A vehicle workshop owner in Ipoh pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of failing to pay GST, SST, and penalties totaling RM271,875.33.
IPOH: A vehicle workshop owner was charged at the Sessions Court here today with 10 offences relating to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Sales and Service Tax (SST), and penalties amounting to RM271,875.33 between 2016 and 2018.
However, the accused, Look Pek Kong, 48, pleaded not guilty to all the charges read before Judge Ainul Sharin Mohamad.
According to the charges, the accused, a registered person under the Goods and Services Tax Act 2014, faces eight counts of failing to pay GST due, payable across eight taxable periods between April 1, 2016 and June 30, 2018, amounting to RM226,040.37 in tax and RM45,834.97 in penalties.
The charges were framed under Section 41(7) of the GST Act 2014, which carries a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both, upon conviction.
In the same proceedings, Look was also charged with two counts as the owner of Energy Lorry Workshop for failing to produce documents requested by customs officers, as required under Section 165(4) of the GST Act 2014 and Section 57(4) of the Service Tax Act 2018.
Both offences carry a fine not exceeding RM30,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both, upon conviction.
The accused is alleged to have committed the offences at the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Compliance Division, Enforcement and Compliance Complex, Jalan Taman Meru 16, Taman Meru, Ipoh.
The prosecution was conducted by Royal Malaysian Customs Department prosecuting officers Nur Amalina Ahmad Nazeri and Ar Junadi Jamaludin, who offered bail of RM3,000 per charge.
The accused, who was unrepresented, applied to have the amount reduced to RM1,000 per charge on the ground that he could not afford the sum.
The court subsequently granted bail of RM8,000 with one surety and fixed Nov 19 for the appointment of counsel.