7 days ago
More than $8.5b GST collected by Singapore Customs in 2024; increase in tobacco and liquor offences
This is the highest amount of GST collected by the agency to date, based on statistics from the open government data portal PHOTO: ST FILE
More than $8.5b GST collected by Singapore Customs in 2024; increase in tobacco and liquor offences
SINGAPORE - Singapore Customs collected more than $8.5 billion in goods and services tax (GST) in 2024, an increase of more than $1 billion from the year before.
This is the highest amount of GST collected by the agency to date, based on statistics from the open government data portal which tracked the figure from 2013 onwards.
That year , Singapore Customs collected $5.5 billion in GST. A decade on, when the GST rate increased in 2023, it collected $7.3 billion.
Of the amount collected from GST , almost all of it was on imported goods, with less than one per cent on locally manufactured goods subjected to excise duty.
GST rates increased from 7 per cent to 8 per cent in 2023, and to 9 per cent in 2024.
Singapore collected a total of $20.6 billion in GST in 2024, with the Ministry of Finance saying this was due to stronger-than-expected growth in private consumption.
The Government has said the revenue from the increase will go towards meeting Singapore's medium-term needs, such as in healthcare and social spending.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also the Finance Minister, said there will be no need for further increases in GST up to 2023.
The amounts collected by Singapore Customs were revealed in its annual report that was released on June 5.
Aside from GST, it also collected $1.1 billion in duties for tobacco and $775.9 million in duties for liquor in 2024.
On the enforcement front, it reported significant increases in cases involving tobacco and liquor offences.
Tobacco cases jumped by almost 40 per cent to 20,131 in 2024, from the 14,510 in 2023.
Liquor cases increased by more than 80 per cent with 3,384 cases in 2024, as compared to 1,848 cases in 2023.
Cases involving GST offences saw a slight increase, from 4,664 in 2023 to 5,447 in 2024.
Over the past year, several cases of tax and duties evasion have made the headlines, including one involving a woman who shared online tips on how to avoid paying GST on luxury goods.
The 27-year-old went on a trip to Europe with her family and boyfriend in May 2024, where she bought luxury goods such as bags and wallets and received an engagement ring purchased there.
But she did not declare these items upon returning to Singapore. She posted about her overseas purchases and gave tips on evading customs checks on her social media account.
Netizens reported the post to the authorities.
She was arrested in January and fined $18,000 in March.
Most recently, it was reported that almost 200 travellers were caught between May 21 and May 27 for a series of similar offences, including not declaring large cash amounts and evading taxes on tobacco.
Mr Tan Hung Hooi, Director-General of Singapore Customs, said that in 2024, its frontline officers disrupted complex tax evasion schemes and uncovered sophisticated smuggling operations.
He noted how over 200 customs officers were recognised for their exemplary service or excellent work in 2024, with 11 of them receiving international honours from the World Customs Organisation.
'Our mission remains clear: to protect Singapore's revenue and enable trade that is secure, fair, and future-ready,' he said.
'These stories reflect more than tactical success; they are reminders that every seizure safeguards public revenue, protects legitimate businesses, and preserves trust in Singapore's trade integrity.'
He added that the agency is working to strengthen its use of automation of data and artificial intelligence.
Under the Customs Act, those convicted of evading duties can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, or jailed for up to two years.
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