Cukai korporat kekal

ARKIB : 21/10/2011

PETALING JAYA 20 Okt. - Walaupun cukai korporat global secara purata turun kepada 22.96 peratus tahun lepas daripada 29.03 peratus pada 2000, Malaysia dijangka mengekalkan kadar semasa sehingga pengenalan cukai barangan dan perkhidmatan (GST) yang bakal dilaksana.

Sejak 2009, kadar cukai korporat Malaysia berada pada paras 25 peratus.

Ketua Cukai KPMG Malaysia Khoo Chin Guan berkata, berdasarkan kaji selidik tahun ini, penurunan cukai langsung dan kenaikan cukai tidak langsung menjadi pendekatan yang digunakan untuk meningkatkan hasil di arena global.

"Kerajaan meningkatkan pergantungan mereka terhadap sistem GST/VAT (cukai nilai tambah) atas sebab-sebab ekonomi yang kukuh," katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Chin Guan berkata, berbanding cukai pendapatan, kutipan GST atau VAT kurang terjejas teruk oleh keadaan tidak menentu ekonomi dan kutipan masa sebenar mereka menyediakan aliran pendapatan yang stabil.

Bagaimanapun, kerajaan Malaysia masih mengkaji kesan ke atas perniagaan dan rakyat untuk memperkenalkan GST ke dalam ekonomi, kata beliau.

Tinjauan Tahunan Cukai Tidak Langsung dan Korporat KPMG International mendapati kadar purata cukai korporat dunia jatuh sejak 11 tahun lalu, daripada 29.03 peratus pada 2000 kepada 22.96 peratus pada 2011.

Katanya, kadar purata cukai korporat di rantau Asia Pasifik merosot kepada 22.78 peratus pada 2011 berbanding 23.96 peratus pada 2010.

Latin Amerika pula 25.06 peratus pada 2011 berbanding 25.33 setahun sebelumnya manakala Amerika Utara kepada 22.77 peratus pada tahun ini berbanding 23.67 pada tahun lalu.

Bagaimanapun, Eropah menjadi satu-satunya rantau yang meningkat daripada 19.98 peratus pada 2010 kepada 20.12 pada 2011 tetapi rantau Afrika kekal.

Kadar cukai purata tidak langsung di global adalah stabil sekitar atau menghampir kadar purata 2011 iaitu 15.41 peratus sejak tiga tahun lalu.

''Kecuali negara-negara yang tidak mengenakan GST dan VAT, kami mendapati kadar purata di Asia berkembang kepada 11.73 peratus pada 2011 berbanding 11.64 peratus.

''Rantau Afrika pula menyaksikan kadar purata GST/VAT daripada 13.91 peratus pada 2010 kepada 14.17 peratus pada 2011,'' tambahnya.

Kadar purata VAT di Eropah meningkat sedikit kepada 19.71 peratus pada 2010 berbanding 19.67 peratus pada 2010.

Sama ada kejatuhan cukai langsung dan kenaikan cukai tidak langsung akan menjadiarah hala berterusan atau sementara, Chin Guan berkata, penurunan cukai langsung dan sebaliknya telah menjadi pendekatan yang dilaksanakan untuk meningkatkan pendapatan di arena global.

Jelasnya, keseimbangan semula cukai korporat global dan cukai tidak langsung dijangka berterusan.

''Perniagaan-perniagaan antarabangsa perlu memastikan mereka mempunyai keseimbangan yang betul dalam sumber pengurusan GST/VAT dan pendapatan cukai untuk pertumbuhan stabil jangka panjang,'' katanya.

Beliau menambah, kadar cukai itu dijangka terus menurun berdasarkan keputusan semasa.

Bagaimanapun, beliau berpendapat Malaysia masih mengekalkan cukai pendapatan korporat 25 peratus sejak 2009 sehingga bersedia memperkenalkan GST.

''Kerajaan-kerajaan meningkatkan kebergantungan kepada sistem GST/VAT sebagai alasan pengukuhan ekonomi.

Artikel Penuh: http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=1021&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Ekonomi&pg=ek_05.htm#ixzz2WcxiWRVF
© Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd 

Ernst & Young indicates GST on its way

by Justin Yap. Posted on October 19, 2011, Wednesday

PREPARATION FOR TAX AUDIT: (From left) Lee, Ng, Yoon and Koh
during the Ernst & Young 2012 Budget seminar held at Riverside Majestic Hotel here.

KUCHING: Goods and services tax (GST) should not be brushed aside simply because it was not mentioned in the recently-tabled Budget 2012 announcement, said Ernst and Young Tax Consultants Sdn Bhd (Ernst & Young) director Koh Siok Kiat.

He was speaking at the sideline of the ‘Ernst & Young 2012 Budget’ seminar held at a local hotel here yesterday. The annual event was specially organised for Ernst & Young’s clients with the hope of keeping them abreast of changes proposed in Budget 2012.

“In fact, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak himself has announced that it will be implemented after our general election,” he added.

“In the long run there has to be a wider tax base to generate the necessary income to reduce the budget deficit.”

Koh further pointed out that the tax burden should be shared by all and not confined to only a small percentage of population, who are currently paying more income taxes, financing all the development activities of the country.

Therefore, even though there was no mention of GST in the budget this time around, all indications had shown that it was on its way, Koh hinted.

“Get ready now and carry out a thorough assessment of your systems and procedures while you can afford the time.

“GST can be a rather complex tax and a thorough assessments is the way to go in order to avoid any GST nightmares in the future,” he advised.

On the other hand, many regarded the Budget 2012 as ‘expansionary’ in tough times.

“The lower income group have reasons to rejoice for this,” said Ernst & Young East Malaysia head Yong Voon Kar, to which he viewed the once-off payment of RM500 to households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below as benefitting more than half of all households in Malaysia.

Ernst & Young executive director Azhar Lee, meanwhile, pointed out, “Much to our delight, there is no new tax and no increase in existing taxes except for the small increase in real-property gain tax (RPGT) from five per cent to 10 per cent for gains from sale of property within two years.

“However, what this means is that the government would have to generate more income from its existing tax systems both direct and indirectly,” Azhar said.

“The government would need more income to continue providing more of everything – more infrastructure development, more efficient services, more jobs and more financial assistant.”

Hence, he said, “Get your tax affairs in order and be prepared for tougher enforcement measures and Inland Revenue Board (IRB) audit. This brings us to the importance of always keeping sufficient records and documentations.”

According to the IRB, many audit resulting in additional taxes and penalties were due to lack of

documentation to prove the authencity of claims for deductions and incentives.

“Whenever there is a doubt, IRB will make the necessary adjustments to disallow the claims for deductions or incentives and issues ‘best judgement’ assessments which may be difficult to dispute simply because of the lack of documentary evidence to prove otherwise,” explained Lee.

He further pointed out that another area of increasing concern for IRB was the transfer pricing that often resulted in tax leakage.

“Transfer pricing issues may not just concern multinationals. Local corporations are equally targeted. Without transfer pricing documentations in place, transfer pricing audits could possibly be another source of income for the IRB.”

Another speaker, Ernst & Young director Ng Siaw Wei added that one quick avenue for IRB to increase its coffers was to impose stiffer penalties.

“Indeed, the IRB has done so recently without giving any advance notice. With effect from this October 1, penalties for late submission of tax return have been increased, ranging from 20 per cent to 35 per cent, depending on how late the tax returns are submitted after the deadline.”

IRB had also been provided with greater powers in the Budget 2012 to call for information, having access to computerised data and generally to collect tax faster without issuing any assessment.

Apart from that, Ernst & Young director Robert Yoon, during the budget seminar also spoke about the many targeted initiatives proposed in the budget especially with regards to innovation, education, talent, financial services and franchise fee as well as hybrid cars amongst others.

“All of these are welcome and in the right direction as they are all intended to propel our nation to a high income economy in one way or another,” he said.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/10/19/ernst-young-indicates-gst-on-its-way/#ixzz2dPmXaL00