Customs, ministry to identify traders charging
both SST, GST in May audit
PUTRAJAYA, April 20 — Traders were warned today against
charging customers for both the old Sales and Services
Tax (SST) and the newly-introduced Goods and Services
Tax (GST), which the Customs Department said could be
one reason behind the spike in prices of certain items.
Customs GST director Datuk Subromaniam Tholasy said his
department and the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and
Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) will conduct an audit next
month to identify those who have been double-charging
customers.
He said that Customs and KPDNKK already have a joint
working committee on the matter.
“If they don’t want to claim for SST and continue to
impose it on top of the six per cent GST charge, then I
would like to stress that it is unfair and not
permitted,” he said adding that input tax is claimable
and should no longer be treated as cost.
“They (traders) cannot reason by saying they are
incurring additional cost since they can claim their
SST,” he added. |
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Subromaniam also reminded businesses to collect their
SST refunds from the government and stressed that once
these are collected, the prices of goods must be
readjusted to include the six per cent GST.
The traders, he reiterated, are not permitted to impose
the SST on the goods once they charge for GST.
He said to date, only three companies have claimed their
refunds for the SST from the government, amounting to a
RM93,873 payout.
“Technically, they (traders) have six months to claim
the SST which they have paid for their goods before GST
came into being.
“One of the condition for the claim is that the traders
pay the sales tax of their goods as stated in their
invoice within 60 days of it being issued.
“These may be why the traders are yet to pay and claim
thereafter,” Subromaniam said.
Source:
Malay Mail Online
, dated
20/04/2015 |
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