Singapore Plans to Boost Goods and Services Tax to 9%
- Finance minister raises property tax, plans GST hike to 9%
- Aging population, low fertility seen curbing growth outlook
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Singapore Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced a range of tax increases in his budget, including a surprise hike in property levies, as he seeks to shore up savings to cope with a rapidly aging population.
The stamp duty on residential properties in excess of S$1 million ($761,600) was increased to 4 percent from 3 percent, effective from Tuesday, Heng said in a speech in Parliament. The government also plans to raise the goods and services tax by 2 percentage points to 9 percent sometime from 2021 to 2025, he said.