We refer to the letter 'Unfair charge - IRAS expects to collect revenue without incurring costs' (The Straits Times, 6 Aug 2010) by Mr Yap Chian Heng.

The new e-Stamping website which was launched on 27 July 2010 provides more convenience and saves cost for the individuals. Under the old e-Stamping system, an individual had to pay a fee to CrimsonLogic in order to e-Stamp a document or have his documents stamped at IRAS. With the new system, an individual can stamp his document and pay stamp duty via the Internet from the convenience of his home or office without the hassle of physically moving his legal/commercial documents to stamp duty counters. All that he has to do is key in the details of the document on which stamp duty is payable and the system will automatically compute the amount of stamp duty he needs to pay. This online service is free of charge. The e-Stamping service is also available at IRAS' Taxpayer Service Centre.

However, an individual who prefers to have manual assistance can approach SingPost staff at any of the three service bureaus operated by SingPost For a fee of $25, the SingPost staff will handle the entire process of e-Stamping for their customers, including filling out the document details online, processing the payment (Cash, NETS, Cashier's Order or Cheque) and arranging for the collection of stamp certificate on their behalf.

We have since contacted Mr Yap and explained to him on the various options to stamp his documents.