Refunds for GST paid on processing fees for Development Applications and Lodgments

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As announced by the Ministry of Finance, URA is making refunds for Goods and Services Tax (GST) paid on processing fees for Development Applications (DAs) and Lodgments made to URA. We have since ceased charging GST on these fees from 14 February 2024.

Who is eligible?

Applicants¹ who:

Had paid processing fees to URA for DAs and/or lodgments; and
Had not claimed the GST paid on the processing fees as input tax from IRAS previously.

¹Applicant refers to the person submitting the DA or lodgment or on whose behalf a Qualified Person or an Agent submits the DA or lodgment. The Applicant may be the property owner or the tenant (or any other person) authorised by the property owner.

How will the refunds be made to affected parties?

URA is committed to ensuring that the refunds are paid smoothly and correctly to the eligible applicants. To ensure that we process the refunds in a timely manner, we will be conducting the refund exercise in two phases.

From 1 March to 30 June 2024, we will be contacting applicants who had paid processing fees for DAs and Lodgments made on or after 1 January 2019 via email to request for information to facilitate the refunds. There is no need for these applicants to contact URA.

From July 2024 to 31 December 2024, eligible applicants who were wrongly charged GST before 1 January 2019 will be invited to step forward and reach out to URA. They can apply to URA for refunds using the FormSG on this webpage.

Eligible applicants are reminded to provide details only using the GST Refund FormSG on this webpage. URA will not request personal information or banking details through phone calls, SMS and social media.

Please see table below for more details.

Phases	1 (1 March 2024 to 30 June 2024)	2 (July 2024 to 31 December 2024)
Type of applications	DAs and Lodgments for all property types made on or after 1 January 2019	DAs and Lodgments for all property types made before 1 January 2019
Refund process	From 1 March 2024, URA will proactively reach out via email to Applicants/Owners/Agents who had made DAs and/or Lodgments for landed housing requesting them to furnish relevant information using the FormSG on this website. From 1 May 2024, URA will email Applicants/Owners/Agents who had made DAs and Lodgments for other property types requesting them to furnish relevant information using the FormSG on this website.	Eligible applicants in this Phase can apply to URA for refunds using the GST Refund FormSG on this website.
Information required (only one claim per proposal should be submitted)	Singpass or Corppass to log into FormSG Unique ID Number and Project Submission Number (this will be indicated in URA’s email) Claimant's bank account number to receive the refund Declaration that the person (claimant) submitting the form is the Applicant. If the claimant is not the Applicant, a signed letter of authorisation from the Applicant is required. The template for the authorisation letter can be found below: Authorisation Letter (Template) (.doc, 16KB) (Please submit this letter if the claimant is not the Applicant)” Declaration that no claims were made to IRAS previously as input tax for the GST paid	Singpass or Corppass to log into FormSG Details of DA and lodgement submitted to URA for which you would like to claim the GST refund (e.g. property address, Reference ID, Submission Number, Receipt Number). Claimant's bank account number to receive the refund Declaration that the person (claimant) submitting the form is the Applicant. If the claimant is not the Applicant, a signed letter of authorisation from the Applicant is required. The template for the authorisation letter can be found below: Authorisation Letter (Template) (.doc, 16KB) (Please submit this letter if the claimant is not the Applicant)” Declaration that no claims were made to IRAS previously as input tax for the GST paid
Processing time needed	Within two months from submission of required information	Within four months from submission of required information

How will I know if my request for refund has been successfully processed?

Once the refund is processed, an email with the receipt will be sent to the claimant.

How much refund will affected parties receive?

As announced by the Ministry of Finance, we will refund the GST amount paid plus interest.

Who can I reach out to if I encounter difficulties in the refund process?

If you encounter difficulties with the refund process, you can reach out to us via our online feedback form.

We kindly seek your patience and understanding as you may experience longer waiting times and delayed response due to the large volume of enquiries. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and assure you that we will attend to all enquiries as soon as we can.

Why is URA requesting for personal information and bank account details? How will URA safeguard the information I provide?

The information is required for purposes of verification and to ensure payment to the right party. We will only collect the required information using the FormSG on this webpage.

All public agencies, including URA, are subject to strict controls on data security. We have protocols in place on data collection, access, use and storage of personal data. Personal data collected will not be shared with entities which are not Government agencies, except with the financial institutions to which the refunds are credited. To safeguard your personal data, all electronic storage and transmission of personal data is secured with appropriate security technologies. Bank account information that is collected as part of the refund service will be deleted when the necessary audits are completed, in line with URA’s data retention policies.

URA will not request personal information or banking details through phone calls, SMS and social media. Eligible applicants and members of the public are advised to be vigilant against scam attempts.

I received an SMS/ email asking me to provide details for a GST refund for a URA application I submitted. How do I check if the SMS/ email is not a scam?

The email that URA sends to eligible applicants provides details of their application and a link to this page where they can access the GST Refund FormSG which requires Singpass login for submission of required information. URA will not request personal information or banking details through phone calls, SMS, social media and within the content of emails.

Can I come to the URA Centre to submit my application instead?

In view of the large volume of transactions involved, we encourage you to put in your request for refund through the FormSG link that is available on this webpage or provided to you. If you encounter difficulties with the refund process, you can reach out to us via our online feedback form.

I am a property owner and had paid for fees through my appointed Agent (e.g. Qualified Person). Should I submit a refund request directly? How will I get my refund?

The refund claim is meant for the Applicant who submitted the DA and/or lodgment, or on whose behalf the Qualified Person submits the DA and/or lodgment. The Applicant may be the property owner.

If your DA and/or lodgment was made on and after 1 January 2019 onwards, URA will reach out to you and your appointed Qualified Person based on the email address provided at the time of DA and/or lodgment. This will be sent progressively from March 2024. If you are the Applicant indicated in the DA and/or lodgement, please provide the relevant information as stated in the email to submit the claim via FormSG.

If your DA and/or lodgment was made before 1 January 2019, you can submit the refund application using the GST Refund FormSG which is available on this webpage.

I was an appointed Agent (e.g. Qualified Person) who had paid for fees on behalf of a client. Should I submit a refund or get my client to do it? What if I no longer have my client’s contact details?

The refund claim is meant for the Applicant who submitted the DA and/or lodgment, or on whose behalf the Agent (e.g. Qualified Person) submits the DA and/or lodgment.

URA will be reaching out to Applicant(s)/Owner(s)/Agent(s) based on the email addresses provided in the application form at the time of DA and/or lodgement.

If you are the Agent who submitted the DA and/or lodgment on behalf of the Applicant and the Applicant is not copied in the email, we seek your assistance to forward the email to the Applicant.

You can only make the claim on behalf of the Applicant if he/she authorised you to claim the refund. If that is the case, please submit the authorisation letter signed by the Applicant in the claim submission. You can download the authorisation letter from the above table on this webpage.

Should I consolidate my claim for GST refund if I had made fees for multiple DAs/Lodgments over the years?

Please submit only one claim per proposal during the relevant phases indicated in the table above.

Why is my refund taking longer than the stipulated processing time?

We endeavour to complete all refunds within the stipulated time indicated for each phase. In view of the large volume of transactions, the processing time for some cases, such as those which require manual verifications, may take longer. To enable us to process the refunds expediently, we urge affected parties to provide a complete set of required information to URA within the stated timeframes.

I paid processing fees for a DA/Lodgment on 13 February. Why was I charged GST? Will I be refunded?

We have stopped charging GST on processing fees for DAs and Lodgments since 14 February 2024. If you have paid for GST on 13 February 2024, we will effect the refund.

I missed the window to submit my information. Can I still do so?

All requests for refunds should be made by 31 December 2024. If you faced issues in making the request for refund, you can reach out to us via our online feedback form.