Liquor tax structure to be rebuilt

BANGKOK, 10 November 2009 (NNT) – The Revenue Department will reform the entire liquor excise tax structure by the year’s end to make it more in line with international standards.

The statement was made by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Pruttichai Damrongrat, at the inaugural ceremony of the Asia Tax Forum Workshop on Alcohol Excise Taxation, held in Bangkok. Participants to the workshop discussed the development of the current tax system. Different collection methods were evaluated in the hope to find the most suitable system for excise taxation of the country.

The participating agencies and experts from different countries had the opportunity to exchange their expertise and experiences concerning the tax structure. One of the issues raised was the complication in liquor tax collection that was cited to hinder the business flow. Mr Pruttichai said a realistic reform was needed in order to raise Thailand’s excise tax system to an international level. The alteration would benefit all parties concerned and is considered another preparatory step for the ASEAN Community in the future.