Operation and investigation status
IRAS raided more than 20 business and residential locations on 17 March 2026 in several suspected GST-refund fraud investigations. One 56-year-old woman was arrested in one case; seven other people were assisting investigations in other cases. The release reports suspicion and investigation, not convictions.
Evidence and suspected conduct
Investigators seized accounting records, devices and 179 luxury watches valued at more than S$1 million in the arrested suspect’s case. IRAS described alleged fictitious purchases, inflated transactions and false invoices, with possible shell-company involvement in some cases.
Audit context
IRAS said it audited over 1,300 refund-claiming businesses in 2025 and recovered over S$100 million in tax and penalties. The figures cover the broader audit programme, not solely these raids.
Disclosure, reporting and rewards
IRAS encourages taxpayers to correct past errors and report suspected tax malpractices. The release says disclosure may be considered when deciding enforcement action; it is not a blanket promise of immunity. Where the release describes informant rewards, qualifying information leading to otherwise lost tax recovery may attract 15% of recovered tax, capped at S$100,000, at IRAS’ discretion. Informant identities are kept confidential. Use the official release links for its reporting and disclosure channels.
Official attachments and further guidance
Official source
This report is independently written from the IRAS release dated above. Case status, policy announcements and historical figures refer to that release.
Read the complete IRAS release ↗