FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) ON E-FILING OF INCOME TAX RETURN (FORM C) AND E-SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS (Updated on 5/8/2015)

Transcription

1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) ON E-FILING OF INCOME TAX RETURN (FORM C) AND E-SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS (Updated on 5/8/2015) Contents A. Before e-filing Form C Who needs to file Form C? What information do I need to have ready before I start e-filing Form C? Do I need to be authorised before I can e-file Form C? What is EASY and how do I access it? What information is required to authorise an employee or a third party to access e-services? How do I obtain the e-services Access Code? How long will I take to complete e-filing? What is the e-filing due date?...4 B. When e-filing online Form C What is the icon beside each line item? How do I navigate between different sections of Form C? Do I need to complete all fields of the online Form C? Why are some fields not editable (or disabled)? Is there an error? Is the online Form C structured in the same way as the paper Form C? Can I e-file Form C if my company is newly incorporated and its first set of accounts covers a period of more than 12 months from the date of incorporation? My company wishes to tap on the Group Relief Scheme. Do I need to file the GR-A or GR-B form? What is the difference between the confirmation and acknowledgement page? Can I save a draft copy of the Form C during e-filing? What will happen to the Form C that is saved as Draft or with status Pending Approval and not submitted to IRAS? How long is the time-out period before I get logged out due to inactivity? Will the Approver be alerted after the Preparer has submitted the Form C to the Approver for approval? I am a Preparer and need to make some amendments to the Form C after my submission to the Approver. What should I do? What should I do if I encounter an error while trying to submit the Form C via mytax Portal? What documents do I need to submit?...7

2 24. How should I submit my Detailed Profit and Loss Statement? How do I submit the tax computation, financial statements and other supporting documents online with my Form C? Can I e-file Form C without attaching the financial statements, tax computation and supporting schedules? Who can upload these documents? What is the maximum file size for my documents? How can I reduce the size of my files? What is the acceptable file type? How do I know if my documents have been successfully submitted? What should I do if I have submitted a wrong document? Preparer had uploaded and submitted a document to me for approval. However, I am unable to download it for review. How should I proceed?...9 C. Form C (Upload) Can I use the Form C in excel format instead of the new PDF format to e-file? Can both the Preparer and Approver submit the Form C (Upload) to IRAS? When I printed a copy of the duly completed Form C (Upload), I note that descriptions on fields such as nature of income, country codes and incentive types are reflected in codes and negative amounts denoted with X. Is this correct? How do I use an existing Form C (Upload), with figures in it, to e-file for another entity? Do I have to manually delete all completed fields? Can I use readers other than Adobe to open the Form C (Upload)? I encountered this message when I open the Form C (Upload) Certification by Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore iras@iras.gov.sg is invalid. What should I do? I cannot save the Form C (Upload) after making changes. What should I do? The Form C (Upload) cannot be launched. What should I do? It takes a long time to open the Form C (Upload). What should I do? D. After e-filing online Form C/ Form C (Upload) How do I know whether my submission has been transmitted to IRAS successfully? How do I save a copy of the confirmation/ acknowledgement page? I have forgotten to save/ print the acknowledgement page. Am I able to retrieve a copy of the acknowledgement page at mytax Portal? I have e-filed successfully and will like to correct an error in the submission. How do I correct the error? E. PC Requirements and Technical Help What are the minimum hardware requirements for accessing mytax Portal? What are the minimum software requirements for accessing mytax Portal?

3 A. Before e-filing Form C 1. Who needs to file Form C? All companies carrying on a trade or business in Singapore must report their income to IRAS annually by filing their Income Tax Return (Form C-S or Form C). Form C-S is a simplified income tax return for qualifying companies with simple tax matters and an annual revenue of S$1 million or below, whereas Form C is for all other companies that do not qualify for Form C-S. The qualifying conditions for filing Form C-S are: Company: Does not claim any of the following: Is incorporated in Singapore Carry-back of Current Year Capital Allowances/ Losses Has an annual revenue of Group Relief S$1 million or below Derives only income taxable Investment Allowance at 17% Research & Development Tax Allowance Foreign Tax Credit and Tax Deducted at Source All companies that do not meet the above qualifying conditions are required to file Form C. 2. What information do I need to have ready before I start e-filing Form C? Please prepare the tax computation and financial statements and have them on hand, before e- Filing Form C. You will need to refer to these documents to fill out the form. 3. Do I need to be authorised before I can e-file Form C? Yes, the company s employee or a third party has to be authorised via the e-services Authorisation System (EASY). If the employee/ third party is authorised as a Preparer for Corporate Tax Matters via EASY, he can complete the Form C for submission to the Approver. Only an employee/ a third party authorised as an Approver for Corporate Tax Matters via EASY can complete, approve and submit the Form C to IRAS. 4. What is EASY and how do I access it? EASY is an online system that allows companies/ businesses to authorise their employees or a third party (e.g. company s appointed tax agent) to access e-services or perform e-services transactions on their behalf. EASY is accessible at To find out more about EASY, you may call EASY helpline at or read the FAQs on EASY at 3

4 5. What information is required to authorise an employee or a third party to access e-services? To authorise an employee or a third party, you need the following: your company s tax reference number and e-services Access Code; your personal tax reference number and SingPass or IRAS PIN; and employee s or third party s tax reference number. 6. How do I obtain the e-services Access Code? If your company does not have an access code or the existing access code has expired, you can request a new Access Code using this form: You can submit the completed form by: Fax ( ); (tpsmu@iras.gov.sg); or Post (55 Newton Road, Revenue House, Singapore ). The Access Code will be mailed to your registered address within 4 working days from the date of receipt of the form. You have to log in and change the Access Code within 60 days from the issue date of the Access Code. Otherwise the Access Code will lapse after the 60-day period. 7. How long will I take to complete e-filing? It will take approximately 30 to 40 minutes to complete e-filing. 8. What is the e-filing due date? The e-filing due date is 15 December. This is an extension of 15 days from the filing due date of the paper Form C, which is 30 November. B. When e-filing online Form C E-Filing of online Form C 9. What is the icon beside each line item? The ihelp provides guidance on tax filing relating to the Form C line item. To read the information in the ihelp, simply point your mouse over the icon. 10. How do I navigate between different sections of Form C? You can click on the respective section tabs displayed at the top of the screen to navigate between different sections of Form C. Alternatively, you can also click on Next Page or Previous Page at the bottom of each page. To reduce the need for re-keying in of information, the data that you enter will be automatically saved when you navigate from one section to the other section. 4

5 11. Do I need to complete all fields of the online Form C? All fields have been pre-filled with zero. Therefore, you need only enter data into the fields which should not be completed with zero. The system will prompt you to fill out fields which have not been completed. 12. Why are some fields not editable (or disabled)? Is there an error? There is no error. A field is editable only if the Company is required to complete that field. This is because the page is designed to dynamically display the required fields to be filled in. If a field is editable (or enabled), please complete the field where applicable. If the field is not editable (or disabled), please move on to the next editable field. 13. Is the online Form C structured in the same way as the paper Form C? Yes. The fields in the online Form C are generally in the same sequence as that in the paper Form C. For example, the item numbers stated in the paper Form C corresponds to the item numbers in the online Form C. 14. Can I e-file Form C if my company is newly incorporated and its first set of accounts covers a period of more than 12 months from the date of incorporation? Yes, you can e-file Form C. On the General Information page, please state the financial period for the first set of accounts, which stretches more than 12 months. In the subsequent pages, you will need to: Attribute the company s adjusted profit/ losses to the two relevant YAs* (For example, if the financial period is 1 April 2013 to 31 Dec 2014, please attribute the adjusted profit/ losses to YA 2014 and YA 2015); and Complete the fields required for the two YAs in the Form C. This is because the basis period for each YA should generally not exceed 12 months. * Time apportionment basis may be used if the company is unable to directly identify the adjusted profit/ losses before other deductions to the corresponding basis period for each YA. 15. My company wishes to tap on the Group Relief Scheme. Do I need to file the GR-A or GR-B form? If your company is a transferor or claimant of Group Relief, please indicate the amount in Q4 (for transferor) or Q9 (for claimant) on the Assessment Part 1 page. When the amount is indicated, the Group Relief section will become editable and you can then enter the relevant data in that section. You need not submit a paper copy of the GR-A or GR-B separately. 16. What is the difference between the confirmation and acknowledgement page? The confirmation page will consolidate and display all entries of the Form C (including fields with value of zero and NA ), for your easy reference. Please verify that the information on the confirmation page is accurate before submitting the Form C to IRAS, as you will not be able to revise the information after submission. The acknowledgement page confirms that Form C has been submitted to IRAS and will display only the fields which are non-zero. 5

6 Saving/ Submitting online Form C 17. Can I save a draft copy of the Form C during e-filing? Yes, you can save a draft of your Form C at any point of filing before submission. Please click the Save Draft button located at the bottom of the Form C. You may subsequently continue working on the saved draft. The system will also auto-save the Form C when navigating between sections. 18. What will happen to the Form C that is saved as Draft or with status Pending Approval and not submitted to IRAS? The draft version of the Form C will be saved in mytax Portal up to 15 December. Please make sure that the Form C is e-filed with your financial accounts, tax computation and supporting schedules to IRAS by the e-filing due date of 15 December. 19. How long is the time-out period before I get logged out due to inactivity? If you remain inactive on your local machine for more than 15 minutes, the system will prompt you to respond within 2 minutes. If there is still no activity within 2 minutes, you will be logged you out of mytax Portal automatically. 20. Will the Approver be alerted after the Preparer has submitted the Form C to the Approver for approval? No, there will be no alerts sent and the Preparer will need to inform the Approver. 21. I am a Preparer and need to make some amendments to the Form C after my submission to the Approver. What should I do? You can approach the Approver to retrieve the Form C under Pending Approval status and save it as Draft. You will then have the edit rights to amend the Form C. Alternatively, the Approver can amend the Form C directly. 22. What should I do if I encounter an error while trying to submit the Form C via mytax Portal? Please check the status of your filing at mytax Portal by selecting e-services for Corporate Tax, then View Return Status. If the status of the Income Tax Return is Issued, please clear cache (temporary internet files) and close active applications before you retry. The steps to clear cache are detailed below: For Internet Explorer (IE) browser versions 6 and 7 1) Go to "Tools" menu 2) Click on "Internet Options" 3) Go to "General Tab" 4) Click on "Delete Files" under "Temporary Internet Files"/ (For IE 7) "Delete" button under Browsing History section 5) Click "OK" to delete files/ (For IE 7) Click "Delete all " button and Click "Yes" button on the pop-up window 6) Click "OK" to exit the Internet Options 6

7 For Internet Explorer browser version 8 and above 1) Go to "Tools" menu 2) Click on "Internet Options" 3) Go to "General Tab" 4) Click "Delete" button under Browsing History section 5) Check all boxes next to the available options 6) Click "Delete" button 7) Click "OK" to exit the Internet Options dialog. If you still encounter an error, please send us an via mytax Mail in mytax Portal with the following details: a) Date and time of the error b) The company s tax reference number c) The filer s tax reference number d) Description of the error and the point at which the error occurred (e.g. after clicking Submit at Confirmation Statement) e) The error message(s) you encountered or the screenshot of the error f) The operating system you are using (e.g. Windows XP, Vista) g) The browser type and version number (e.g. Firefox 2.0, IE 7). Alternatively, please call or for assistance. Document Submission 23. What documents do I need to submit? The following documents are required to be submitted with the Form C: Tax computation and supporting schedules Audited/ Unaudited Accounts Declaration for the Purpose of Claiming WDA for IPR (Section 19B) (if applicable) R&D Claim Form (if applicable) Revised tax computation (if applicable) Please ensure the documents are uploaded under the right category. You may wish to check the filename of the uploaded document before submission. Please do not upload any documents that are not listed above. Other than the above, relevant documents should be retained and submitted to IRAS only upon request. To amend the tax computation subsequent to the submission of Form C, please use the Objection/ Revision e-service to file the revised tax computation. 24. How should I submit my Detailed Profit and Loss Statement? Please attach the Detailed Profit and Loss Statement with the Audited Accounts/ Unaudited Accounts or the tax computation, and submit it under that category accordingly. 7

8 25. How do I submit the tax computation, financial statements and other supporting documents online with my Form C? Companies can submit their documents in either of the following ways: a) after completing Form C online, at the Confirmation Page, click on Go to Document Submission Page and upload the documents under their respective categories; or b) at the Left Hand Menu of mytax Portal, click on Document Submission, select Corporate Income Tax and the relevant Year of Assessment to upload the documents under their respective categories. 26. Can I e-file Form C without attaching the financial statements, tax computation and supporting schedules? Yes, you can. Do note that you will still need to submit paper copies of the above-mentioned documents. However, to avoid submitting the documents after filing due date, we encourage companies to attach the financial accounts, tax computation and supporting schedules when e- Filing Form C. 27. Who can upload these documents? Both the Preparer and Approver can upload the documents. However, only the Approver can submit these documents to IRAS. 28. What is the maximum file size for my documents? The maximum file size for each file differs. For tax computation and supporting schedules, revised tax computation and supporting schedules, and audited/ unaudited accounts, the maximum file size allowed is 4Mb each. As for Declaration for the Purpose of Claiming WDA for IPR (Section 19B), and R&D Claim Form, the maximum file size allowed is 2Mb each. 29. How can I reduce the size of my files? You can reduce the size of your files by: - Scanning the document in black and white from its hard copy; or - Lowering the resolution of the soft copy document; or - Converting the soft copy document to PDF format with low resolution. Please refer to question 30 on how to convert document to PDF format. When reducing the size, please ensure that the document is readable. The recommended resolution is 100dpi black and white. 30. What is the acceptable file type? Only files saved as PDF format are accepted. In order to convert files to PDF format, you may download the free software convertor at 8

9 31. How do I know if my documents have been successfully submitted? The status of upload will be shown in the Document Submission Page. You may refer to these status definitions: Pending : No document uploaded for submission Pending Approval : Document pending Approver s review Processing : Document transmitting to IRAS Received : Document submitted to IRAS 32. What should I do if I have submitted a wrong document? If you have submitted a wrong document, please send us an via mytax Mail in mytax Portal with the following details: a) Date of the submission b) The company s tax reference number c) The filer s approver s tax reference number d) The category of document which you have erroneously submitted Please also provide a copy of the correct document in PDF format and within the maximum file size of 2Mb. Alternatively, please call or for assistance. 33. Preparer had uploaded and submitted a document to me for approval. However, I am unable to download it for review. How should I proceed? The uploaded document by the Preparer will be available for Approver to download within a day. If the Approver is unable to download the document on the following day, the document could have failed IRAS virus scan. Approver should scan the document for virus to ensure that it is virus-free. Thereafter, the Approver can re-upload the virus-free document. C. Form C (Upload) 34. Can I use the Form C in excel format instead of the new PDF format to e-file? No. mytax Portal accepts the new PDF format for Form C (Upload) only. 35. Can both the Preparer and Approver submit the Form C (Upload) to IRAS? Currently, only the Approver can submit Form C (Upload) to IRAS. The option for Form C (Upload) under Form Type Selection can only be selected by the Approver. If the Preparer wishes to upload other documents such as audited accounts, tax computation etc, he may do so via Document Submission in mytax Portal. 9

10 36. When I printed a copy of the duly completed Form C (Upload), I note that descriptions on fields such as nature of income, country codes and incentive types are reflected in codes and negative amounts denoted with X. Is this correct? Yes. The print format of Form C (Upload) follows that of paper Form C, where line items on nature of income, country codes and incentive types will be reflected in codes and negative amounts denoted with X. 37. How do I use an existing Form C (Upload), with figures in it, to e-file for another entity? Do I have to manually delete all completed fields? You can click on Clear Form button located at the top right hand corner of the DIN page in Form C (Upload). Please ensure that you have already saved a copy of the completed Form C (Upload) for the previous entity before you proceed to clear the form. 38. Can I use readers other than Adobe to open the Form C (Upload)? No. Form C (Upload) has to be opened with Adobe Reader XI (i.e Version 11) and above. If you do not have an Adobe Reader installed onto your computer, please download the latest version suitable for your computer via I encountered this message when I open the Form C (Upload) Certification by Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore iras@iras.gov.sg is invalid. What should I do? The above message will only be displayed after the Form C (Upload) has been edited and saved. You may continue to use it and submit to IRAS through mytax Portal. 40. I cannot save the Form C (Upload) after making changes. What should I do? Form C (Upload) is compatible with Adobe Reader XI and above. Please update your Adobe Reader to the latest version. Please refer to question 38 for the link to the website to install the latest Adobe Reader. 41. The Form C (Upload) cannot be launched. What should I do? Ensure that the Adobe Reader is version XI and above and perform the following steps: a) Launch the Adobe Reader. b) Under the Menu Bar, select Edit. c) Click on Preferences. 10

11 d) Click on Security (Enhanced) and uncheck the following checkboxes. Enable Protected Mode at startup Enable Enhanced Security 11

12 e) Click on OK button to exit and open the Form C (Upload) using the Adobe Reader again. 42. It takes a long time to open the Form C (Upload). What should I do? Launch the Adobe Reader before opening the Form C (Upload). Avoid opening the Form C (Upload) directly without launching the Adobe Reader. D. After e-filing online Form C/ Form C (Upload) 43. How do I know whether my submission has been transmitted to IRAS successfully? You will see an acknowledgement page upon successful filing. Please save/ print a copy of this acknowledgement page for your record. If you do not see the acknowledgement page, please check the status of filing by performing one of the steps below: a) At the main menu of mytax Portal, click on Last Completed Portal Transactions 12

13 b) Under e-services for Corporate Tax in mytax Portal, click on View Return Status 44. How do I save a copy of the confirmation/ acknowledgement page? For PC running Windows with Internet Explorer browser 1) Select "File -> Save As" on the top of the browser window menu 2) Select the location to save the HTML document 3) Type in the desired file name in "File name:" and click on "Save" button. For PC running Windows with Firefox browser 1) Select "File -> Save Page As" on the top of the browser window menu 2) Select the location to save the HTML document 3) Type in the desired file name in "File name: 4) Choose Web Page, complete in Save as type: dropdown list 5) Click on "Save" button. For Apple computer with Safari browser 1) Select "File -> Save As " on the top of the browser window menu 2) Type in the desired filename in "Save As:" or Export As: 3) Select the location to save the HTML document 4) Select Web Archive under the Format: box 5) Click on "Save" button. For Apple computer with Mozilla Firefox browser 1) Select "File -> Save Page As " on the top of the browser window menu 2) Type in the desired filename in "Save As:" 3) Select the location to save the HTML document 4) Select Web Page, complete under the Save As: box 5) Click on "Save" button. 45. I have forgotten to save/ print the acknowledgement page. Am I able to retrieve a copy of the acknowledgement page at mytax Portal? Yes, you can do so at mytax Portal by selecting View Correspondence/ Notices under e-services for Corporate Tax. 46. I have e-filed successfully and will like to correct an error in the submission. How do I correct the error? You may inform us of the revision via mytax Portal by selecting e-services for Corporate Tax, followed by Object/ Revise Assessment or by writing to us. When submitting your revision(s) to Form C, please attach the revised tax computation and supporting schedules. E. PC Requirements and Technical Help 47. What are the minimum hardware requirements for accessing mytax Portal? The minimum hardware requirements are: 1) Pentium 4 PC and above with 1 GB RAM and 2) 512 kbps modem with connection to a local Internet Service Provider. 13

14 48. What are the minimum software requirements for accessing mytax Portal? The minimum software requirements are: For PC running Windows operating system: a) Operating System: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 or 8.1. b) Browser: Internet Explorer 7.0 to 11.0, Mozilla Firefox 31.0 to 35.0 or Google Chrome For Apple computer running Macintosh operating system: a) Mac OS X 10.7 with Safari Browser 6.0 and above b) Mac OS X 10.7 with Mozilla Firefox 31.0 to c) Mac OS X 10.7 with Google Chrome