A Ministry of Finance official wrote to the Forum pages of the Straits Times to say that about ten percent of Work Permit holders pad income tax in 2011. The short letter is given here in full:
Work permit holders, such as domestic helpers, are generally semi-skilled or unskilled (‘Provide figures on work permit holders who pay income tax’ by Dr Sng Hui Ying; yesterday).
They are unlikely to earn annual incomes above the taxable threshold of $20,000.
Even so, about 10 per cent of work permit holders paid income tax last year.
Lim Bee Khim (Ms)
Director (Corporate Communications)
Ministry of Finance
The letter was published on 27 June 2012.