Dr Alois Daton

IRC clarifies GST confusion

Dr Daton said effective from 1st January 2019, suppliers to resource companies will now charge GST to resource companies who will claim GST input credits in their monthly returns.

“In other words, ‘zero rating’, which previously applied to resource company suppliers has been removed from the GST Act in the 2019 Budget due to abuse of its application.

“Also on GST, provisions in the GST Act which allowed educational institutions to claim GST credits was repealed in the 2018 Budget effective from 1st January 2018.

Commission on major changes to tax legislation

IRC made this known following the announcement of a successful 2018 tax collection target.

The first major change that taxpayers should expect is the widening of the tax-free threshold and first-tier threshold for marginal income tax for individuals.

The Internal Revenue Commission has clarified that the legislative change reduces income tax burden on every individual in Papua New Guinea.

IRC corrects article on staff’s termination

Though the newspaper article stated that 28 people were removed over their alleged involvement in a loan racket, IRC corrected that only 23 of their staff were disciplined and terminated.

Commissioner of Tax, Dr Alois Daton, says the IRC is PNG’s largest revenue collector hence they expect their staff to be honest and conduct themselves professionally at all times.

“IRC we are very strict about how people operate in this organisation,” said Dr Daton.

IRC exceeds 2018 target

K7.9 billion was the 2018 budget target for the Internal Revenue Commission, or IRC.  

The Commissioner of Tax, Dr Alois Daton, said the IRC successfully collected and transferred K8 billion to the Waigani Public Account last year.

The total figure is 8.4 percent higher than government projections at the time of budget 2018, and 5.2 percent higher than government’s revised projections in the Mid-Year Economic Fiscal Outlook.

“In terms of corporate income tax, we brought in K1.7 billion and that is 8 percent above 2017 collections,” outlined Dr Daton.

Palaso is Ambassador to Philippines

Commissioner General Ms Palaso will be taking up her new post as PNG Ambassador to the Philippines.

Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, Charles Abel expressed his gratitude on behalf of the government to the outgoing Commissioner General of Internal Revenue Commission, Betty Palaso.

Palaso has had 10 years of dedicated service to the country, which saw a lot of reforms to the Internal Revenue Commission.

One of those includes the separation of IRC from Customs and becoming an authority which could allow for the recruitment of more officers.