Section 51(7) of the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Ordinance (“IRO”) states that a person chargeable to tax must notify the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (“IRD”) of his imminent departure from Hong Kong if the departure is for more than one month. Such notice must be given at least one month before the expected date of departure, although IRD can accept shorter notice with acceptable reasons.
Mr. CHAN Tai Man, single, was employed as Senior Marketing Manager with a monthly salary of HK$60,000. In addition, his employer provided him with a flat as his place of residence. In his 2019/20 tax return, he claimed deduction for membership fee to Hong Kong Institute of Marketing of HK$2,000, contribution to Mandatory Provident Fund of HK$18,000 and expenses of self-education of HK$15,500.
What are assessable profits? The assessable profits are the net profits (other than profits arising from the sale of capital assets) for the basis period, arising in or derived from Hong Kong, calculated in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (“IRO”). IRO does not define “profits”. In business practice, profit means the net profit, or the net gain, or the surplus of incomes over expenses.
As a Hong Kong taxpayer, you may claim dependent brother or dependent sister allowance if, during a year of assessment, you or your spouse maintains an unmarried brother or sister who is under 18 years old; or if over 18 years old and under 25 years old: a full-time student; or if over 18 years old: disabled for work.
Section 14 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance sets out the scope of the charge to profits tax. In addition, Section 15 deems the following to be taxable trading receipts in Hong Kong: Sums received from the exhibition or use in Hong Kong of cinematography or television film or tape, sound recording or their connected advertising materials [Section 15(1)(a)].
Section 14 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance states that profits arising from the sale of capital assets are outside the scope of charge of profits tax. Therefore, such gains are not subject to tax.There are numerous court cases on the captioned question: drawing distinction between income from “fixed capital” and income from “circulating capital” – referring the former to “capital receipts” and the latter to “revenue receipts”.
The following are exempt from the assessable profits: Dividends received from a corporation; Profits already assessed to Profits Tax in the name of other persons, such as partnership; Interest income and trading profits derived from long-term debt instruments; Interest, profits or gains from qualifying debt instruments (issued on or after 1 April 2018);
A taxpayer may claim allowance in respect of each dependent parent by you or your spouse, not being a spouse living apart from you, during the year. To qualify for the allowance, the dependent parent must at any time during the year be: ordinarily resident in Hong Kong; aged 55 or more, or eligible to claim an allowance under the Government's Disability Allowance Scheme;
Section 9A of Inland Revenue Ordinance is to combat avoidance arrangements involving the use of service companies to disguise what are in substance master-and-servant employment relationships. It provides that if a “relevant person” pays remuneration for services rendered by a “relevant individual” to a company controlled by that individual, or a trustee of a trust under which the individual or his associate is beneficiary
In general, an approved charitable donation made by a person can only be claimed by that person. The only exception relates to donations made by a married couple who are not living apart from each other. A spouse may claim a deduction for approved charitable donation made by the other spouse. In no case can a deduction for the same donation be claimed by both of them. Further, you can claim the unused portion of approved charitable donations made by your spouse.