The majority of taxpayers pay their taxes on time. The payment due date is 1 month from the date of the Notice of Assessment (Tax Bill). You will incur penalties and face recovery actions for late or non-payment of taxes.
On this page:
Consequences for late payment or non-payment of taxes
IRAS may take the following actions if you fail to pay by the due date:
- Impose late payment penalties
- Appoint agents like your bank, employer, tenant or lawyer (handling the sale of any of your property) to recover the overdue tax
- Issue a Travel Restriction Order (TRO) to stop you from leaving Singapore
- Take legal action
The above list is not exhaustive.
Late payment penalty
Unless you are on an approved instalment plan, a 5% late payment penalty will be imposed on the unpaid tax if full payment is not received by the due date of the NOA.
Example 1: Penalty imposed for late payment
Date of the NOA is 1 Jun 2024 and the tax payable is $3,000. 5% late payment penalty of $150 (i.e. 5% x $3,000) is added when the tax is not paid by 1 Jul 2024.
| Date of NOA | NOA Due Date | Tax Payable | 5% Late Payment Penalty Imposed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun 2024 | 1 Jul 2024 | $3,000 | $150 |
If you have filed an objection and are awaiting the outcome, you still must pay the tax assessed as shown in the NOA. Excess payment will be refunded to you if the assessment is revised.
Example 2: Penalties and refunds when an objection is filed
Taxpayer received an estimated NOA, with a tax payable of $1,000, dated 2 Aug 2024. The due date for payment is 2 Sep 2024 (one month from the date of NOA).
Taxpayer filed an objection and did not pay the tax. As no payment was received by the due date, a 5% late payment penalty of $50 was imposed.
Taxpayer paid the tax and penalty on 30 Sep 2024. On 9 Oct 2024, the assessment was amended to $800 and the late payment penalty was revised to $40 (5% late payment penalty on $800) accordingly. A refund of $210 was made to the taxpayer.
| Date of NOA | Due Date on NOA | Tax Amount | 5% Late Payment Penalty Imposed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug 2024 | 2 Sep 2024 | $1,000 | $50 |
| 9 Oct 2024 | 2 Sep 2024 | ($200) | ($10) |
| Revised Tax and 5% Penalty | $800 | $40 |
If the tax remains unpaid 60 days after the imposition of the 5% late payment penalty, an additional penalty of 1% per month may be imposed for every completed month that the tax remains unpaid, up to a maximum of 12% of the unpaid tax.
Example 3: Penalty imposed for continued late payment
Taxpayer did not pay the tax payable of $3,000 by the due date on the NOA, and received a late payment penalty notice dated 2 Jul 2024 with 5% late payment penalty added to the overdue tax.
The due date for payment of tax and penalty of $3,150 on the late payment penalty notice was 2 Aug 2024 (one month from the date of late payment penalty notice).
As the tax was unpaid for 1 completed month after 60 days from the late payment penalty notice date, a 1% additional penalty was imposed on 2 Oct 2024. 1% penalty will continue to be imposed for each additional month that the tax remained unpaid.
Taxpayer eventually paid the tax and penalties on 15 Nov 2024.
The total penalty imposed was $210 (5% late payment penalty x $3,000 plus 1% additional penalty x $3,000 x 2 months).
| Late Payment Penalty Notice Date | Payment Date | 5% Late Payment Penalty Imposed | Additional 1% Penalty Imposed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul 2024 | 15 Nov 2024 | $150 ($3,000 x 5%) | $60 ($3,000 x 1% x 2 months) |
Appealing for waiver of late payment penalty
Appeals may be made online via our Appeal Penalty Waiver digital service at mytax.iras.gov.sg.
You will need the following information to complete the appeal for waiver of penalty request online:
- Year of Assessment
- Contact number
This digital service will take about 3-5 minutes to complete and the outcome of your appeal will be displayed instantaneously. For more information on how to use this digital service, please refer to the user guide (PDF, 2.38 MB).
Appeals will only be considered if:
- You have paid the overdue tax in full*, by the due date as stated in the late payment penalty notice; and
- No waiver has been granted in the past 2 calendar years up to date
*Payment must be reflected in your tax account.
You can refer to Individual Income Tax payments for the various payment modes and processing times.
Appointment of agents
If the tax remains unpaid, IRAS may appoint agents like your bank, employer, tenant, lawyer or other 3rd parties with money due to you to recover the taxes owing.
When your bank is appointed as the agent, you will experience inconvenience in using your bank accounts (e.g. being unable to access your bank accounts) until you have fully paid your tax.
Requests made for release of your banks from the agent appointment after 12pm on weekdays will only be processed on the next working day while requests cannot be processed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Agents will be released from the appointment only after the tax and penalties have been paid in full.
Travel restrictions
If a Travel Restriction Order (TRO) is issued, you cannot travel out of Singapore until you pay the tax in full.
View and retrieve the Notification for Release of TRO via mytax.iras.gov.sg 2 working days after your payment has been received to facilitate your travel at the immigration checkpoints when you leave Singapore. The notification will also be mailed to you within 10 days.
For non-NRIC holders, please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have a valid pass to remain in Singapore. Please approach the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to extend your stay in Singapore if you require more time to resolve your tax matters with IRAS. It is an offence to overstay in Singapore.
Checking tax balance and making payment
To check your current balance, log in to mytax.iras.gov.sg and select "View Account Summary”. You can make Individual Income Tax payments through various payment modes. The payment will be processed after 3 working days.
If you are unable to pay the tax in full, you may apply for up to 12 interest-free monthly instalments via GIRO.
The 12-month GIRO instalment cycle normally starts in May and ends in Apr of the following year. However, if you join GIRO after May, the instalment deduction will commence in the month after your GIRO application is approved and end in Apr of the following year.
Difficulty paying your tax
If you face difficulties with your tax payment, you may apply for a longer payment plan via the Apply/Manage GIRO Plan digital service at mytax.iras.gov.sg.
If your payment plan is approved, you must follow the payment plan schedule. Otherwise, the plan will be cancelled and actions will be taken to recover the tax.
GIRO cancellation or termination
You are advised to maintain enough funds in your bank account. If your GIRO deduction is unsuccessful due to insufficient funds in the bank account, or incorrect limits set, etc., IRAS will cancel your GIRO plan. The balance of the unpaid taxes becomes due and payable immediately. You may be imposed a penalty if you do not settle the unpaid taxes promptly.
If you repeatedly default on your payment plan, IRAS may disallow your subsequent requests for a payment arrangement.
FAQs
Can I sign up for GIRO?
Yes, you can sign up for GIRO. Learn more about the different ways to apply for GIRO
My GIRO instalment plan was cancelled and penalty has been imposed. Can I continue to pay by GIRO instalments?
If you wish to continue paying by GIRO instalments, you can re-activate your GIRO arrangement via the Apply/Manage GIRO Plan digital service at mytax.iras.gov.sg, before the payment due date stated in the late payment penalty notice.
You must follow the payment plan schedule if your payment plan is approved. If you repeatedly default on your payment plan, IRAS may not approve your subsequent requests for payment arrangements.
Why was I imposed with a 5% late payment penalty when I have arranged for GIRO payment?
Your GIRO application must be approved before the payment due date (i.e. 1 month from the date of the Notice of Assessment) to avoid late payment penalties from being imposed.
The processing time required for GIRO arrangements to be set up are as follows:- within the next working day for re-activation of GIRO via myTax Portal (for taxpayers with previous arrangement set up with IRAS)
- within 3 working days for new online applications via myTax Portal, internet banking and AXS stations
- within 3 weeks for new applications via hardcopy GIRO application forms
Why are agents appointed to pay my tax?
If you fail to make payment for your overdue tax, IRAS may appoint your banks, tenant, employer, etc. as an agent to recover the unpaid tax.
Your appointed agent(s) will be required to pay moneys due to you to the Comptroller to settle your tax liabilities. The appointment will be released when the overdue tax is settled in full.