S'porean woman posts tips on social media on evading GST on luxury goods, gets caught & fined

During a trip to Europe, a Singaporean woman purchased thousands of dollars' worth of luxury items, including branded bags from Gucci and Louis Vuitton, shoes, and watches.

Cloey Tan Wan Qi, 27, knew she was supposed to pay GST on these items upon arrival in Singapore.

But upon landing at Changi Airport in May 2024, she failed to declare her goods, and managed to evade GST amounting to over S$2,200, The Straits Times reported.

A few days later, she posted on social media platform Lemon8 about her purchases in Europe, and how she managed to evade paying GST.

One of her posts was titled: "Six tips on how to smuggle luxury goods and avoid detection by Customs".

In Singapore, travellers who have been out of Singapore for 48 hours or more are granted GST relief for up to S$500 in goods purchased.

Arrested and fined

The authorities found out about Tan's posts, and she was arrested in January 2025.

In total, 17 undeclared items were found, with a total value of S$25,350.92, according to a statement by Singapore Customs.

The prosecutor said that Tan demonstrated a lack of remorse for her actions by publishing her tips online, but acknowledged that she had since made full restitution.

Tan apologised in court and pleaded for leniency, saying that the case has caused her parents anxiety and distress.

"I have not only disappointed myself but my parents too, who have placed a lot of hope on their only child," she told the court.

In sentencing, District Judge Eddy Tham pointed out that Tan publicised her illegal actions and taught others to do the same.

She was eventually fined S$18,000.

In its statement, the Singapore Customs said that evading duties and/or GST at checkpoints is "a serious offence that cannot be condoned".

"This revenue belongs to Singapore, and its collection is essential to maintaining a level playing field for local businesses that pay these taxes," it said.

For fraudulently evading customs duties, she could have been fined up to 20 times the amount of duty or GST evaded, or jailed for up to two years.

Top image from cloeyyox/Storify and Singapore Customs