Accounting Solutions Singapore Editorial Team · Last reviewed 18 October 2026
When a business stops being GST-registered, there is one more return to file: the GST F8. It works like an F5, with one important addition. You may have to account for GST on the business assets you still hold on the day registration ends.
At a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What is the F8? | The final GST return, filed when GST registration is cancelled |
| What does it add? | Output tax on taxable assets held on the last day of registration |
| Exceptions | Output tax may not be needed if the assets are at or below S$10,000, or if the business is transferred as a going concern |
| Late filing | S$200 a month, capped at S$10,000 per outstanding return (the penalty applies to F5 and F8) |
| How to cancel in the first place | Online through myTax Portal. The paper GST F9 is only for exceptional cases |
What the F8 covers
It reports the supplies and purchases for the last accounting period, like an F5. IRAS’s e-Tax Guide adds that you must also account for output tax on taxable assets you still hold on the last day of registration. The reasoning is simple: you claimed GST on those assets when you bought them, and once you leave the system, that claim needs to be accounted for.
Do you owe output tax on your assets?
The guide says output tax may not be needed if:
- the assets are at or below S$10,000, or
- the business is transferred as a going concern.
If neither applies, output tax is due on the assets. Read IRAS’s guidance on how they are valued before you work out the figure.
Example (illustration only). ABC Pte Ltd cancels its GST registration and holds stock and equipment worth S$8,000 on the last day. That is at or below the S$10,000 mark, so output tax may not be needed. DEF Pte Ltd holds S$40,000 of assets and is not being sold as a going concern. At 9%, S$40,000 of assets would carry about S$3,600 of output tax, which DEF would report in its F8. The actual figure depends on how IRAS values the assets.
Before you file
- Check you can cancel. The conditions for cancelling are set by IRAS. We have not described them here, so check IRAS or ask us.
- File the cancellation first. Online through myTax Portal. The paper GST F9 is for exceptional cases.
- File the F8 on time. A late F8 carries the same S$200-a-month penalty as a late F5.
- Keep the records. GST records have to be kept for at least five years, including after registration ends.
Questions we get asked
Is the F8 filed instead of the last F5? It is the final return. Check with IRAS whether any earlier return is still outstanding.
Can an F8 be corrected? Yes. The GST F7 can correct a previously submitted F8. See correcting GST errors.
Do I still keep records after deregistering? Yes, at least five years.
Plan your GST deregistration
Tell us your last return, what assets you hold and why registration is ending. We’ll tell you what the F8 needs to include. Plan your GST deregistration. Related: GST services overview.
Sources
- IRAS, How do I prepare my GST return? (e-Tax Guide), Eleventh Edition, section 5 (paragraphs 5.1 to 5.4)
- IRAS, GST: General Guide for Businesses, paragraph 10.1 (late filing of F5 or F8)
This page is general information as at the date above, not legal, regulatory or professional advice. Rules change, so please take advice on your own circumstances before acting.