China

At an executive meeting of China's State Council on July 23 2018, Premier Li Keqiang announced that the country would expand the scope of the 75% corporate income tax (CIT) super deduction for eligible research and development (R&D) expenses to cover all resident enterprises. This super deduction rate currently applies to defined science and technology-related small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while other enterprises can obtain a 50% super deduction. The announced changes will abolish the 50% super deduction incentive. The details of the expanded incentive are still pending, and it remains to be seen whether the increased super deduction rate can be applied retroactively and whether the scope of deductible expenses will be expanded further. This improvement to the super deduction follows the enhancement of the incentive in June's Cai Shui (Circular) 64, to cover R&D work outsourced by Chinese enterprises to foreign providers.

KPMG’s Khoonming Ho and Lewis Lu look at what the Year of the Pig is set to bring to the Chinese tax landscape.

On June 29 2018, China's Parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), released the full text of proposed amendments to China's individual income tax (IIT) law (draft IIT bill). Public comments were sought up until July 28 2018. The upshot of the proposed changes is to reduce the tax burden on lower earners, reduce the relative preferences for foreign nationals under the existing IIT law, give greater recognition to personal circumstances and expenses in the IIT calculation, and introduce anti-avoidance provisions. The changes to personal deductions and tax brackets would take effect in part from October 2018, and the rest of the changes from January 2019.