The Inland Revenue Authority
of Singapore (IRAS) is a fiscal
agent of the Government
which assesses, collects and
enforces the payment of taxes
to fund our Government’s
operations. Two IRAS Scholars
share their experiences
in helping to achieve this
mission.
As a statutory board under the Ministry of Finance, IRAS both advises the
Government and represents Singapore on the international stage in tax-related
affairs that ensure essential nation-building and economic development.
Within the progressive tax system in Singapore, the Individual Income Tax system is
tailored to ensure a fair level of taxation for all Singaporeans, especially for individuals
with more modest income levels.
Janice Lim, IRAS Merit Undergraduate Scholar, sees herself performing a critical role
to help Singaporeans see the importance of complying with their tax obligations as
Senior Tax Ruling Officer in the Individual Income Tax Division.
She reviews existing tax rules and policies to ensure they remain relevant in changing
times, while also working to simplify them and better educate taxpayers on the system.
In addition, she provides clarifications on various tax treatments and advises taxpayers
on how to comply with these rules.
The 25-year-old believes that empathy is key to helping taxpayers comply with their
tax obligations and understand their relevance. She adds, “If taxpayers find our tax
rules unnecessarily complex or obsolete, it’s important to take this valuable feedback
into careful consideration as it would help us to fine-tune for more straightforward and
relevant rules in the future.”
Sparking their interests
Janice admits that before entering Junior College, her understanding of tax was
superficial at best, adding, “I simply knew that taxation was an important policy tool in shaping our economy, but had no knowledge on
how it was administered in practice.
Desiree Sim Wei Yen
IRAS Overseas Undergraduate Scholar
Studied:
Bachelor of Laws, First-Class Honours,
London School of Economics &
Political Science, UK
Studying:
Master of Laws in International Taxation,
New York University, US
“My Economics lessons sparked my curiosity
to learn more about taxes and IRAS’ role in
shaping the economy. The fruitful interactions
I was privileged to have with IRAS’ HR officers
was the defining factor in applying for the
IRAS Merit Undergraduate Scholarship (on
the BrightSparks portal) as I gained first-hand
information and insights about IRAS.
“To me, IRAS is an excellent choice for a
challenging yet rewarding career – especially
when I consider the prospect of having a
hand in shaping our economic landscape and
influencing our national development.”
Like Janice, 23-year-old Desiree Sim also
gained an appreciation for taxation through
her Economics curriculum. This spurred her
to apply for a five-month internship with IRAS’
Individual Income Tax Division, where she first
learnt about the IRAS Overseas Undergraduate
Scholarship.
And after she secured a place in a Bachelor
of Laws programme, her fascination with
Economics drove her to apply for the scholarship
as it presented the perfect opportunity for
her to meld her interests in both Law and
Economics. Desiree is now pursuing the Master
of International Taxation at New York University
and is excited to contribute to IRAS’ mission
upon her graduation.
Investing in its people
IRAS provides both Janice and Desiree
with the best support to help them grow both
personally and professionally. For Janice, a 10-
week internship with IRAS’ Taxpayer Services
Management Unit gave her valuable first-hand
experience on the organisation’s dedication
to providing quality service and self-directed
learning.
Janice appreciates how working on cross-divisional
projects has trained her to appreciate
and adapt to diverse business considerations,
and be more empathetic towards different
stakeholders' interests. These form an aspect
of critical project management skills.
On Desiree's part, she is thankful for being
able to meet an understanding and efficient HR
officer from IRAS while doing a thesis on the
evolution of Singapore’s international tax policy
in her final year of studies in the UK.
This encounter still resonates deeply with
her. Desiree elaborates, “Literature on pre-independence
Singapore was limited and I
sent the HR officer an emergency ‘SOS’ email
to request for a recent IRAS publication (in
commemoration of its 60-year anniversary
administering tax in Singapore). Much to my
gratitude, she managed to secure a copy in an
instant and send it via express mail within a
week!”
Desiree also worked on a policy paper during
her second year of undergraduate studies that
opened her eyes to the rigour and extensiveness
of formulating policies, and this gave her
valuable insights that will give her a stronger
foothold in her future career responsibilities.
Janice Lim Wei Jie
IRAS Merit Undergraduate Scholar
Designation:
Senior Tax Ruling Officer
(Individual Income Tax Division)
Studied:
Bachelor of Business Administration,
First-Class Honours,
National University of Singapore
"To me, IRAS is an excellent choice for a
challenging yet rewarding career – especially
when I consider the prospect of having a
hand in shaping our economic landscape and
influencing our national development."
The IRAS family
In addition to the learning opportunities, both
scholars also greatly benefit from the guidance
and wisdom of their mentors as part of IRAS’
scholarship mentorship programme.
In fact, IRAS staff fondly refers to the
community as the 'IRAS Family'. This title has
lived up to its meaning on multiple occasions
– Janice and Desiree both speak glowingly on
the warm working environment at IRAS where
everyone encourages one another to grow and
the staff-bonding activities that have forged
meaningful friendships for both ladies and their
co-workers.
IRAS also organises community-based
activities and Janice has had a role in organising
many as a member of the Inland Revenue
Recreation Club’s committee. She tells us, “I
was certainly privileged to work with different
beneficiaries from all walks of life. There were
many fond memories created and the most
heart-warming moment was watching our
activities bring huge smiles to our beneficiaries'
faces!”
Desiree is certainly thrilled to be joining
Janice as the latest member of this dynamic
family in the near future. She shares, “There
definitely isn’t a more apt label than 'IRAS
Family' to describe the familial feel of the
environment at IRAS!
For those looking to join the IRAS Family, be
sincere and frank about your intentions and
expectations of the IRAS scholarship. It will help
you grow beyond your expectations if you keep
an open-mind and if you want a part in building
our economy and our nation!”
Janice agrees, adding, “Read up to get an
understanding of IRAS (its values, functions and
what a career there entails) and what you can
offer the organisation. The IRAS scholarship
should not solely be seen as a source of
financial support for academic pursuit, but
rather as a gateway to a rewarding career!”