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Guide to Singapore GST Taxability and Rates

Understand which products and services are subject to GST in Singapore, what rates apply, and how B2B and B2C transactions are treated differently
Updated 2 months ago

What are the GST rates in Singapore?

Singapore uses three rate categories:

Standard Rate — 9% Applies to most goods and services, including:

  • SaaS (B2B and B2C)

  • Prepared food and groceries

  • Medicine

  • Professional services (e.g., consulting, legal, accounting, advisory)

  • Shipping (in some cases)

Zero-Rated — 0% GST is charged at 0%, but businesses can still claim input GST credits on related purchases. This applies to:

  • Exports of goods shipped overseas

  • International transport of passengers and goods

  • Certain services supplied to overseas customers

Exempt — 0% (no input credit recovery) No GST is charged, and businesses generally cannot claim input credits on related costs. This applies to:

  • Financial services (e.g., issuing loans, trading shares, foreign exchange transactions)

  • Cryptocurrency

  • Real estate sales

  • Precious metals

  • Professional healthcare services

Important distinction: Professional services such as auditing, consulting, or tax advisory are taxable at 9%. Only services that directly involve currency transactions (like loans or FX) qualify as exempt financial services.

How are B2B and B2C SaaS transactions taxed?

Customer Type

Seller

GST Treatment

B2C (non-registered consumer)

Non-resident (OVR)

Seller charges 9% GST

B2B (GST-registered buyer, full input credit)

Non-resident (OVR)

No GST charged by seller; reverse charge does not apply

B2B (GST-registered buyer, partial/no input credit)

Non-resident (OVR)

Buyer self-assesses 9% GST via reverse charge

B2B or B2C

Resident (standard)

Seller charges 9% GST on all taxable supplies

What is zero-rated vs. exempt — and why does it matter?

Both result in no GST being charged to your customer, but the difference matters for your costs:

  • Zero-rated: You can still recover input GST on your expenses. Your business costs stay low.

  • Exempt: You cannot recover input GST. The GST you paid on related purchases becomes an actual cost to your business.

Does Kintsugi handle these rates automatically?

Yes. Once your tax engine is enabled for Singapore, Kintsugi automatically applies the correct GST rate based on your customer's location, their GST registration status (B2B vs. B2C), and the product category.

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