How to Set Up GST on Shopify in Singapore (9%, Inclusive Prices)

Do you need to charge GST at all?

If you are not GST-registered, you must not charge GST. Leave tax collection off in Shopify and do not mention GST on invoices.

Per IRAS' registration rules/gst-registration-deregistration/do-i-need-to-register-for-gst), registration is compulsory when your taxable turnover is:

• Retrospective view: more than S$1 million at the end of a calendar year. You apply between 1 and 30 January and are registered from 1 March.
• Prospective view: expected to be more than S$1 million in the next 12 months. You apply within 30 days of that forecast. If the liability arises on or after 1 July 2025, you are registered 2 months from the forecast date.

Some businesses register voluntarily below the threshold, usually to claim GST on their own purchases. Talk to your accountant first, because voluntary registration has obligations and generally lasts at least two years.

IRAS rule: website prices must include GST

IRAS' price display rules/basics-of-gst/invoicing-price-display-and-record-keeping/displaying-and-quoting-prices) say that if you are GST-registered, you must display and quote prices inclusive of GST to the public, including on websites. Failure to comply can lead to a fine of up to S$5,000.

This is the setting most Singapore Shopify stores get wrong, because Shopify adds tax at checkout by default. A customer who sees S$100 on the product page and S$109 at checkout is seeing exactly the format IRAS does not allow.

Shopify settings, step by step

Singapore stores use Shopify's Basic Tax service, which needs your tax registration number to calculate tax.

1. 1

   Check your store address

   In Settings > General, make sure the store address is in Singapore. If you ship from a different address, add it as a location.

2. 2

   Add your GST registration

   Go to Settings > Taxes and duties, select Singapore and enter your GST registration number. Shopify then collects 9% GST on taxable orders.

3. 3

   Turn on tax-inclusive prices

   In Settings > Taxes and duties, select Include sales tax in product price and shipping rate, then save. Shopify works out the GST portion as 9/109 of the price.

4. 4

   Re-enter prices if needed

   If your product prices were entered before GST, increase them by 9% so the price shown is the GST-inclusive amount you want to charge.

5. 5

   Check product tax settings

   Leave Charge tax on this product ticked for taxable items.

6. 6

   Place a test order

   Check the product page, cart and checkout all show the same price, and the order shows the GST amount included.

Tax invoices and receipts

Most Shopify customers are consumers who only need an order confirmation. When a GST-registered business customer asks for a tax invoice, IRAS' invoicing rules/basics-of-gst/invoicing-price-display-and-record-keeping/invoicing-customers) apply.

• Tax invoice: must show the words 'Tax Invoice', your name, address and GST registration number, invoice date and number, customer's name and address, description, GST rate, totals excluding GST, the GST amount and the total including GST. Issue it within 30 days of the supply.
• Simplified tax invoice: allowed if the total including GST does not exceed S$1,000. It needs your name, address and GST number, date, invoice number, description, total including GST and a statement such as 'price payable includes GST'.

Shopify's default order confirmation does not meet these rules on its own. Edit the notification template to add your GST registration number and the 'price payable includes GST' wording, or use an invoice app that produces compliant tax invoices.

Orders shipped overseas

Per IRAS' e-commerce guidance/specific-business-sectors/e-commerce), you can zero-rate goods, charging 0% GST, when you export them out of Singapore and keep the necessary export documents. Without the evidence, you must charge 9%.

The Overseas Vendor Registration regime is for overseas businesses selling remote services or low-value goods into Singapore. It does not apply to a Singapore-based store selling its own goods.

Getting Shopify sales into your GST return

Your GST F5 return needs standard-rated sales, zero-rated sales and the GST collected for each quarter. The cleanest way is to send Shopify orders and payouts into your accounting software, rather than copying totals from Shopify reports.

Our guide to connecting Shopify, Stripe or HitPay to Xero shows how to reconcile payouts and fees, and Xero vs QuickBooks in Singapore explains which one can file the F5 directly to IRAS. If you are still budgeting for the store, see what a Shopify store costs in Singapore.

Do it yourself or get help?

Turning on GST in Shopify takes about 30 minutes if your prices are already set correctly. Re-pricing a large catalogue, fixing order templates and connecting Shopify to your accounting software take longer.

Shopify Store (S$1,890) builds or rebuilds a store with GST-inclusive pricing, compliant order emails and markets for overseas shipping. Xero / QuickBooks Integration (S$390) connects Shopify sales and payouts to your accounting. Your accountant remains responsible for your GST registration and returns.