Malaysia drops High Value Goods Tax, leans on expanded SST instead

Borneo Post

5 days ago

Amir Hamzah says the principle of HVGT has been embedded into the revised sales tax system, where luxury and discretionary items are now taxed at higher rates of 5 or 10 per cent. – Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR (July 30): The government has decided not to proceed with implementing the High Value Goods Tax (HVGT), Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said in a written parliamentary reply yesterday.
In a written parliamentary reply to Jempol MP Datuk Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli, he said the principle of HVGT has been embedded into the revised sales tax system, where luxury and discretionary items are now taxed at higher rates of 5 or 10 per cent
The government expects to collect RM5 billion in additional revenue this year from the July 1 expansion of the Sales and Service Tax (SST), with the amount projected to double to RM10 billion in 2026, he explained.
Amir Hamzah added that the targeted diesel subsidy programme is saving the government up to RM600 million a month.
The Low Value Goods (LVG) tax, which came into effect on January 1 2024, generated around RM500 million in revenue this year.
Meanwhile, the Service Tax on Digital Services (SToDS) brought in RM1.6 billion in 2024, after being imposed since January 2020.
The Capital Gains Tax (CGT), effective from March 1, 2024, is estimated to yield RM800 million annually, although the final amount will only be known after corporate taxpayers file their returns.
Amir Hamzah clarified that the government has no plans to introduce a separate digital goods tax, as digital services are already taxed under the existing service tax framework. Amir Hamzah Azizan high-value goods tax