped making taxable supplies | Must cancel | Within 30 days |
| Business sold or transferred as a going concern | Must cancel | Within 30 days |
| Certain that turnover will stay below S$1m next 12 months | Must cancel | Within 30 days |
| Turnover fell but you are still eligible; you no longer want to be registered | May cancel | Any time (subject to 2-year rule if you registered voluntarily) |
| Change of legal entity (e.g. sole proprietor to Pte Ltd) | Must cancel old registration | New entity registers separately |
How to apply to cancel your GST registration
The application is made online through myTax Portal using Corppass. The process itself is short; the discipline is in getting the final return right.
Step 1: Apply via myTax Portal
Log in to the IRAS cancellation of GST registration service and submit the application, stating the reason and the last day you wish to be registered. IRAS may approve some applications the same day, though it can take up to about 10 days.
Step 2: Keep meeting your GST obligations until the effective date
This is the most misunderstood point. Until IRAS confirms your cancellation date, you must continue to charge GST on your supplies, issue tax invoices, and file your GST returns. You are not off the hook the moment you apply.
Step 3: File your final return (GST F8)
After the effective cancellation date, IRAS issues a final return known as the GST F8, which must be filed within one month. The F8 works like a normal F5 with two important additions:
You must account for output GST on business assets you still hold on your last day of registration, for example inventory, plant and equipment, where you previously claimed input tax on them. You must also account for GST on supplies where the goods or services were delivered or performed before your cancellation date but the invoice or payment only comes afterwards.
The output-tax-on-assets trap
Many businesses forget that deregistration is treated, in part, as if you had made a final supply of the assets you are keeping. If you claimed input tax when you bought stock, fixtures, computers or machinery, IRAS effectively asks you to hand back GST on the value of those assets still held at deregistration. Budget for this. A company sitting on significant unsold inventory or recently purchased equipment can face a meaningful final GST bill it did not anticipate.
After cancellation: what you must still do
Deregistration does not erase your history. You must stop charging GST and stop showing GST on invoices from the effective date, update your accounting system and quotations, and retain all GST records for at least five years. If you later cross the S$1 million threshold again, you will need to re-register, and the compulsory registration rules apply afresh.
Cancelling GST is often one step in a larger transition, such as winding down or restructuring. If you are closing the business entirely, see our guide on how to strike off a Singapore company, and if e-invoicing obligations are on your radar, our note on InvoiceNow and GST e-invoicing is a useful companion.
Common mistakes to avoid
The frequent errors are missing the 30-day compulsory deadline; stopping charging GST before the effective date; forgetting to account for output tax on assets held; trying to deregister a voluntary registration before the two-year minimum; and neglecting to file the final F8 on time. Each can trigger penalties or an IRAS query.
How Raffles Corporate Services can help
Our accounting and tax team manages GST cancellations end to end: confirming whether cancellation is compulsory or optional, timing the effective date to your advantage, preparing the final F8 including the asset adjustment, and making sure your books and invoicing are clean afterwards. It sits naturally alongside the rest of your corporate tax compliance.
For authoritative guidance, always refer to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services