Overview

The rules to determine the GST treatment on a recovery of expense can be confusing.  How do you decide whether the recharge of expense to an overseas person qualifies for zero-rating?  Do you look at where the services are performed, the bill-to party or where the goods are located?

What happens if you recover the expenses at cost, or with a mark-up?  What happens if the recharges of expenses are disallowed expenses in the first place?

Do you have a misconception that all services provided to an overseas person qualify for zero-rating under the “international services” provision?

Join this course now to clear your doubts!

Course outline

Module A: International Services – Day 1 (16 November 2021, Tuesday)

9.30 am to 12 pm

• Common misconceptions on international services
• What qualifies as international services
  • Transportation services
  • Services performed wholly outside Singapore
  • Services directly in connection with land or goods outside Singapore

2.30 pm to 5 pm

• What qualifies as international services
  • Services provided to overseas person
  • The terms “directly in connection with” and “directly benefit”
  • Services relating to qualifying ships and aircraft
  • Other international services (e.g. advertisement, telecommunication, sea and air container, co-location services, trust services etc)
• Case study on common business scenarios

Module B: Recovery of Expenses – Day 2 (18 November 2021, Thursday)

9.30 am to 12 pm

• Common misconceptions on recovery of expenses
• The rules for differentiating between a reimbursement (taxable) and disbursement (non-taxable); 
• The GST treatment for reimbursement; 
  • Recovery of expenses is ancillary to a primary supply
• Common business examples to illustrate the application of the GST rules for such recharges.

2.30 pm to 5 pm

• The GST treatment for reimbursement; 
  • Recovery of expenses is separate and not ancillary to a primary supply
• Recovery of expenses at cost and with mark-up
• Recovery of expenses that are disallowed under the GST Act
• Recovery of expenses that are exempt in nature (e.g. bank charges) 
• Cost-pooling arrangement and pass-through cost  
• Common business examples to illustrate the application of the GST rules for such recharges.
• GST controls on the recovery of expenses – how to do it right every time?
• IRAS voluntary disclosure programme – what if you have done it wrongly?

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Trainer Profile

Eddie Soh

With more than 20 years of practical GST experience gained from working at Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore as a tax auditor and big four accounting firm (PwC) as a tax advisor, Eddie is the subject matter expert you go to when you need advice on goods and services tax (“GST”) matters.

He is an accredited tax advisor (GST) with Singapore Chartered Tax Professional and he speaks regularly at public GST workshop and seminars. The primary objective of conducting workshop and seminars is to share the knowledge gained from his experience and his long term goal is to digitalise the knowledge so that it can be easily accessed by others.

Eddie is a GST advisor by profession and he finds joy in solving your GST problem. Having led 43 multi-national companies to Assisted Compliance Assurance Programme (“ACAP”) premium status, he now advises clients on the best practices that should be in place to prevent and detect GST errors.