Taxpayers swarm IRB office for last-minute voluntary declaration

Taxpayers swarmed the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) to declare their income under the Special Programme for Voluntary Disclosure (PKPS), at the very last minute before it ended yesterday.

Bernama's observation at Wangsa Maju IRB branch found the office was full of taxpayers coming for this purpose, even though it was a working day.

“This programme is very good. Of course, for the benefit of the country, we should be paying tax. 

"I only realised today is the last day, so I came here straight away to register and join this programme," Ang Chuan Shing, 39, told Bernama.

An accountant, R N Kumar, 47, who helped one of his clients to register in the PKPS, said taxpayers should know about the importance of declaring their income for the country's development.

"It should be paid... because the money will be used for the development of the country. Most of my clients were the elderly and running a business.

“The problem among Malaysians is that we always wait until the last minute and this would lead to problems, especially when the online registration system is down,” he said.

Civil servant Kamarulzaman Mohd Khamis, 56, opined that a new approach should be taken to inform the public on the registration to declare their income.

“I get the information about today being the last day from my friend who works here. I think most people came today because it is the last day,” he said.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng was reported to have said that the government would not be extending the PKPS program as it had given taxpayers enough time to voluntarily declare their income to the IRB.

Lim previously announced that the IRB’s PKPS which began on Nov 3, 2018, and should have ended on June 30, would be extended until Sept 30 this year following the overwhelming response.

He said starting Oct 1, a penalty of 45 percent would be charged for the failure to submit the income tax return form and for under-declaring taxable income.

- Bernama