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MATTA releases GST tax guide for agents
The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has rolled out a guide to implementing the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the travel industry.
The Navigator for Travel Industry manual is targeted at tour and travel agents to help explain the numerous different rates of taxation.
"Travel agents find the adoption process very challenging because each product – ranging from outbound tours to domestic flight tickets to international cruises – are given different GST treatment," said MATTA president Hamzah Rahmat.
The 229-page manual has been created by MATTA inbound vice-president Datuk Tan Kok Liang and a team of accountants specifically for tourism businesses.
"Tan realised that what was needed was a detailed and hands-on presentation specifically for the tourism industry, rather than just relying on the overview provided by the Customs Department," said Hamzah.
"MATTA will continue working with Malaysia Royal Customs to ensure that the requirements of the GST are translated into a process that can be easily understood so that our members can submit proper reports," he added.
"MATTA is the first association to come up with a GST manual. We hope other industries will follow. We need cooperation from the private sector to help ease the teething problems faced in implementing the GST," said Customs Department GST director Datuk T. Subromaniam.
The GST was implemented last month for travel goods and services and involve a complex set of rules for the industry.
Products which are standard rated, zero rated and tax exempt can be grouped in a single tour package, MATTA said.
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