SINGAPORE : A businessman has been sentenced to six months' jail for making false Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund claims.

40-year-old Ong Seow Hsiung, a wholesale exporter of vehicle parts to Indonesia, pleaded guilty to seven counts of tax evasion.

He was also slapped with a S$202,245 penalty - which is calculated as being three times the amount he received, but was not entitled to.

The sole proprietor of KH Motors Factor originally faced 14 charges under the GST Act. Seven were taken into consideration by the court in sentencing.

Ong's offences were discovered following a desk audit by the Inland Revenue Authority (IRA) last year. Investigations showed he had falsely claimed GST on purchases made when none had been made at all.

According to the prosecution, the refunds were made to his personal bank account and subsequently used for his own spending and to pay off credit card bills.

In a statement, the IRA warned it would take strong deterrent measures against GST defrauders. It encouraged taxpayers to disclose errors voluntarily and said lower penalties would be imposed for such cases. - CNA /ls