Approved Contract Manufacturer and Trader (ACMT) Scheme

The ACMT Scheme is a scheme designed to relieve businesses (e.g. local contract manufacturers) that have substantial business with overseas clients^* of the need to account for GST on value added activities performed on the goods of such clients.

^*An overseas client refers to an overseas customer who is not GST-registered or if he is GST-registered, the registration is as a pay-only person under the OVR regime.

The scheme is currently available to contract manufacturers within the

1. Semi-conductor industry;
2. Printing industry; and
3. Biomedical industry - Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) manufacturing.

Contract manufacturers in other business segments in the biomedical industry will be considered for the ACMT scheme on a case-by-case basis.

1. Disregarding the supply of value-added activities

You are able to disregard the supply of value added activities (e.g. processing, assembly and testing services) to your overseas client when the goods you have treated/ processed are:

1. Exported;

2. Delivered to another ACMT person (i.e. ACMT CM or LOG); or

3. Delivered to the final customer of the overseas client.

You are also able to disregard the supply of value added service relating to failed or excess productions to your overseas client if the goods you have treated/ processed are:

1. Exported; or
2. Delivered locally to a waste management vendor for disposal or destruction at no consideration.

Self-disposal

When you self-destroy or self-dispose the failed or excess productions instead, you should write in to seek the Comptroller's confirmation that you can disregard your supply of value added service relating to those goods.

Please provide details of the destruction/ disposal process and supporting documentation that you will maintain.

2. Enjoying import GST suspension

You can enjoy import GST suspension for the following scenarios:

1. Importation of your own goods in the course or furtherance of your business;
2. Importation of goods belonging to your overseas principal for supply either in Singapore or for export, as a section 33(2) agent ^*. The overseas principal must not be GST-registered or if he is GST-registered, the registration is as a pay-only person under the OVR regime;
3. Importation of goods belonging to your overseas principal which will subsequently be re-exported, as a section 33A agent ^*. The overseas principal must not be GST-registered or if he is GST-registered, the registration is as a pay-only person under the OVR regime;
   
   

   ^_* For more information on sections 33(2) and 33A agents, please refer to GST: Guide on Imports  (PDF, 423KB).

4. Importation of goods (for example, raw materials) consigned to you by your overseas client on which value-added activities are performed under ACMT scheme; and
5. Re-importation of goods which you previously sent abroad for value-added activities, belonging to your local customer or GST-registered overseas customer (excluding a person who is registered under the OVR regime as a pay-only person) if the requirements under section 33B explained in GST: Claiming of GST on re-import of value-added goods  (PDF, 565KB) are satisfied.

3. Claiming GST on local purchases

You can claim the GST incurred on goods (for example, raw materials) locally purchased by your overseas client and delivered to you on which you perform value-added service, on behalf of the overseas client as if it is your own input tax.

The goods should become inputs to your treated or processed goods which are subsequently:

1. Exported; or
2. Delivered to another ACMT person or a customer of your overseas client.

You can only make the above input tax claim if you have either:

1. Paid the GST on the goods yourself; or
2. Refunded the GST to your overseas client who has paid the GST first.

For more information on how the ACMT scheme works and GST reporting requirements, please refer to GST: Approved Contract Manufacturer and Trader (ACMT) Scheme (PDF, 1091KB).

According to the role you perform in the contract manufacturing supply chain, you can apply for ACMT Scheme either as an approved contract manufacturer (ACMT CM) or an approved logistics company (ACMT LOG).

For information on the eligibility conditions, please refer to GST: Approved Contract Manufacturer and Trader (ACMT) Scheme (PDF, 1091KB).

A. Application forms

To apply, submit:

1. GST F14A: Application for Approved Contract Manufacturer and Trader (ACMT) Scheme as an Approved Contract Manufacturer (ACMT CM)  (XLS, 54KB) together with Appendix 1: ACMT CM Pre-Application Checklist  (DOC, 118KB); or
2. GST F14B: Application for Approved Contract Manufacturer and Trader (ACMT) Scheme as an Approved Logistics Company (ACMT LOG) (XLS, 46KB).

B. Supporting documents

Your application should include the following documents:

1. Your latest annual audited financial statements and an unqualified external auditor's opinion of the statements;
2. For each type of business arrangement with your overseas clients, a brief description, illustration of the supply chain and proportion of goods exported. You can refer to the sample provided in Annex H of the GST: Approved Contract Manufacturer and Trader (ACMT) Scheme (PDF, 1091KB);
3. If you are in the biomedical industry, a copy of your valid GMP certificate and/ or HSA's notification letter for auto-renewal of manufacturer's licence, if any; and
4. Any other required document as stipulated in the application form.

C. Self-review or ACAP

In addition, you must either: