2009 Schedular Tax Deductions / Potongan Cukai Berjadual

There are some amendments to the Malaysian Schedular Tax Deduction (STD) or Potongan Cukai Berjadual (PCB) rules in 2009.

  • New schedule of montly tax deductions Employees are now allowed to claim rebates for personal relief every month
  • Changes to the STD calculation formula
  • Reduced minimum monthly deductios
  • Inclusion of Benefit-in-kind (BIK) and Value of Living Accommodation (NTK) as part of remuneration
  • Changes in additional renumeration formula

What does this all mean to employees and employers in Malaysia?

For Employees

  1. Higher amount of PCB deduction compared to 2008. Reasons :-
    a) In 2008, a 20% discount was given for monthly PCB. This resulted in many employees having to pay the balance when they submit their tax forms.
    b) In 2008, the PCB was calculated at the lower end of the range of salary, in 2009, it is calculated at the mid-range. For example, if your salary is between RM2,700 – RM2,750, in 2008, PCB was calculated as if your salary was RM2,700. In 2009, PCB is calculated as if your salary is RM2,725.
  2. Employees can ask employers to deduct less PCB or more PCB by submitting Borang TP1 (less deduction) or TP2 (more deduction). Employees who has additional tax deductions and rebates allowed by the Income Tax Act can submit Borang TP1 to their employers. These dedcutions and rebates are listed in Additional Tax Deductions Available for Individuals.
  3. Employers has final say whether to approve or reject the requests of Borang TP1 or TP2.

For Employers

  1. New PCB tables to follow.
  2. Old PCB tables can still be used up to Match 2009.
  3. Can accept or reject Borang TP1 or TP2 requested by employees. Borang TP1 need not be accompanied by any official receipts but employers who accept to reduce the PCB deductions based on TP1 must keep the Borang TP1 for 7 years for audit purposes. The employees have to justify the reduction request themselves during an audit.
  4. In the month of bonus or any additional salary payment, employers have to recalculate every employee’s PCB using the PCB calculator available in the IRB’s website to determine the amount of PCB to deduct. This is a very time consuming process and even the IRB officers have admitted that this is not practical. The only way out is to buy a software that already has this feature incorporated in (eg. UBS Payroll software). Alternatively, employers have to wait for IRB’s own in-house developed software called e-PCB to be releassed. No date has been fixed for the release as it is being tested by 30 ‘chosen’ employers to get feedback.

The reason for this change is mainly to try to have the PCB deductions as close to the final tax as possible so that it can reduce the IRB's work in refunding over-payments.

This will not work because it is nearly impossible for the PCB deductions to add up to the exact final tax of anyone. If there is over-payment, the IRB will still have to refund taxpayers. If there is under-payment, taxpayers will still have to pay uo when filing their tax returns. The amount may be smaller but the work is still the same.

10 comments:

  1. When you say Old PCB tables can still be used up to March 2009, does that mean new STD table will only be applicable April 2009 salary?

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  2. The new table is applicable from Jan 09. The IRB gave a transitional period of 3 months for companies to make changes to their softwares. From Aor 09, all companies have to use the new STD tabale.

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  3. Considering my company only got our payroll software update in March, our Jan and Feb STD is based on the old table. Do we have to notify IRB or re-submit?

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  4. You don't have to re-submit. What is paid in Jan and Feb need not be revised. Even if you use the old PCB table for Mar 09 salaries it's still okay. Just make sure that you do not use the old table for Apr 09's PCB.

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  5. Noted. Thanks so much for the clarification.

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  6. I'm providing Director Fee on Y/A 2008 and paid on March 2009. When should I pay my PCB?

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  7. Dear Anonymous,

    The PCB for Directors Fees should be paid in the same month the Directors Fees are paid.

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  8. This question refers to EA form from Employer. If bonus for 2009 was received in Jan 2010, should the bonus be included in EA for y/e 2009 ? If so, should PCB for this bonus also be in EA for y/e 2009 ?

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  9. If bonus is received in 2010, then it is only reported in 2010's form EA (i.e. next year). The PCB is calculated in the month it is paid, not when it is provided.

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  10. HOW IS THE CALCULATION OF PCB FOR DIRECTOR FEE PROVIDE ON 2009 BUT PAID IN AUG'2010? IS IT SAME AS THE BONUS CALCULATION?

    THANK YOU.

    Dear

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