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Thailand<br />

2.4 Tax <strong>policy</strong> <strong>outlook</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>2015</strong> — detail<br />

• Policymakers continue to view land and property <strong>tax</strong>es as<br />

a way to raise more income and, at the same time, help<br />

reduce income disparity. A draft land and buildings <strong>tax</strong> bill is<br />

expected to have been tabled <strong>for</strong> Cabinet approval by the end<br />

of 2014.<br />

• <br />

<br />

collection, with medium-to-large-sized <strong>tax</strong>payers already<br />

being targeted more often than in the past, and transfer<br />

pricing regulatory changes are possible to likely to align<br />

Thailand’s transfer pricing with other ASEAN nations.<br />

• <br />

place as it hopes to promote the domestic economy, even<br />

though this rate is relatively low compared to other countries<br />

in the region. Moreover, any VAT rate increase will lead<br />

directly to an increased cost of living, which will seriously<br />

<br />

• The currently in-place reductions in CIT to 20% and top rate<br />

of PIT to 35% are temporary (<strong>for</strong> one more year), and so, in<br />

<br />

revert to the higher rates either temporarily or permanently.<br />

In current circumstances, this is not considered likely.<br />

2.5 Fiscal stimulus in <strong>2015</strong><br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

2.6 Political landscape<br />

• Thailand is currently stable. However, there is still a risk<br />

of political instability returning as the military leadership<br />

that took over administration of the country in May 2014<br />

prepares a new constitution and seeks to organize elections<br />

that are targeted <strong>for</strong> late <strong>2015</strong>, and which will be held under<br />

new rules.<br />

• The military leadership has assigned responsibility <strong>for</strong><br />

political re<strong>for</strong>m to a 250-seat National Re<strong>for</strong>m Council (NRC),<br />

<br />

being written.<br />

• The re<strong>for</strong>ms proposed by the NRC and the military are likely<br />

to include a focus on the issue of income disparity, and <strong>tax</strong><br />

may be used as one of the tools to help achieve this.<br />

• The NRC is also likely looking at revisions of trade laws in a<br />

bid to decrease monopoly and create mechanisms that could<br />

increase farmers’ bargaining power.<br />

2.7 Current <strong>tax</strong> <strong>policy</strong> and <strong>tax</strong> administration<br />

leaders<br />

Tax <strong>policy</strong> leaders<br />

• Sommai Pasi, Minister of Finance<br />

• <br />

Tax administration leaders<br />

• <br />

<br />

• <br />

Tax Administration<br />

• <br />

Investment<br />

• <br />

<br />

• <br />

The <strong>outlook</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>global</strong> <strong>tax</strong> <strong>policy</strong> in <strong>2015</strong> | 181

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