Companies, traders need to submit GST 03 tax returns for now

ALOR SETAR: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department says traders who have registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system need to submit their GST 03 statements or tax returns even though the GST has been zero-rated since June 1.

Kedah Customs director Datuk Johari Alifiah said a number of companies and traders had not done so probably because of some confusion over whether the tax return should necessarily be submitted, now that GST is zero-rated.

“Companies and traders need to submit the GST-03 statement as it is still effective until the Sales and Services Tax (SST) is enforced in September,” he told reporters here today.

He said about 15,000 traders in Kedah were registered in the GST system, where 95 per cent had submitted their GST-03 returns.

Earlier, Indian Community Affairs, Unity, Consumerism and Cooperative Affairs Committee chairman R Summugam launched a ‘Festive Season Price Control’ event at Pasar Besar Alor Setar.

Meanwhile, the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) Kedah director Mohamad Fitri Hassan said 18 complaints had been received and one notice issued, under Section 21 of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, since the implementation of the zero-rated GST on June 1.

“We inspected 789 premises throughout Kedah involving 23,670 goods. Eleven of the complaints were about unchanged prices despite the zero-rated GST, and two misunderstandings between traders and customers over the new rate.

“The remaining cases involved price increase and confusion over products that are GST-free such as vegetables and fruits,” he said.