GST F5 Quarterly Return
GST-registered businesses must file a GST F5 return each calendar quarter, reporting output tax collected and input tax paid. Net GST is payable or reclaimable. The return is due within 1 month of the end of each prescribed accounting period.
Who this applies to
- All GST-registered businesses with a standard quarterly accounting period
- Businesses may apply for a different prescribed accounting period (monthly or 6-monthly) with IRAS approval
- New registrants are assigned accounting periods by IRAS upon registration
What to file
GST F5 Return via IRAS myTax Portal. The return declares: total value of taxable supplies (standard-rated and zero-rated), total output tax collected, total value of purchases subject to GST, total input tax claimable, and net GST payable or refundable.
How to file
File online via IRAS myTax Portal. No paper filing accepted. CorpPass required. Tax agents may file on behalf of registered businesses. Payment of net GST due is made simultaneously at filing via GIRO, PayNow, or other accepted payment methods.
Payment due
Net GST is payable simultaneously with the filing of the F5 return, by the 1-month deadline. Late payment attracts a 5% penalty on the outstanding amount, plus additional interest if not resolved.
Penalties for missing this deadline
Late filing: S$200 per month late, up to the amount of GST due. Late payment: 5% penalty on the net GST payable, plus IRAS may issue a demand for the full estimated GST liability. Persistent non-compliance may result in IRAS issuing an estimated assessment and court action.
Filing checklist
- Reconcile all sales invoices and receipts for the quarter to calculate output tax
- Reconcile all purchase invoices and receipts to identify reclaimable input tax
- Check that input tax is only claimed on business purchases (not private or non-business expenses)
- Identify and correctly handle exempt supplies and mixed-use input tax apportionment
- File F5 return via myTax Portal and pay net GST due before the monthly deadline
Documents you'll need
- Sales invoices and receipts for the quarter (output tax)
- Purchase invoices and receipts for the quarter (input tax)
- Import permits and IGST receipts for any goods imported
- Bank statements to cross-reference
- GST ledger or accounting system GST summary report
Common mistakes to avoid
- Claiming input tax on entertainment expenses that are subject to the 50% disallowance for CIT purposes (note: for GST, input tax on entertainment is generally claimable in full if the entertainment is for a business purpose, unlike the CIT 50% rule)
- Forgetting to account for reverse charge GST on imported services for partly exempt businesses
- Incorrectly treating zero-rated supplies as exempt (zero-rated allows full input tax recovery; exempt does not)
- Missing the quarterly deadline because the FYE-based tax calendar was followed instead of the calendar quarter schedule
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