Singapore Tax Refund Calculator

What Is a Singapore Tax Refund Calculator?

A Singapore Tax Refund Calculator estimates the GST refund a qualifying tourist may receive on eligible goods purchased in Singapore.

This calculator is designed for Singapore’s electronic Tourist Refund Scheme, also known as eTRS. It does not calculate personal income-tax refunds.

Enter your GST-inclusive purchase amount and any known handling fee. The calculator extracts the GST included in the price and estimates how much may remain after the entered fee.

For broader tax estimates, use the Singapore Tax Calculator. It has a different purpose and does not approve tourist GST-refund claims.

The result shown by this calculator is only an estimate. Your actual eligibility and refund amount are decided through the eTRS claim process.

How to Use the Calculator

Complete each field using your purchase and travel details.

Eligible Purchase Amount, GST-Inclusive

Enter the total price of eligible goods, including GST.

Only include goods purchased from a GST-registered retailer participating in eTRS. The qualifying purchase must generally be at least S$100 including GST.

Known Handling Fee

Enter the handling fee quoted by the retailer or refund operator.

Leave this field blank if the fee is unknown. The calculator can then estimate the GST contained in the purchase, but your actual refund will be lower after the applicable fee is deducted.

Age on Purchase Date

Enter your age on the date you purchased the goods.

You must be at least 16 years old on the purchase date to qualify for the Tourist Refund Scheme.

Visitor Status

Select the option that correctly describes your status.

Being a foreign visitor does not automatically make you eligible. Singapore citizens, permanent residents and people holding certain passes or statuses may not qualify.

The Singapore Income Tax Calculator for Foreigners estimates personal income tax. It does not calculate tourist GST refunds.

Participating eTRS Retailer

Select “Yes” only if the retailer participates in eTRS and created the required eTRS transaction for your purchase.

Not every GST-registered retailer participates in the scheme.

Departure Point

Select the airport through which you will take the goods out of Singapore.

Eligible Tourist Refund Scheme departure points are:

• Changi International Airport
• Seletar Airport

Goods Leave Singapore Within Two Months

Select “Yes” only if you will take the purchased goods out of Singapore within two months from the purchase date.

Purchase Type

Choose the option that correctly describes your purchase.

The scheme generally covers eligible standard-rated goods taken out of Singapore. Services, accommodation and goods consumed locally do not qualify.

After completing all fields, select Calculate GST Refund.

Formula Used by the Calculator

Singapore’s current GST rate is 9%.

The purchase amount entered in the calculator already includes GST. Therefore, the calculator extracts GST from the inclusive price using this formula:

GST amount = GST-inclusive purchase amount × 9 ÷ 109

When a handling fee is entered:

Estimated refund = GST amount − handling fee

The estimated refund should not be less than S$0.

This formula is different from calculations involving chargeable income, tax reliefs and progressive personal tax rates. Use the Singapore Income Tax Calculator for that separate estimate.

Singapore GST Refund Calculation Example

Suppose a qualifying tourist purchases eligible goods for S$1,090 including GST.

The retailer participates in eTRS, and the known handling fee is S$5.

First, extract the GST:

S$1,090 × 9 ÷ 109 = S$90

Next, subtract the entered handling fee:

S$90 − S$5 = S$85

The estimated refund is S$85.

The actual refund may differ because eligibility, transaction details, inspection and final handling fees are checked during the official eTRS process.

If the purchase includes gold or jewellery, this calculator only estimates the possible GST refund. The Gold Price Calculator Singapore separately estimates gold value from the details entered by the user.

Current Tourist GST Refund Rules in Singapore

A visitor must meet the applicable eTRS conditions to qualify.

Important requirements include:

• You must be at least 16 years old on the purchase date.
• You must not be a Singapore citizen or permanent resident.
• You must not be an aircraft crew member departing Singapore.
• You must not hold a disqualifying pass or specified status.
• The qualifying purchase must total at least S$100 including GST.
• The retailer must participate in eTRS.
• You must present your original passport to the retailer.
• The goods must leave Singapore within two months of purchase.
• You must depart through Changi International Airport or Seletar Airport.
• You must leave with the goods within 12 hours after receiving refund approval.

You may combine up to three same-day invoices or receipts to reach the S$100 minimum when they are from retailers bearing the same GST registration number and shop name.

The qualifying conditions and airport claim procedure are explained by IRAS.

Which Purchases Do Not Qualify?

The Tourist Refund Scheme generally does not cover:

• Goods wholly or partly consumed in Singapore
• Goods purchased for business or commercial purposes
• Goods exported by freight
• Hotel, hostel or similar accommodation
• Services
• Purchases from retailers that do not participate in eTRS

A GST charge on a receipt does not automatically mean the purchase qualifies for a tourist refund.

What the Calculator Cannot Determine

The calculator cannot approve your refund or confirm your legal eligibility.

It also cannot determine:

• Whether the retailer created a valid eTRS transaction
• Whether specific goods qualify
• Whether an airport inspection will be required
• The final fee when no handling fee is entered
• Whether your documents will be accepted
• The exact refund approved by the operator

Use the result for planning only.

You can find other Singapore-specific tools through the Calculator Singapores homepage, but each calculator should be used only for its stated purpose.

Handling Fees and the Final Refund

The amount received is normally lower than the full GST paid because a handling fee is deducted.

There is no single universal handling fee that this calculator can automatically apply to every purchase. Enter a fee only when it has been provided by the retailer or refund operator.

If you leave the field blank, the calculator estimates the GST contained in the purchase before an unknown handling fee.

Restaurant service charges are unrelated to tourist GST refunds. Use the Singapore Service Charge And GST Calculator to see how service charge and GST affect a restaurant bill.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common mistakes include:

• Entering a price before GST instead of a GST-inclusive price
• Including services or accommodation
• Including goods already consumed in Singapore
• Assuming every GST-registered retailer participates in eTRS
• Combining unrelated receipts to reach the S$100 minimum
• Treating the estimated GST as a guaranteed refund
• Forgetting that an unknown handling fee will reduce the final amount
• Confusing a tourist GST refund with a personal income-tax refund

Faraid and fidyah are unrelated to tourist GST refunds.

The Faraid Calculator Singapore estimates the estate remaining after entered expenses, debts and religious obligations. It does not calculate GST or determine beneficiaries’ inheritance shares.

The Fidyah Calculator Singapore estimates fidyah from applicable missed fasting days using the published 2026 Singapore rate of S$4 per day. It does not calculate a tourist GST refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What does the Singapore Tax Refund Calculator calculate?

A: It estimates the GST contained in an eligible GST-inclusive purchase. It also subtracts a known handling fee when one is entered.

Q2: What is the minimum purchase amount for a tourist GST refund?

A: The qualifying purchase must generally total at least S$100 including GST. Up to three eligible same-day receipts may be combined under the applicable conditions.

Q3: Can Singapore citizens or permanent residents claim this refund?

A: No. The Tourist Refund Scheme is intended for qualifying tourists who meet all visitor-status requirements.

Q4: Can I claim GST paid on hotel stays or services?

A: No. Accommodation and services do not qualify under the Tourist Refund Scheme.

Q5: Why is the final refund lower than the GST paid?

A: A handling fee is deducted from the GST amount. The exact fee may depend on the retailer, refund agency and transaction.

Q6: Can I claim the refund when leaving Singapore by land or sea?

A: No. The calculator is based on qualifying eTRS departures through Changi International Airport or Seletar Airport.

Q7: Is the calculator result an official refund approval?

A: No. It is only an estimate. The official eTRS process determines your eligibility, approval and final refund amount.