Tax deductions for online sellers & resellers in Singapore
If you sell online you can generally claim the cost of your stock, platform and payment fees, packaging and postage — and the point where a hobby becomes a business is what decides whether you declare the income at all. In Singapore you report it through Form B as a self-employed person.
Ecommerce and reselling — Etsy, eBay, Depop, Shopify, print-on-demand and market stalls — is the second-largest digital side hustle, and the costs of getting an order out the door are generally claimable where they meet the three rules below: platform and payment fees, packaging, postage and the space you pack in. Because fees come out before the money reaches you, capturing the gross sale and the fee separately is what makes sure you claim the full amount.
The three rules for any claim
- You paid for it yourself and weren’t reimbursed.
- It directly relates to earning your income.
- You have a record — a receipt, invoice or bank statement.
Where you stand in Singapore
Self-employed income is reported as trade income and taxed at the personal resident rates, which are progressive and comparatively low. Singapore does not tax capital gains, and income is assessed for the Year of Assessment following the year you earned it.
- GST rate
- 9%
- Registration
- SGD 1 million turnover/yr
- Returns
- Quarterly (GST F5)
What you can usually claim
These are the costs of doing the work — the same list wherever you are based. How each one is claimed follows the rules in Singapore, set out below.
Cost of stock and materials
What you pay for the goods you sell, or the raw materials you make them from, including import duties and freight to get stock to you.
Platform, listing and payment fees
Selling fees, listing fees, transaction and payment-processor fees, and store subscriptions. These are deducted before you see the money, so they are easy to miss without a record.
Packaging and postage
Boxes, mailers, labels, tape and protective materials, plus postage and courier costs you pay to get orders to customers.
Home storage and workspace running costs
The running costs of the area you use to store stock or pack orders can generally be apportioned to the business use.
Advertising and photography
Paid promotion, product photography, and tools you use to list and market products.
How Singapore treats them
Vehicle and travel
Private motor car expenses are generally not deductible, which is a sharper rule than most countries — other business travel costs remain claimable.
Home workspace
The business-use share of workspace costs such as electricity and internet is claimable where it relates to earning trade income.
Equipment and higher-cost gear
Equipment is claimed through capital allowances, with lower-value assets often written off over a shorter period.
This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with IRAS or a registered tax adviser, and keep records to back up every claim. Official guidance from Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore →
Keep in mind
- Items you bought for yourself and later happened to sell.
- The private share of your home running costs.
- The private-car rule surprises people. Expenses for a private motor car are generally not deductible even when the trip was for work, so plan around it rather than assuming a mileage claim exists.
Online sellers & resellers in Singapore — common questions
What can online sellers & resellers claim in Singapore?
The spending travels even though the rules do not: cost of stock and materials, platform, listing and payment fees, packaging and postage, home storage and workspace running costs and advertising and photography. What changes is how you claim it — in Singapore, equipment is claimed through capital allowances, with lower-value assets often written off over a shorter period. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with IRAS or a registered tax adviser, and keep records to back up every claim.
How do online sellers & resellers in Singapore report self-employed income?
You report it through Form B as a self-employed person. Self-employed income is reported as trade income and taxed at the personal resident rates, which are progressive and comparatively low. Singapore does not tax capital gains, and income is assessed for the Year of Assessment following the year you earned it. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with IRAS or a registered tax adviser, and keep records to back up every claim.
Can online sellers & resellers in Singapore claim a home workspace?
The business-use share of workspace costs such as electricity and internet is claimable where it relates to earning trade income. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with IRAS or a registered tax adviser, and keep records to back up every claim.
Do online sellers & resellers in Singapore need to register for GST?
GST in Singapore — rate: 9%; registration: SGD 1 million turnover/yr; returns: Quarterly (GST F5). Whether you have to register turns on your own turnover and where your customers are, so check the current position with Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore before assuming you are under it. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with IRAS or a registered tax adviser, and keep records to back up every claim.
More on self-employed tax in Singapore — the Singapore hub.
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