6% service tax on prepaid reloads and starter packs

6% service tax on prepaid reloads and starter packs

Published: Thursday September 8, 2011 MYT 1:04:00 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Those buying prepaid reloads and prepaid starter/SIM packs will be charged a 6% service tax from Sept 15.

Prepaid customers would be informed via SMS beginning Thursday about the new service tax, the Malaysian telco industry said in a joint statement here.

Customers can also refer to the respective telcos' websites for details or contact the customer service centres if they have further queries.

The telcos said the service tax is a consumption tax and chargeable to the customer, as provided for in the service tax laws.

The Service Tax Act 1975 requires telecommunication companies to levy service tax at the prevailing rate on telecommunication services, including mobile prepaid services.

This is similar to the service tax levied on food and beverage purchases from restaurants and hotels.

Whilst service tax on prepaids is not new, the telcos have been absorbing it for mobile prepaid services since the introduction in 1998.

The move taken is to ensure mobile prepaid services remain competitive compared to the postpaid, given the high prepaid rates for calls and SMS at its onset.

With prepaid rates progressively reduced over the years, it is currently offered at very competitive rates. “With the six per cent service tax on prepaid services, a customer who purchases a RM10 prepaid reload will need to pay RM10.60, with the 60 sen being the service tax,” the statement said. – Bernama

Terkedu aku baca berita di atas. Benda pertama terlintas di kepala otak aku, ermm pandainyer kerajaan cari duit ek… Aku tak tahu statistic kat Msia ni mcm mana, tp dari apa aku lihat dari kenalan dan keluarga, aku tahu memang ramai yang rajin topup. Kadang tu siap ada sehari RM5.. Kalau sekali topup RM5, kerajaan akan dapat kutip tax sebanyak 30 sen, sebulan? Sepuluh orang? Orang kat Malaysia yang guna prepaid beraper org?

Aku bukan apa. Sebab fokus berita ini adalah untuk starter pack dengan topup. Starter pack, aku boleh terima, tapi setiap kali topup? Siapa yang banyak guna topup ni? Budak-budak sekolah, budak-budak U, atau yang bekerja tapi rasa tak mampu nak guna line macam aku. So aper kejadahnya plak orang-orang begini dikenakan Tax. Tambah plak, aku pakai prepaid sebab aku bukan jenis heavy guna telefon. Tapi kadang terpaksa juga topup sebab nak tambah masa penggunaan. Aku selalu topup RM50, kalau 6%, aku kena tambah lagi RM3 untuk itu.

Teringat aku semasa pembentangan budget sebelum ni. Sedangkan service tax 5% aku cukup berkira, tapi service tak bagus mana, tambah pulak 1% untuk kedai-kedai makanan segera ni. Mujur aku jenis bukan selalu makan kat tempat macam tu. Pada aku, kalau ada cas service, service pun kenalah bagus, walaupun aku tahu duit tu tak masuk kat korang pun, tapi masuk kat kerajaan. Anyway takper la. Aku diam lagi. Kemudian tax pusat kecantikkan dikurangkan.. Ehhhh? Bermacam soalan muncul. Kenapa? Yang pergi banyak orang kaya kan. Takkan tak mampu kot. Ermmm taknak komen banyak kat sini. (dah byk dah pun) .

Aku minta maaf, kalau apa yang aku tulis kat atas ada yang tersilap. Aku tulis dari ingatan aku, dari kefahaman aku. Kalau salah tolong betulkan.. Mungkin pengetahuan aku masih belum cukup, tapi aku sudi belajar kalau aku salah. Ataupun ada salah faham dari apa yang aku baca. Setakat ni berita aku hanya nampak di akhbar The Star Online, yang lain tak ada lagi.. Baca online dari RSS ni bahaya gak, sebab kadang lepas baca, berita tu hilang.