课税時代的終結
「世界上最让我难以理解的就是所得税。」，在充斥着五花八门，纷繁复杂税制的现代社会中，这出自于爱因斯坦的名言大抵也显得不合时宜。而作为亚太地区经济发展的佼佼者，香港与新加坡以极优惠税制以作招徕，吸引了不少海外投资者的目光，究竟两地的税务政策有何优劣，而其背后的动机又是什么呢？
让我们先重点分析香港与新加坡的公司所得税制度之分别，前者为应纳税所得额的16.5％，而后者则为17％，在全球平均值为应纳税所得额29.41％的背景下，饵诱大批海外投资者和公司到两地设立地区性总部，作为开拓新市场的基地。
从数据显示，两地的优惠政策不相伯仲，但自2002年起，新加坡政府推行局部性税务豁免，让狮城脱颖而出。位于新加坡的企业能根据局部性税务豁免的条例及公司条件获得不同程度的额外税务豁免额。若公司应纳税所得额不高于一万元，实际税率可达4.25％，等同原来应缴款项的25％。此举为新加坡带来莫大的优势，进一步提升其竞争力。
然而，香港政府于2018年推行全新税务优惠政策以对抗新加坡的局部性税务豁免措施，情况得以扭转。两级制利得税实行后，位于香港的企业能根据新的税务政策缴付较低的税款，利润中的首二百万港元（相当于34.8萬新加坡元）可获一半的税务豁免，实际税率为8.5％。随着香港政府推出的新措施，新加坡迄今为止实施的局部性税务豁免的杠杆作用变得稀松平常。
尽管如此，作为亚太地区的领导者，香港和新加坡均有其特色以及独特的优势。新加坡以其行业生态的多样性见称，土地虽少，但百花齐放。新加坡政府有见及此，为不同的行业推出针对性税务鼓励措施，受惠行业包括电子商务行业，创新及发展事业，环球贸易等，推动社会多元发展。另一边厢，香港则以其外地税款政策闻名，积极鼓励外资注资当地。企业的离岸利润将不需被征税，而且非居民能豁免预扣所得税。多项措施让香港保持其优势，持续吸引特定投资者群与国际企业进入亚太区市场。
毫无疑问，香港以及新加坡就税务政策的成功已让两地尝到丰厚的果实，无愧于商业世界先行者的美名;诚然，既然已处于自由贸易舞台的山峰上，如何更上一层楼将会是两地共同面对的难关。寄望于不久将来能看到香港与新加坡为自由贸易世界带来革故鼎新的突破。
The Kickoff of Free-Tax Era
Albert Einstein’s query that “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” seems contrary with today’s society with multiple taxes, leading into interrogate the rationales and differences on taxation policy between pioneers in Asia-Pacific—Hong Kong and Singapore. With the title of “freest economy”, the two cities standing on the soil with lowest taxation system remain a pull for businesses around the world.
Let’s take a deeper look on the corporate income tax rate, they are 16.5% and 17% in Hong Kong and Singapore respectively, which luregreed businessmenas it is relatively a big discount of 29.41% in worldwide weighted average by GDP according to Tax Foundation.
It is seemingly that the corporate income tax rates among two cities aremore or less the same; however, since 2002, the Partial Tax Exemption (PTE) regime has introduced by the Singapore Government in order to stand alone from the cutthroat competition. As the result, most companies in Singapore pay much lower rates with the PTE regime. The effective tax rate can be as low as 4.25% for taxable income below S$ 10,000 according to the first-tier 75% tax exemption, which sharpen the edges of competitiveness for the city.
Situation reversed in 2018, the further preferential policy “Two-tiered Profits Tax regime” introduced by the Hong Kong Government acts as the counterattack towards the PTE regime in Singapore. After the announcement of new temporary rebates, the effective tax rate in Hong Kong is only around one-half of its current tax rate, i.e., 8.25%. for the first HK$2 millions of profits (around S$348 thousands) according to the regime. With the new policy unveiled by the Hong Kong Government, the heretofore leverages of Singapore have become inconspicuous.
Nevertheless, as the leaders of the APAC, both Hong Kong and Singapore are firmly standingwith their own uniqueness. As a wide array of commercial enterprises were sharing the land of Singapore,are offered for encouraging investment activities in several fields, including eCommerce industry, Innovative and Development activities, Global Trading, to name but a few. On the other hand, the taxation of foreign income in Hong Kong places the city into a superior position as offshore profits are not be taxed, in the meantime, there is no Hong Kong withholding tax on payment of interest to non-resident which is totally different from Singapore.
Undoubtedly, the bonanza of the policies of both Hong Kong and Singapore have been harvested as they are leading the commercial world; yet, how can the two cities be taken up a notch when they are already on the apex of the free trade arena? Hopefully, a breakthrough will be performed in not too distant future.
坐落于市中心牛车水风景优美的珍珠山，
毗邻CBD和各大商业中心写字楼，
闹中取静，办公室前身是新加坡旧警察总署。
公司合伙人分别是英联邦会计师和新加坡会计师。
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