The General Department of Taxation is calling on small and medium-sized enterprise operating in a number of prioritised industries to apply for tax incentives created through a sub-decree last year.
The nation’s tax body issued last month a notification on the implementation of Sub-decree No 124, which set up tax incentives for SMEs in selected industries.
The notification letter, signed by GDT’s general director Kong Vibol, lays out the documents that firms will have to submit to enjoy access to the incentives.
It says that those applying for income tax, prepayment of income tax and minimum tax exemption must present their memorandum and articles of associations, business licenses – including the certificate of commercial registration – certificate of tax registration and patent card, business plan and financial statements, goods and services contracts, employment contracts and employee training plan, as well as rental agreement and property title certificate.
Firms who want to be eligible for tax deductions must submit the memorandum and articles of association, business licenses, business plan and financial statements, goods and services contracts and employee training plan.
The incentives target firms in agro-industry, food production and processing, manufacturing of local products, manufacturing of souvenirs and handicrafts for tourists, waste processing, assembling and IT research and development (including IT management services).
Keo Mom, CEO of LyLy Food Industry, told Khmer Times yesterday that her company is preparing the application.
“We appreciate the government is helping small businesses with these incentives, but lament that we still have to pay VAT and other excises which increase production costs.
“Our costs are high, but we cannot increase our prices because wholesalers and retailers are already working with really small profit margins,” Ms Keo said.
“We call on the government to also eliminate VAT and other excises for firms in agriculture, agro-industry and food production,” she said, adding that eliminating these costs will help them compete with Chinese and Vietnamese food producers.
Producers that are not generating profits due to high production costs often resort to purchasing lower quality raw materials, which results in a worse final product, she warned.
As per the sub-decree, SMEs operating in the prioritised sectors enjoy a 3-year exemption on income tax.
The period of exemption extends to five years if the company meets at least one of the following conditions: at least 60 percent of the raw materials it uses comes from local sources, and it has recently increased the number of employees on its payroll by at least 20 percent.
The sub-decree also makes certain expenses deductible, including computerised accounting or information systems (200 percent), technical and bookkeeping training for staff (200 percent), and machinery and tools that are “innovative and increase productivity” (150 percent).
The same sub-decree defines small enterprises as those firms having an annual turnover of between $62,500 and $175,000, and that have 10 to 50 employees.
Medium enterprises are defined as those with an annual turnover ranging from $175,000 to $1 million, and from 51 to 100 employees. To access the benefits, the companies must be registered as taxpayers, it said.
