In 2019, You Might Be Paying GST For Online Shopping in S’pore Liao


Advertisements
 

I love online shopping and I can’t lie.

I mean, c’mon. It’s more convenient; you don’t have to squeeze with a multitude of people; you can browse through items at your own leisure, without someone coming up to you every few seconds and asking, “Hi, sir, may I help you?”

Image: Imgflip

But of course, it’s in their job scope. Bo bian.

In fact, the only good thing about shopping in physical stores is that you can try the items out (presuming it’s clothes). Things also tend to look different in real life as compared to photos (just like that cute guy/girl on your feed), so physical shopping does help to cut out a lot of unnecessary swapping and refunding.

Yet nevertheless, I still find myself inclined towards online shopping, pretty much because of one very major aspect:

GST.

Pretty much the ERP of sales transactions, we try our best to siam these money suckers, only to crash and burn 99.9% of the time. The only solution?

Their online counterparts lor.

So you kind of get why I’m so partial towards online shopping…

A storm’s brewing…

To showcase the storm brewing. Image: Giphy

Whoa, what’s happening?

Your detested GST, the one component you so abhor… is spreading online.

What are you talking about- wait no. No…

The online stores you love so much because of the lack of GST?

No please… NOOOOOOOO-

For more dramatic effects nobody asked for. Image: Best Animations

They might be implemented with GST soon.


Advertisements
 
Image: QuickMeme

What’s happening?

According to Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance Indranee Rajah, the Government is still “studying the best way to implement an e-commerce tax as it works towards the Budget on Feb 19”.

As such, shoppers can still enjoy tax-free purchases made online for a while longer, she told Money FM 89.3, Singapore’s first and only business radio station.

“It’s certainly something we would like to do, but we have to be careful about how we do it because we’ve seen some other countries where they implemented it and then had to dismantle it because it didn’t work out quite well,” she said.

“So that is something we are studying carefully. Keep shopping while you can.”

Incidentally, Ms Indranee is an online shopper herself. She told the station that her last Google search was apparently British fashion e-retailer Asos.


Advertisements
 

It was always going to happen

According to The New Paper, Ms Indranee said in a Bloomberg interview last November that “e-commerce would likely come under the tax regime, ensuring a more level playing field between bricks-and-mortar and online businesses”.

But that’s not the worst

On another note, some observers have predicted that the goods and services tax (GST) will be increased in the Budget.

Image: Giphy

Although Ms Indranee noted that Singapore’s tax system is “is designed to be progressive so lower-income households will be supported”.

Additionally, previous GST hikes were always “accompanied by an offset package to help the less well-off”.

Get ready folks

Spam all that online shopping while you can, because online shopping’s never going to be the same again.

Heck, just shop, seeing how GST might be slated to rise again. Like really?


Advertisements
 
Image: Imgflip

DAMMIT!

Always quarrel with your bae? Then you need to watch this video and learn this trick on how to resolve arguments without any compromise or apology (and also subscribe to Goody Feed YouTube channel):

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com

Read Also

Do you love writing? Do you want a platform to showcase your works? Goody Feed is looking for part-time writers to join the team! Click here to find out more

Featured Image: vipubadee / Shutterstock.com


Advertisements