GST on data room fees
How it works
Most data room vendors are based outside Singapore. If your business is not GST-registered, an overseas vendor registered under the Overseas Vendor Registration regime adds 9% GST to the invoice, and you cannot claim it back.
If your business is GST-registered, you normally give the vendor your GST number and it does not charge GST. Businesses with full input tax credit stop there. Businesses that make exempt supplies, such as banks, insurers and some funds, must account for GST themselves under reverse charge, and can recover only part of it. Enter your recovery rate to see the net effect.
| Your position | GST on invoice | Reverse charge | Real cost of GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not GST-registered | 9% | No | Full 9% |
| Registered, full input tax credit | None | No | None |
| Registered, partly exempt | None | Yes, 9% | The part you cannot recover |
Background: GST on data room software in Singapore.
Source: IRAS e-Tax Guides on GST on imported services (reverse charge) and the Overseas Vendor Registration regime; GST rate 9% from 1 January 2024. Estimates only; confirm with your advisers.
Questions people ask
Is there GST on a data room subscription in Singapore?
Yes, the service is subject to 9% GST. How it is collected depends on your status: overseas vendors charge it to non-registered customers, and partly exempt GST-registered businesses account for it under reverse charge.
What is reverse charge?
A rule that makes a GST-registered business account for GST on services it imports from overseas suppliers, as if it had supplied them itself. It applies to businesses that are not entitled to full input tax credit.
Does the calculator include currency changes?
No. It uses the Singapore dollar price you enter. Use the USD to SGD calculator first if your vendor quotes in US dollars.