Company director fined for evading GST on imports of bicycle frames and components
File photo of a bicycle in Singapore. (Photo: iStock)
SINGAPORE: A company director was fined S$64,000 for evading Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 46 shipments of bicycle frames and components, Singapore Customs said on Friday (Sep 17).
Marco Dittrich, 53, the sole director of Singapore Tri-Global, was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty to one charge under the Customs Act. Another charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.
The offences happened between June 2020 and April 2021, with the total GST evaded amounting to S$13,483.89.
UNDERSTATING VALUE OF GOODS
On Feb 9, 2021, Singapore Customs officers inspected a consignment of bicycle wheels imported by Singapore Tri-Global. The value of the consignment was declared as S$1,615.84.
However, from supporting documents provided by the freight forwarder of the consignment, it showed that the actual value of the bicycle wheels was more than S$23,000. This resulted in a short payment of S$$1,521.93 in GST.
Investigations revealed that between June and December 2020, Dittrich had declared the values for 31 shipments to be less than S$400 for each.
"GST relief is granted on goods (excluding intoxicating liquors and tobacco) imported by post or air with a value not exceeding S$400," said Singapore Customs.
Understating the import values resulted in a total of S$$8,933.15 in GST unpaid for these 31 shipments.
Dittrich also understated the actual values in two other shipments, resulting in the short payment of S$72.75 in GST.
Between January and April 2021, he also underdeclared the values in 12 other shipments. Two shipments were also declared as less than S$400, resulting in the non-payment of GST amounting to S$366.46.
The values for 10 other shipments were also understated, resulting in the short payment of GST amounting to S$2,589.60.
Under the Customs Act, anyone guilty of fraudulently evading or attempt to evade any customs or excise duty can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded.
