5 questions to ask an IRAS Income Tax expert

With the Individual Income Tax Season 2024 in full swing, we ask Chin Sau Hing, a Deputy Director at IRAS’ Individual Income Tax Division, to share her experiences on tax paying. After all, having spent many years at IRAS, Sau Hing has witnessed first-hand how IRAS constantly tinkers at the taxpaying process to make it easy for taxpayers.

1. How easy is it to file income tax in Singapore?

Sau Hing: For most taxpayers, filing of taxes is effortless.

The tax ecosystem in Singapore is easy as most information is auto-included making it convenient for taxpayers. Between Feb to Mar every year, taxpayers would receive a filing notification. The filing process is seamless and safe as all tax matters are updated and transacted on myTax Portal. After filing, taxpayers will receive their tax bills from end Apr onwards. Upon receipt of the tax bills, taxpayers can arrange for GIRO payment or make payment online.

We have made it easy for taxpayers to learn about what to do during Tax Season 2024.

2. What are the common mistakes that people make in the filing of taxes?

Sau Hing: One of the common mistakes is taxpayers forgetting to click the “submit” button when they e-file. Taxpayers should click the "Submit" button at the Consolidated Statement to complete their e-Filing. An acknowledgement page will be displayed upon successful submission.

Besides that, taxpayers who receive a notification requesting them to file a return may assume that they do not have to file for income tax return if:

• They did not work last year and therefore have no income to declare; or
• Their employer is sending their employment income details to IRAS; or
• They were under the No-Filing Service last year and thus, will be on the No-Filing Service this year as well.

Taxpayers should still proceed to e-file their return and verify the auto-included information (if any) are in order before they proceed to submit their return.

Besides income, personal relief may be automatically included based on previous year’s relief claims. Taxpayers should verify the claims and ensure that they are still eligible for the reliefs by fulfilling the conditions of the reliefs as there may be changes in their personal circumstances. Taxpayers may also refer to the Personal Relief Checker on IRAS’ website for details.

Self-employed persons (SEPs) may wrongly declare their income as Employment or Other Income in Form B/ B1 – even though they are a hawker, private tutor or taxi driver. Instead, they should declare their income as trade income under "Trade, Business, Profession or Vocation".

3. Can you share what are some upcoming changes which taxpayers can expect for Tax Season 2024 and beyond?

Sau Hing: Taxes are constantly being reviewed to be aligned with changes in the societal landscape.

Taking working mothers as an example, they would be able to tap on the Grandparent Caregiver Relief (GCR) in Year of Assessment (YA) 2024 if they engaged the help of their parents, grandparents, parents-in-law or grandparents-in-law (including those of ex-spouses) to take care of their children. The relief can be claimed so long as the caregivers who have trade, business, profession, vocation and/or employment income not exceeding $4,000 in the year preceding the YA of claim. This allows caregivers to have the flexibility to do some incidental work.

From YA 2025, the income threshold for the caregivers will be raised to $8,000. Doing so would allow more working mothers to tap on this relief.

4. In your job, what makes you smile?

Sau Hing: As part of my work, we have interactions with taxpayers who require assistance or clarifications on their tax matters. What is most fulfilling to me is to be able to assist them in fulfilling their tax obligations. This includes helping them to file their return at our premises and seeing them leaving with a smile.

5. How did you adapt yourself in this role with the changing environment?

Sau Hing: It is important to constantly seek to understand our taxpayers’ needs and expectation and integrate human-centricity in our work processes so that we can provide end-to-end experiences for taxpayers and empathise with their circumstances.