Malaysia sweetens tax incentives for companies to set up hubs
[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia said on Tuesday it would expand tax incentives for companies that use the country as a base for conducting their regional or global business.
Effective this year, companies eligible for the government's Principal Hub (PH) incentive will be able to enjoy a 10 per cent tax rate for their operations instead of the wider corporate tax rate of 24 per cent, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) said.
Earlier companies eligible for the PH incentive could opt for the 10 per cent tax rate only on income over and above the money they made the year before joining the programme, according to a MIDA official.
Companies that have yet to establish a presence in Malaysia can apply for tax rates of 0 per cent and 5 per cent for 10 years based on their investments and job-creation commitments. Previously the tax rates for such companies were 0 per cent, 5 per cent and 10 per cent.
"This enhancement of the PH tax incentive is timely as Malaysia continues to innovate its policies and strategies to attract investments so that the country will be strongly integrated into the region as well as other markets," MIDA said in a statement.
"The review aims to make Malaysia competitive with other countries in the region as the optimal headquarters hub in Asia Pacific."
It said the PH incentive, first introduced in 2015, had helped Malaysia attract local and multinational companies to establish their hubs in the country.
Along with Vietnam and Thailand, Malaysia has been one of the main beneficiaries of companies trying to move some of their production out of China to escape higher US tariffs.
REUTERS
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
International
H5N1 strain of bird flu found in milk: WHO
China moves to boost foreign investment in domestic tech companies
Xi orders China’s biggest military reorganisation since 2015
Warner Bros CEO earned US$49.7 million in strike-impacted year
Teheran signals no retaliation against Israel after drones attack Iran
India central bank cannot let its inflation guard down just yet, MPC minutes show