‘So seamless’: Visitor from India praises Singapore’s GST refund scheme

SINGAPORE: A man from India who recently visited Singapore took to social media to shout out the city-state’s Goods & Services Tax refund process, appearing to admire how easy it was.

Visitors to Singapore may be eligible to claim a refund on the GST paid on their purchases from participating retailers, provided that they leave Singapore via Changi Airport or Seletar Airport, and the goods are in their luggage. This applies to goods bought for personal, and not commercial use. The process is done through eTRS self-help kiosks.

The GST refund, in essence, allows tourists to shop tax-free, which is advantageous to both the retail and tourism sectors.

The June 20 (Saturday) post from Akash (@ccg33k), who works in tech and finance, reads: “Singapore’s GST refund process is honestly so seamless.

You just go to the counter, scan your passport, and it automatically shows all your eligible purchases.

Select the transactions you want to claim GST on, insert your card for the refund, and you’re done.

You can also choose a cash refund if you prefer.

Super quick and hassle-free.”

Commenters on the X post agreed, and others pointed out that the process is similar in other countries, such as Japan and Italy.

Another post from Akash from the same day also received a lot of attention. He wrote, “I did an entire Singapore trip without withdrawing any currency or using a physical card. I tapped and paid using Google Pay for the whole trip!”

In a follow-up comment, however, he clarified that the exception to this was a shop that sold gold, which wanted a physical card when the post author paid for a ring he bought.

While some X users told him that this has increasingly become their experience with global travel as well, others pointed out that Singapore seems to be ahead of the pack.

“Absolutely. Singapore is one of the easiest countries to visit when it comes to payments. They even have UPI acceptance at selected outlets,” one wrote.

“Singapore is the cleanest example of travel friction disappearing. Transit, food, tax refund, ride hailing all work without cash. The only reason to carry notes now is edge cases: hawker stalls, deposits, or a broken terminal,” added another.

“The only cash I’ve used in my last 3 trips to Singapore was to buy a fridge magnet from a street kiosk. And even they also took cards,” an X user chimed in. /TISG

Read also: Five arrested, fined and jailed for fraudulent GST refund claims and money laundering charges