YOURSAY | ‘Indeed, individuals do not enjoy exemption of so-called donations.’

Taxman to review Najib's RM2.6 billion

Vijay47: The real irony is that this sudden zeal to revisit the RM2.6 billion donation scandal brings more condemnation of the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) than appreciation.

When the issue first broke, IRB almost cavalierly decreed that since the amount was a donation, it was not liable to tax. It did not even bother to refer to the Income Tax Act to offer some technical justification for its decision.

There was no attempt at all to go beyond the statement of the taxpayer concerned to verify the accuracy and truthfulness of what then PM Najib Razak alleged, a generosity not usually extended to mere mortals.

In my many previous comments on this matter, my position was simple - individuals do not enjoy exemption of so-called donations they supposedly receive, only charitable institutions and organisations do.

What makes the position worse now is that IRB seems more guided by who the government is rather the cold application of the Act.

I will add two points. Investigate all present and former members of parliament and state assemblypersons, you will unearth troves of treasure never imagined.

Second, Najib should be charged not under Section 113 but Section 114 with possible imprisonment – his sustained falsehood carries all the necessary hallmarks of wilful tax evasion.

And just for the record, the IRB chief executive officer who played the role of the former prime minister’s Santa Claus is not the present one, Sabin Samitah (He was Mohd Shukor Mahfar)

Sunshine: One is left wandering with anger when comparing the general resolute manner in which the IRB pursues (rightly so) ordinary Malaysians for their dues and what is obviously a pointedly lax attitude shown towards the former PM over billions of ringgit.

Especially considering that the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) findings and other documentary evidence unearthed should have got the IRB frantically on their toes in pursuit of its interests on the matter.

There is justification of the public outcry about favouritism and bias in favour of those in power. Needless to say, the IRB as a civil service has lost much esteem in this matter.

Thanks to PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, there will be some serious and objective action at last. Good on you, Sir.

Susahkes: Mr Taxman, the IRB should also be subject to investigations, similar to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), or various individuals complicit in the 1MDB fiasco.

When the issue was originally raised, I recall the IRB then vouching and declaring the RM2.6 billion as properly accounted for. So, what sort of evidence did the IRB sight to declare "the amount received was found to be a donation payment and voluntary in nature and as such has no income characteristics"?

As we know, the burden of proof is on the taxpayer to state their case. In as much as the IRB penalises taxpayers who are unable to back their assertion or innocence by producing documentary evidence, then we'd like to know just how did IRB miss this one, while the rest of the world clearly saw it otherwise?

Someone must answer.

KerbauMalaya: I made a mistake of adding my children’s medical insurance for tax relief and was punished severely with double tax penalties and delay penalties despite my written appeals and also my 10 instalments payment appeal was rejected (after the second monthly instalment payment) and I was blacklisted (banned from leaving the country) until the full payment was made and thereafter, another late payment penalty for the unapproved instalment - that’s IRB for us, the taxpayers who pay religiously.

Puzzling: The IRB has been inflicting so much pain on honest taxpayers over the past few years by fining them significant sums incommensurate to the so-called "offences".

I hope the new government will look into the unethical practices of the IRB and return the hefty fines forcibly taken from the tax-paying public.

4 Wheel Drive: In a recent interview, IRB CEO Sabin Samitah was quoted that in 2017, RM127 billion was the tax collection target.

This figure represented 10 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product). For 2018, he aspires to collect 14 percent of this year's GDP.

Now with a change of government, he has a chance to reach that figure, simply by taxing the RM2.6 billion "donation".

JD Lovrenciear: The rope is burning on both ends for all those who are guilty of theft, omissions and commissions.

Soon all assets, from cars to buildings to land including seeming gifts of opulent brands, will have to be accounted for as the dragnet goes for a complete haul.

MACC seeks to arrest Jho Low, Nik Faisal, Shahrol

Worried Sick: If Najib and BN had won the election, the country would become a basket case within two years.

We would be going hat in hand to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for survival and commit ourselves to various humiliations and limitations.

Our parents and pensioners would have to line up in queues outside banks to get a partial withdrawal of their salaries and pensions.

All because of one man (and his cronies) who destroyed our beautiful country.

Anonymous 2476061497844456: The due process required under the rule of law is gaining traction every day. I wonder whether the staffing in MACC adequate with so many upcoming corruption cases.

Dr M, please increase the humanpower for MACC. The rakyat will understand why you need to beef up the commission.

Sarawakian: Can the Malaysian government sue Goldman Sachs over the wrongdoing of its former employees, Tim Leissner and Roger Ng?

Goldman Sachs through its employees is complicit in scramming billions from Malaysians. And in the process made obscene fees in hundreds of millions of dollars.

I am sure the US government is keen to fine Goldman Sachs, some of which should be used to pay off the bonds of poor Malaysians.

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