Singaporean fined S$2,000 for receiving tax-free Rolex watch

September 26, 2017 | 15:00

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Song Mingqiang, 37, also entered a departure transit area on a one-way air ticket he had no intention to use.

A couple walks in front of a Rolex store in Singapore. (File photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)

SINGAPORE: A 37-year-old Singaporean man has been fined S$2,000 for receiving a Rolex watch from his mother-in-law, who bought it duty-free in Singapore as a tourist.

In a news release on Monday (Sep 25), the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) said Song Mingqiang's mother-in-law, Jiang Xiuqing, bought the Rolex watch in Singapore as a gift for Song and his wife.

Using a one-way ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Song entered the Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 departure transit area on Feb 17 to help Jiang with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund application under the Electronic Tourist Refund Scheme (eTRS).

After the refund was approved, Jiang handed the watch and S$773 cash GST refund to Song and left Singapore.

Song had no intention to board the flight to Kuala Lumpur, and admitted that he was aware that only a tourist would be able to claim a GST refund on the watch, IRAS said.

He was arrested after airport police officers searched him in the departure transit area for suspected misuse of a boarding pass.

"IRAS takes a serious view of anyone who makes false declarations to seek GST refunds under the tourist refund scheme and abuses the scheme. IRAS works closely with the enforcement authorities to uncover any attempt to defraud GST," the authority said in the media release.

Under Singapore law, it is an offence to receive goods that one knows or has reason to believe a tourist has obtained approval for a refund under the Tourist Refund Scheme for.

Song could have been fined up to S$5,000 and in default of payment to up to six months in jail.

CNA

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