Update on Earning Stripping Rule (ESR)

Update on Earning Stripping Rule (ESR)

The Income Tax (Restriction on Deductibility of Interest) (Amendment) Rules 2022 (“Amendment Rules”) has been gazetted to amend the Income Tax (Restriction on Deductibility of Interest) Rules 2019.

The following two Principal Rules is amended in amendment rules:

1. Definition of qualifying deduction

2. Carrying forward of excess interest

The amendment rules came into operation on 1 February 2022.

Key takeaways:

You will understand: -

1. What is ESR?

2. Scope of application

3. New amendment on Principal Rules

4. Non-application

Summary of learnings:

1. What is ESR?

Effective from 01 July 2019, ESR was introduced under Section 140C of the Income Tax Act 1967 (ITA) to restrict the tax deduction on interest expenses in relation to financial assistance in a controlled transaction.

Under the ESR, the maximum amount of interest that can be deducted is 20% of the tax – EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization).

*Tax – EBITDA = Adjusted Business Income + Qualifying deduction+ Total Interest Expenses claimed in business Income.

2. Scope of application

ESR apply to interest expenses that arise from financial assistance granted by:

- its associated person outside Malaysia;

- its associated person outside Malaysia which operates through a permanent establishment in Malaysia;

- a third party outside Malaysia where the financial assistance is guaranteed by its holding company or any other enterprises under the same MNE Group

Financial assistance includes loans, interest-bearing trade credit, advance, debt, or the provision of security or guarantee.

3. New amendment on Principal Rules

The amendments are as outlined below:

i. Definition of qualifying deduction

Qualifying deduction is equal to the total incentive claims (special deduction, further deduction, double deduction, etc.) deducted in arriving at adjusted income. The definition is replaced as follows:

- where there is business expenditure incurred in the profit and loss account is allowed as deduction under the Act and the amount of the deduction allowed exceeds the amount of the business expenditure incurred, an amount equal to the difference between the amount of the deduction allowed and the amount of the business expenditure incurred in the profit and loss account; or

- where there is no business expenditure incurred in the profit and loss account, the amount of deduction is allowable under the Act.

ii. Carry forward rules

- The carry forward rules allow the restricted interest expenses in a year of assessment (YA) to be carried forward and to be deducted against the company’s adjusted income for the subsequent YAs.

- This rule now applies to any person and is not limited to a company.

4. Non-application

According to the De minimis threshold, ESR is not applicable where the total interest expenses for all financial assistance is equal to or less than RM500,000 in a YA.

Source:

Income Tax (Restriction on Deductibility of Interest) (Amendment) Rules 2022:

https://phl.hasil.gov.my/pdf/pdfam/ESR_Rules_Pindaan_2022.pdf

Restriction on the deductibility of interest guidelines:

http://lampiran1.hasil.gov.my/pdf/pdfam/RDIG_05072019.pdf

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