Gahment takes too much and gives little
Last year when I left my ex-employer, the company owed me 3 months salary. Now, 6 months on, I have yet to see any of that monies. I have approached my MP to see help. Few of you may know, the Singapore Manpower Act does not provide recourse for those who earns more than $2500 per month. For these people, they would have to get their own lawyer to sue their company for the salaries owed. Basically the government (Manpower Ministry) will not help to pursue the unpaid dues from the employer on behalf of the employee. This is empowerment for the employers to NOT have to worry about NOT paying their workers!
This year, April, come the tax filing season. IRAS is telling me that I need to pay taxes for those unpaid salaries as well. The friendly helpdesk at IRAS says that I can seek Manpower Ministry help to get back those unpaid salaries. It comes back to a full circle indeed.
On one hand, the Manpower Ministry does not help to recover the unpaid salaries, on the other, the government wants you to pay TAX on what I don’t get. What a ridiculous scenario.
Fortunately, the CPF board did manage to recover the outstanding CPF contributions from the company. However, as many of us know, CPF monies aren’t our money. The government keeps it from us till we are too old to use it.
Update: I have emailed IRAS to ask for re-assessment of my income taxable and IRAS has agreed. For those in the same dire straits as me, you should seek the errant company to state the amount of unpaid salary and send it to IRAS. Tell IRAS that you do not expect the company to pay you and that you do not have the necessary means to sue to get back those monies.
