The General Department of Taxation (GDT) has advised taxpayers and tax service agencies located in lockdown-restricted areas to electronically file income tax returns and avoid the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus.
Medium- and large-category taxpayers can submit monthly tax returns via the online tax filing management system (E-Filing) and make tax payments through E-Payment, the GDT said in an April 17 announcement. Small-category taxpayers can complete and submit monthly tax returns through the GDT Tax Prefiling App and arrange for taxes to be paid automatically.
Taxpayers unable to use the E-Filing or GDT Tax Prefiling App can file returns manually and pay taxes through E-Payment and upload scans of returns and receipts through E-Document via tax.gov.kh/km/e-service, according to the GDT.
Taxpayers authorised to do business during lockdown or those located in non-restricted areas will be given until April 27 to file their March returns and pay their taxes, it said. And those in restricted areas barred from doing business will have until May 15.
The GDT said it has set up an e-Tax Service support team to solve issues related to filing returns and paying taxes that can be reached by the toll-free number 1277.
Cambodia Chamber of Commerce vice-president Lim Heng told The Post on April 18 that the fallout from the February 20 community transmission is impinging on tax and customs revenue collection, especially after the government locked down Phnom Penh and Kandal province, prompting most factories to close temporarily.
While the latest GDT decision will ease the burden for taxpayers, Heng stressed that tax collection would not go smoothly and revenue would inevitably see a fair reduction.
"The impact on tax revenue this year also depends on the duration of the restrictive measures. If the Covid-19 epidemic ends soon, the ramifications won’t be as huge," he said.
