SINGAPORE: A man was slapped with an a , S$ 3.6 million fine at the State Courts on Tuesday ( Jan 2 ) after being found guilty of evading taxes that he was supposed to pay for importing nearly 1, 000 motor vehicles worth more than S$ 1 million ( US$ 754, 000 ).
Tan Lye Khim, 47, and nbsp, the sole owner of the auto importer Smartcar Auto, will serve 43 months in jail instead because he failed to pay the fine, according to a joint statement from Singapore Customs and the Land Transport Authority ( LTA ).
Tan, a Singaporean national, was also given an additional seven weeks in prison for failing to pay the Additional Registration Fee ( ARF ) when the vehicles were registered.
He may serve a total of about 45 months in prison.
When a car is registered, an Dah tax is imposed and is determined based on the portion of the vehicle’s open market value.
Tan had admitted guilt and nbsp to dodging taxes and duties imposed by importing the motor vehicles into Singapore between 2018 and 2020 totaling more than S$ 1 million. This includes the following:  ,
- Fraudulent duty evasion for the goods of 974 engine vehicles totaled around S$ 769, 207.
- The same motor vehicles are the subject of two additional charges of fraudulently evading the Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) totaling about S 323, 067.
- Two costs of dishonest work and GST evasion for the importation of nine vehicles, totaling about S$ 6, 092 were filed.
According to the government, Tan even entered a guilty plea to one charge of providing false information about the value of 746 engine vehicles under the Road Traffic Act.
During sentencing, two additional costs for providing false information under the Road Traffic Act regarding the principles of 228 and 9 motor vehicles, between, were taken into account.
According to the authorities,” The incorrect information caused a shortfall of S$ 5, 190, 893 of ARF.”  ,
HOW HE WAS FOUND
The principles of motor lorries submitted to Singapore Customs for analysis of work and GST paid were “intentionally understated,” according to authorities, who then launched an investigation into Smartcar.  ,
According to these investigations, Tan was reportedly hired in 2016 by a 43-year-old Malaysian man and an Asian man who lived permanently in Singapore to establish an organization that would later become known as Smartcar to import motor vehicles.
But, Smartcar served as a “front business” for the , two men who had hired Tan, and one of whom was in charge of running the company’s normal activities.
Tan would receive S$ 5, 000 per month for the entity’s formation in addition to an annual lump sum payment ranging from S$ 100 000 to S$ 225 000 for his work.
According to authorities,” Tan was aware that Smartcar was designed to buy cars with inflated values in order to avoid work and GST.”  ,
A , a 31-year-old women Singapore permanent native, was also employed by Smartcar, according to the statement, in addition to Tan. She andnbsp, purportedly and allegedly, helped a lot with placing orders, communicating with foreign suppliers, paying them, and getting motor vehicle beliefs imported through Smartcars ready for evaluation at Singapore Customs.
The authorities are still looking into the 48-year-old man Singapore permanent resident, according to Singapore Customs and LTA, while court proceedings against the 43-yet-young man Singaporean and the lady are continuing.  ,
Any man who engages in false work or GST avoidance on imported goods faces a maximum fine of up to 20 times the work volume, as well as the possibility of being jailed for as long as two years.
Any person who provides false information in relation to any problem affecting the amount of taxes owed shall be subject upon faith to a fine of not more than S$ 10, 000 or , as well as imprisonment for no longer than six months.
The authorities continued,” The court shall also order the offender to pay up the tax ( ARF ) that has been undercharged to the LTA.”  ,
This content was first released currentlyin .