Royal Decree on VAT Reduction under the Revenue Code

Previously, there was a proposed measure to subsidize elderly people by increasing VAT to 10% back to what specified in the Revenue Code and using 3% of the said VAT to assist elderly citizens in coping with their retirement lives. However, there has been no development on this matter since the Royal Decree regarding VAT reduction in accordance with Revenue Code no. 724/2564 (2021) (“Royal Decree”) is still in effect to extend the period of VAT reduction.

Currently, the Ministry of Finance believes that the Thai economy’s development in 2023 and the following year is vulnerable to risk factors such as volatility and economic slowdown, as the Thai economy is still recovering from the epidemic.  Furthermore, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (“NESDC”) discovered that the Thai economy expanded by 1.8 percent in the second quarter, down from 2.6 percent in the first quarter of 2023. There are also the reduction of product exports and increasing of government spending. The business and household sectors are still struggling with rising expenses due to increasing interest rates and living expenses, as well as the implementation of the annual budget for the fiscal year 2024 is taking longer than usual.

Thus, it is essential to ensure the country’s economic stability, support the recovery of domestic consumer expenditure, allowing the Thai economy to develop as expected, reduce the burden of living costs for the people, and promote trust in the business sector. As a result, the cabinet agreed to prolong the Royal Decree’s timeframe for keeping the VAT rate at 7% (including municipal tax) for another year, from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024.  

Author: Panisa Suwanmatajarn, Managing Partner.

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