Business licence fees may triple

HÀ NỘI (VNS) — The business licence fee for enterprises is likely to double or triple in the coming period, according to a draft decree by the Ministry of Finance.

Under the draft decree, the ministry has proposed four fee levels for businesses.

For instance, businesses with registered capital of between VNĐ10 billion (US$447,828) and under VNĐ100 billion would have to pay a fee of VNĐ5 million per year, while those with over VNĐ100 billion would be regarded as large businesses and would have to pay a business licence fee of VNĐ10 million per year.

Businesses with charter capital of under VNĐ10 billion would pay VNĐ3 million per year.

Business households and individuals with an annual turnover of over VNĐ300 million would have to pay VNĐ1 million per year. Those earning between VNĐ100 million and under VNĐ300 million per year would have to pay VNĐ300,000.

Business households and individuals with an annual turnover of below VNĐ100 million would be exempt from paying this fee.

To encourage fishermen to hold onto their sea-based business, the ministry proposed an exemption for salt-making households, fisheries and aquaculture households and fishery logistics service providers.

If the draft decree is approved by the Prime Minister, it will replace the current business licence tax from January 1, 2017, when the new Law on Charges and Fees takes effect.

Under the new decree, it will be called a fee rather than a tax.

Currently, the State budget’s annual revenue from business licence tax is around VNĐ1.7 trillion. Once the draft decree is enacted, the ministry expects to collect some VNĐ2.7 trillion per year.

Speaking at a press conference held by the Finance Ministry in Hà Nội on March 31, Deputy Minister Vũ Thị Mai said the current decree was outdated as it was issued in 2002, when the minimum salary was VNĐ290,000 per month. Meanwhile, the current minimum salary is VNĐ1.15 million, which will be raised to VNĐ1.21 million in the future.

“The new decree does not originate from the State budget’s difficulties. It’s intended to match the business situation of the last 14 years,” Mai said.

“The business licence tax was based on the minimum salary level. Therefore, the current tax level is not suitable for the increased minimum salary,” Mai said.

Mai said the ministry was gathering ideas from other ministries, sectors and localities to revise other unreasonable issues or to provide an explanation for them.

The draft decree was made public on March 25. The ministry will complete it and submit it to the Government in July.

It is expected to go into effect on January 1, 2017. — VNS