A 25-year-old Singaporean was arrested at Changi Airport for failing to declare the branded handbags and accessories she had purchased overseas for Goods and Services Tax (GST) payment.

The incident occurred on Jan. 12, 2018, according to the Singapore Customs.

More than S$11,000 worth of goods

The woman had arrived on a flight from Paris.

She attempted to exit through the Customs Green Channel without declaring the handbags and accessories for GST payment.

When she had her luggage checked, she was found to have branded goods worth more than S$11,000 on her.

Investigations are ongoing.

How much GST to pay?

GST for goods valued below S$150 is not applicable for travellers who are out of Singapore for less than 48 hours.

For those who are away for more than 48 hours, GST is exempt for goods valued up to S$600.

In this woman's case, after deducting the S$600 relief, a 7 percent GST is taxable for the remaining S$10,400 worth of goods.

The GST payable would then be S$728.

It is the responsibility of travellers to make an accurate and complete declaration of the taxable and dutiable items in their possession.

GST app

The Singapore Customs has even launched an app, Customs@SG, that allows travellers to make an advance declaration and payment of duty and GST for overseas purchases before arriving in Singapore.

Under the Customs Act, any person found guilty of fraudulent evasion of GST will be liable to a fine up to 20 times the amount of tax evaded and/ or be jailed for up to two years.

There is also a tip-off line for reporting GST evaders.

Those with information on evasion of customs duty or GST can contact Singapore Customs on 1800-2330000, email [email protected], or use the Customs@SG mobile app to report on these illegal activities.