Updated: 09/20/2014 00:18 | By Channel NewsAsia
Jail and S$105k penalty for manager involved in GST fraud
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SINGAPORE: A manager in the business of general wholesale trade was on Friday (Sep 19) sentenced to six weeks’ jail for making fraudulent Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund claims. He was also ordered by the Court to pay a penalty of S$105,439.89 - three times the amount of his fraudulent claims.
In a media release, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) said Wong Weng Hong had been managing LJK Famco, a GST-registered sole-proprietorship set up under the name of Chan Shen Cheong. In one of IRAS’ regular audits, it found that suspicious quarterly GST returns had been submitted under Chan’s name. Further investigation established that Wong had used Chan’s name to set up LJK Famco in 2008.
According to IRAS, Wong had obtained Chan’s SingPass to e-file the latter's GST returns. Wong admitted he had e-filed Chan’s GST returns with random figures, without considering the genuine amount of purchases made by LJK.
The information gathered from LJK’s suppliers also did not substantiate the input tax claims in the wholesale company’s quarterly GST returns, for the accounting period that ended in Jan, Apr and Jul 2009.
Wong had "wilfully with intent to fraudulently obtain GST refunds, declared fictitious figures in multiple GST returns to obtain GST refunds that he was not entitled to", said the IRAS release. - CNA/xy
