About 15,000 people affected by incorrect NSman tax relief amounts due to system error
Of the 15,000 affected taxpayers, about 7,000 will see an increase in their tax bill while around 8,000 will see a decrease.
Around 15,000 taxpayers in Singapore, including NSmen, eligible parents, and spouses, were mistakenly given incorrect NSman tax relief amounts for assessment years 2025 and 2026, according to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Of these affected taxpayers, approximately 7,000 will face higher tax bills, while around 8,000 will see a reduction.
The total amount to be recovered is about S$930,000, with S$995,000 in refunds. This error stemmed from a system glitch in MINDEF's records, which inaccurately generated NS activity data used for tax calculations. MINDEF detected the issue in May 2026 during routine checks and has since corrected all NS tax relief records, working with IRAS to ensure accurate assessments.
The majority of affected individuals will experience adjustments of under S$200, with some adjustments ranging from under S$10 to S$900, depending on their tax bracket and relief entitlement. MINDEF has notified all affected NSmen, and IRAS is revising notices of assessment, set to be issued by September 2026. Taxpayers with GIRO instalment plans will have their payments adjusted automatically, while others should make payments by the due date in their revised notices.
The authorities stress that no action is required from affected taxpayers until they receive their corrected assessments.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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