The government released an Exemption Order (the Order) on 10 April 2017 providing a temporarily reduction in corporate income tax rates based on incremental taxable income compared to the preceding year of assessment.Ā The āIncome Tax (Exemption) (No. 2) Order 2017ā has effect for the year of assessment 2017 and year of assessment 2018.
The order applies to a qualifying person whoseĀ businessĀ hasĀ beenĀ inĀ operationĀ forĀ notĀ lessĀ thanĀ twentyĀ four months. Also applies to a qualifying person who has chargeable income from a source consisting of a business in the basisĀ period Ā forĀ aĀ yearĀ ofĀ assessmentĀ andĀ theĀ yearĀ ofĀ assessment immediatelyĀ precedingĀ thatĀ yearĀ ofĀ assessmentĀ andĀ hasĀ madeĀ upĀ its account for a period of twelve months ending on the same date for each of those years of assessment.
The Order will not apply in certain cases including a company claiming the reinvestment allowance tax incentive, incentives under the Promotion of Investments Act 1986, or a group relief.
The reduction in the corporate income tax rates would apply as follows:
Percentage of increase in taxable income from previousĀ YAs |
Percentage point in tax rate reduction (%) |
Tax rate on incremental taxable income (%) |
5% – 9.99% |
1 | 23 |
10% – 14.99% |
2 |
22 |
15% – 19.99% |
3 |
21 |
Over 20% | 4 |
20 |