Malaysia

PM Anwar confirmed GST will not be re-introduced Malaysia historically adopted the Goods and Services Tax system, which was then replaced by the Sales and Service Tax in 2018. Government ministers and private industries are discussing re-introducing the Goods and Services Tax system, arguing that it is the most effective way to replenish the economy. Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the former prime minister, also backed this proposal.  However, the table has turned, since the new PM Anwar Ibrahim took office in November 2022. According to PM Anwar, GST will not be reintroduced, instead, the government will be looking to reduce subsidies for the wealthy as a measure to increase the country's revenue. 

Adopting PEPPOL for mandatory e-invoicing As stated in the 2023 Pre-Budget statement, the Malaysian Ministry of Finance confirmed to implement e-invoicing as a means of increasing tax revenues and enhancing tax administration. Recently, the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Malaysian Inland Revenue Board (HASiL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a sign of strategic collaboration for the implementation of the National eInvoice Initiative. The National e-Invoicing Initiative will adopt the PEPPOL framework as its e-invoicing structure. It is anticipated that a "Continuous Transaction Control (CTC)" model will also be introduced following e-invoicing adoption to enable real-time tax control. A tentative timeline has been set for Q3 2023, but this is yet to be confirmed.  

Postponement of sales tax on low value goods imported to Malaysia Malaysian Sales Tax Bill 2022, which imposes sales tax on low value goods (RM500) sold online and imported into Malaysia was passed and scheduled to come into effect in January 2023. However, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department has announced that the implementation date of the sales tax for low-value goods will be postponed by three months, to 1 April 2023.

Impose Sales Tax on imports of low value goods The Malaysian parliament has passed the Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill 2022, which introduces the taxation of low value goods sold online and imported to into Malaysia.   Currently, taxes are not imposed on imports of low-value goods (RM500). It results in an unfair treatment of local traders since local produced goods are subject to sales taxes.  As of 1 Jan 2023, 10% of SST (Sales and Service Tax) will apply to low valued goods (LVG) sold online and imported into Malaysia by vendors based in or outside of Malaysia. The Minister of Finance will determine low-value goods based on the class and price of goods, and the channel used to import the goods into Malaysia.  

Looking to implement e-invoicing gradually in 2023 According to the 2023 Pre-Budget statement, the Malaysian Ministry of Finance intends to implement e-invoicing as a means of increasing tax revenue and digitalizing tax administration in the country. The e-invoicing initiative will also support the use of the TIN (Tax Identification Number) in Malaysia, which will be implemented in 2022. The Statement points out that e-invoicing will be introduced in stages from 2023. However, no specific timeline has been mentioned. We are closely monitoring the developments in Malaysia and will continue to keep our customers informed.

Planning to reintroduce GST to replace SST The Malaysian government implemented GST in 2015, replacing the existing SST system, as part of its tax reform program to enhance the capability, effectiveness and transparency of tax administration and management. GST was, however, abolished in 2018 when the Pakatan Harapan government took over the reins, due to the public widely views GST as having contributed to a spike in living costs. The country has since returned to the SST system. In a recent interview, current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob revealed the intention to reintroduce GST as the country has lost RM 20 billion (Est 4.5 billion $) in revenues when the GST was abolished and replaced with the old SST. he explained that the government is aware of the perception of GST however has limited options for replenishing the country’s coffers. The Prime Minister reassured the nation that the GST reintroduction would be handled carefully. The government will aim for a GST rate that is not so high as to burden the people, nor too low that it “defeats the purpose of expanding tax revenue”, and to formulate ways to educate the public on the importance of GST and transparent tax collection.