IRAS Tax Portal: How to Log In, File & Pay Taxes (2026)

Navigating tax season can often feel like an overwhelming chore, especially if you're newly employed, self-employed, or an expatriate experiencing the Singapore tax system for the first time. The good news? The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) boasts one of the most efficient, digitized, and straightforward tax systems in the world.

Filing your personal income tax is executed primarily through the official IRAS myTax Portal. While the user interface is intuitive, taxpayers frequently experience anxiety regarding deadlines, undeclared income from side hustles, maximizing personal reliefs, and ensuring payment compliance. This comprehensive guide serves to demystify the entire process from start to finish.

Whether you have received a No-Filing Service (NFS) notification or need to submit a full tax return manually, understanding the exact filing steps, critical deadlines, and diverse payment channels ensures absolute hassle-free compliance, effectively turning a stressful annual event into a mere routine administrative task.

1. Key IRAS Tax Deadlines & Penalties

In Singapore, income tax is assessed on a preceding year basis. This means the tax you file and pay in the Year of Assessment (YA) 2026 is based on the income you earned between January 1 and December 31, 2025. Timing is absolutely critical. Missing the deadlines does not just result in a warning; it brings financial penalties and heightened scrutiny from tax authorities.

Consequences of Late Filing

Human error happens, and sometimes people simply forget. However, IRAS enforces strict penalties for late filing or failing to file entirely:

• Late Filing Penalty: A minimum of $150 and up to $1,000 depending on the severity and your previous compliance record.
• Estimated Notice of Assessment: If you fail to file, IRAS may estimate your income based on past years and issue an NOA. You are legally required to pay this amount within 30 days, even if you plan to file an objection.
• Court Summons: In severe cases of negligence, IRAS can issue a summons requiring you to appear in court, potentially resulting in further fines or even imprisonment.

2. No-Filing Service (NFS) vs Manual Filing

One of the most impressive features of the Singapore tax system is the Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS). If your employer participates in the AIS (which is mandatory for employers with 5 or more employees), your salary, bonuses, and director's fees are automatically transmitted to IRAS.

Understanding the No-Filing Service (NFS)

If your employment income is covered under AIS, you will likely receive an SMS, email, or physical letter from IRAS between February and March indicating that you are selected for the No-Filing Service (NFS).

What NFS means: You are not required to submit a tax return. IRAS will compute your tax based on the AIS data and your previously claimed reliefs, and send you an NOA.

Who Needs to File Manually?

You must log in to the myTax Portal and actively file a return if:

• You received a letter or SMS from IRAS explicitly asking you to file.
• Your employer is not in the Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS).
• You have secondary sources of income, such as freelance earnings, side gig income, rental income, or royalties, which are not automatically transmitted to IRAS.
• You want to claim newly applicable deductions (e.g., course fees, parent relief).

3. Step-by-Step e-Filing via myTax Portal

If you need to file manually or want to update your NFS details, the process is streamlined. Here is the step-by-step workflow for a stress-free e-filing experience.

1. Log in with Singpass: Access mytax.iras.gov.sg. You will need your Singpass app or SMS 2FA to authenticate.
2. Navigate to the Filing Dashboard: Once logged in, click on "Individuals" and then "File Income Tax Return".
3. Verify Pre-filled Employment Income: Your Form IR8A details (salary, bonuses) should be pre-filled if your employer is in the AIS. Cross-check these figures against your final payslips or the IR8A form provided by your HR department. Do not blindly assume the numbers are perfect; human data-entry errors do occur on the employer's end.
4. Declare Additional Income (Trade, Rental, etc.): This is where you input any net rental income from properties, income from self-employment (as a freelancer, private hire driver, or gig worker), or other taxable gains. Be meticulous and ensure you have the receipts or ledger to back up your declarations.
5. Optimize and Claim Tax Reliefs: This is your opportunity to legally lower your tax burden. Ensure you are claiming all eligible reliefs:
   • Earned Income Relief: Automatically granted based on age.
   • CPF Cash Top-up Relief: Up to $8,000 for yourself and $8,000 for family members.
   • Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS): Claim dollar-for-dollar relief on contributions made to your SRS account before Dec 31 of the previous year.
   • Qualifying Child Relief (QCR) / Working Mother's Child Relief (WMCR): Essential for parents.
6. Final Review and Submission: After inputting all data, the portal will generate a consolidated statement. Review it carefully. Once you click "Submit," save the digital acknowledgment receipt (PDF) for your records.

4. Deciphering Your Notice of Assessment (NOA)

Between late April and September, IRAS will issue your Notice of Assessment (NOA). This is your official, final tax bill for the year. You will receive an SMS or email notification when it is ready to be viewed on the myTax Portal.

When you receive your NOA, do not immediately proceed to payment without reviewing it. Take 5 minutes to check:

• Is the Assessable Income correct?
• Have all your claimed reliefs and deductions been applied?
• Is the final tax payable accurately calculated based on the progressive tax tiers?

Filing an Objection

If you spot a discrepancy or believe you have been over-assessed, you have exactly 30 days from the date of the NOA to file a "Notice of Objection." This can be done electronically via the myTax Portal under the "Object to Assessment" section.

Crucial Note: Filing an objection does not grant you a payment extension. You must still pay the assessed tax within 30 days to avoid late payment penalties. If your objection is successful, IRAS will refund the excess amount.

5. GIRO, PayNow, & Credit Card Options

Singapore offers an impressive array of payment methods to settle your tax liabilities, catering to different financial preferences, from automation to credit card reward optimization.

Estimate your upcoming tax liability beforehand to better manage your cash flow using our comprehensive Singapore Personal Tax Calculator.

6. What to Do If You Make a Filing Mistake?

Anxiety over making a mistake on your tax return is a universal pain point. What if you forgot to declare your freelance income? What if you claimed a relief you weren't entitled to?

IRAS operates on a principle of encouraging voluntary compliance. If you realize you've made an error after submitting your return, do not panic. Under the IRAS Voluntary Disclosure Programme (VDP), taxpayers who voluntarily come forward to correct errors or omissions in a timely manner may benefit from reduced penalties, or in some minor cases, have penalties waived entirely.

• If you haven't received your NOA yet: Log back into myTax Portal and use the "Re-file" option to submit a fresh return. This will override your previous submission. (Note: Re-filing is only allowed once, so be extremely careful).
• If you have already received your NOA: You must file an objection online and provide the correct figures along with supporting documentary evidence.

Transparency is key. The cost of admitting a mistake voluntarily is drastically lower than the severe penalties associated with tax evasion if IRAS uncovers the discrepancy during an audit.

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)