Guides

Short, practical explainers that go a step beyond the calculators — how the rules work, what the numbers mean, and how to use each tool with confidence. Every figure matches the rates our tools apply.

• Malaysia Income Tax Rates & Brackets (YA 2024) — How Malaysian resident income tax is calculated for YA 2024 — the progressive brackets, the main personal reliefs, the RM400 rebate, and a worked example.
• Malaysia Income Tax Reliefs Checklist (YA 2024) — Every main personal income tax relief for YA 2024 in one table — the caps for EPF, lifestyle, medical, children, parents, SSPN and more — plus how to stack them to cut your tax.
• Malaysia Property Stamp Duty Explained (MOT & Loan) — How much stamp duty you pay when buying property in Malaysia — the tiered MOT rates, the separate 0.5% loan agreement duty, first-home exemptions and a worked example.
• How EPF (KWSP) Contributions Work in Malaysia — The statutory EPF/KWSP contribution rates for employee and employer, how the Third Schedule table rounds the amount, the three-account structure and when you can withdraw.
• Malaysia RPGT Explained: Rates, Gains & Exemptions — How Real Property Gains Tax works in Malaysia — the rates by holding period and disposer category, how the chargeable gain is worked out, the exemptions, and a worked example.
• Malaysia Car Loan Flat Rate Explained (Hire Purchase) — Why Malaysian car loans quote a flat rate, how the monthly hire-purchase instalment is calculated, why the effective rate is almost double, and the Rule of 78 on early settlement.
• Malaysia SST Explained: Sales Tax vs Service Tax — How Malaysia's SST actually works — sales tax (5%/10%) vs service tax (8%, or 6% for some services), the 2024 rate rise, registration thresholds, and how to add or extract SST.
• SOCSO & EIS Contributions Malaysia Explained (PERKESO) — SOCSO vs EIS, who must contribute, the two SOCSO categories, the RM6,000 wage ceiling raised in October 2024, contribution rates, and a worked example.
• Zakat on Savings in Malaysia Explained (2.5% & Nisab) — How zakat on savings works in Malaysia — the nisab threshold, the one-year haul, the 2.5% rate, and the crucial point that zakat is a rebate against your income tax.
• Zakat Pendapatan (Income Zakat) in Malaysia Explained — How zakat pendapatan (income zakat) works in Malaysia — the 2.5% rate, gross vs net methods, monthly salary deduction that cuts your PCB, and the income tax rebate.
• How Reducing-Balance Loan Instalments Work (Malaysia) — How Malaysian housing and personal loan instalments are calculated — the reducing-balance (amortising) EMI formula, why early payments are mostly interest, and how extra repayments save you money.
• PCB / MTD Monthly Tax Deduction Malaysia Explained — What PCB (MTD) is, how the monthly deduction is calculated, the TP1/TP2/TP3 forms, when PCB counts as your final tax, and a worked example.
• Malaysia Income Tax Filing: Who Files, When & How — Who must file income tax in Malaysia, the RM34,000 threshold, how to register for a tax number, the Form BE vs B deadlines (30 April / 30 June) and how to pay.
• How Bonuses Are Taxed in Malaysia (PCB, EPF & SOCSO) — Why your bonus-month PCB looks so big in Malaysia — the additional-remuneration method, EPF and SOCSO on bonuses, a worked example, and whether you get any of it back at filing.
• Tenancy Agreement Stamp Duty Malaysia Explained — How stamp duty on a rental (tenancy) agreement is calculated in Malaysia — the RM2,400 exemption, the per-year rate table, duplicate copies, e-stamping and a worked example.
• Debt Service Ratio (DSR) in Malaysia Explained — How Malaysian banks use your Debt Service Ratio (DSR) to decide loan eligibility — what counts as income and commitment, typical caps, CCRIS, a worked example, and how to improve your DSR.
• Malaysia Tax Residency: The 182-Day Rule Explained — Whether you are a Malaysian tax resident decides your tax rate and your reliefs. The four Section 7 residence tests, the 182-day rule, and the 30% flat non-resident rate.
• Malaysia SST Expansion (1 July 2025): What Changed — The 1 July 2025 SST expansion in plain English — the new service tax categories (rental, construction, financial, healthcare, education, beauty), their rates and thresholds, and the wider sales tax on non-essential goods.
• EPF Akaun Persaraan, Sejahtera & Fleksibel Explained — How EPF's May 2024 restructure works — the 75/15/10 split into Akaun Persaraan, Sejahtera and Fleksibel, what moved where, and how the Flexible Account withdrawal works.
• Self-Employed Income Tax in Malaysia (Form B) — How income tax works for the self-employed, freelancers and sole proprietors in Malaysia — adjusted income, allowable expenses, capital allowances, Form B, CP500 instalments and record-keeping.
• Loan Agreement Stamp Duty Malaysia (0.5%) — The 0.5% loan agreement stamp duty most property buyers forget — how it differs from MOT transfer duty, a worked example of the total stamp duty on a purchase, and the first-home exemptions.
• RPGT Filing Malaysia: CKHT Forms & the 3% Retention — What happens after you sell Malaysian property — which CKHT form the seller and buyer each file, the 60-day deadline, the 3% (or 7%) retention your solicitor holds back, and how CKHT 3 stops it.
• Car Loan Early Settlement Malaysia (Rule of 78 Rebate) — How the Hire-Purchase Act 1967 rebate on early car loan settlement is calculated, the Rule of 78 formula, a worked settlement table, and the steps to release your JPJ claim.
• EIS Job Search Allowance Malaysia: How to Claim (PERKESO) — Lost your job in Malaysia? How the PERKESO EIS Job Search Allowance works — the 80/50/40/30 rates, the 60-day deadline, which terminations qualify, and the four other benefits.
• EPF Voluntary Contribution & i-Saraan Malaysia Explained — How EPF voluntary contributions work in Malaysia — the RM100,000 annual limit, the 20% i-Saraan incentive capped at RM500 a year, and the extra RM3,000 tax relief most people miss.
• Overtime Pay in Malaysia: Rates & How to Calculate (OT) — How overtime is calculated under Malaysia's Employment Act 1955 — the ordinary rate of pay (wages ÷ 26), the 1.5×, 2× and 3× multipliers, the RM4,000 limit and the 104-hour cap.
• Refinancing a Home Loan in Malaysia: Costs & Break-Even — What refinancing a Malaysian housing loan really costs — legal fees, the 0.5% stamp duty and its refinancing remission, valuation, MRTA and lock-in penalties — plus how to work out your break-even point.
• SOCSO Claims Malaysia: Injury & Invalidity Benefits — The seven benefits PERKESO pays under the Employment Injury and Invalidity Schemes, the 80%/90% benefit rates, commuting accidents, Form 21 and the 12-month time bar.
• Rental Income Tax Malaysia: What You Can Deduct — How LHDN taxes rental income in Malaysia — the Section 4(d) rules, which expenses are deductible, the initial-expenses trap, loss rules and a worked example.
• EPF Withdrawal Malaysia: Age 50, 55 & 60 Rules — When you can withdraw EPF savings in Malaysia — Akaun Fleksibel any time, the age 50 partial withdrawal, Akaun 55, Akaun Emas at 60, i-Emas monthly payments and tax.
• RPGT Exemptions Malaysia: Private Residence & More — The RPGT exemptions that actually cut the bill — Schedule 4 relief, the once-in-a-lifetime private residence exemption, love-and-affection transfers and inherited property.
• SST Registration & SST-02 Filing in Malaysia — When your business must register for SST, how to apply on the MySST portal, the bi-monthly SST-02 return and its deadline, and the late-payment penalties that stack to 40%.
• Incomplete Month Salary & Unpaid Leave Malaysia (S.18A) — The statutory formula for prorated salary in Malaysia — Section 18A Employment Act 1955, why the divisor is calendar days not 26, worked examples, and the effect on EPF, SOCSO and PCB.
• Retrenchment Benefits Malaysia: Amount & Tax Treatment — How Malaysian retrenchment benefits are calculated (10/15/20 days per year of service), who actually qualifies, the RM10,000-per-year tax exemption, notice pay, EPF, and Form CP22A tax clearance.
• Form EA Malaysia: How to Read It & File From It — What each part of Malaysia's Form EA means, the 28 February deadline, which allowances in Part F are tax-exempt, and how to transfer the figures into your e-Filing BE.
• Joint vs Separate Assessment Malaysia: Which Is Better? — How joint (combined) and separate assessment work under Section 45 of the Income Tax Act, the RM4,000 spouse relief, when electing joint actually saves tax, and how to elect.
• Flexi vs Semi-Flexi vs Term Home Loan (Malaysia) — The real difference between term, semi-flexi and full-flexi Malaysian housing loans — how prepayments cut interest, the fees each charges, and a worked RM500,000 example.
• EPF Dividend Malaysia: How It Is Actually Calculated — How EPF dividends really work — the running-balance method (not your year-end figure), the 2.5% guarantee, Simpanan Shariah vs Konvensional, and why timing matters.
• OPR & SBR: How Rate Changes Hit Your Home Loan — How Bank Negara's OPR feeds through SBR, BR and BLR into your Malaysian housing loan — what actually changes, how fast, and what 0.25% costs per month.
• CP500 Tax Instalments Malaysia: Rules & 30% Penalty — How LHDN's CP500 instalment scheme works for Malaysians with business or rental income — the six payment months, revising with CP502, and the 10% under-estimation penalty.
• Car Repossession Malaysia: Your Hire-Purchase Rights — When a bank can legally repossess your car in Malaysia — the two-instalment rule, the 21-day notice, the 75% court-order protection, and what happens after the car is towed.
• Stamp Duty Self-Assessment Malaysia (STSDS) 2026 — LHDN no longer assesses your stamp duty — you do. The STSDS phases, the 30-day deadline, s.47A late penalties, and the PKPS amnesty that closes 31 December 2026.
• Malaysia 2% Dividend Tax: RM100,000 Threshold Explained — From YA 2025 Malaysian individuals pay 2% on chargeable dividend income above RM100,000. How the gazetted formula works, what is excluded, and a worked example.
• LHDN e-Invoice (MyInvois): Who Must Comply in 2026 — Malaysia's e-Invoice rollout explained — the phase dates, the RM1 million turnover exemption, consolidated e-invoices, the 72-hour rejection window and the penalties.
• Tax Clearance Malaysia: SPC, CP21 & CP22A Explained — Why your last paycheck is withheld when you resign or leave Malaysia: the SPC tax clearance letter, Forms CP21, CP22, CP22A and CP22B, the 30-day and 90-day rules, and how to speed it up.
• HRD Corp Levy Malaysia: Rates, Wages & Claims — HRD Corp levy explained for Malaysian employers: the 1% and 0.5% rates, the 10-employee threshold, which wages count, the 15th-of-the-month deadline, and claiming it back via SBL-Khas.
• Foreign-Sourced Income Tax in Malaysia (Exempt to 2036) — Foreign income remitted to Malaysia by resident individuals is exempt until 31 December 2036 — if it was taxed abroad. The conditions, what 'received in Malaysia' means, and when it is still taxable.
• First Home Stamp Duty Exemption Malaysia (to 2027) — Malaysian first-time buyers pay zero stamp duty on both the MOT and the loan agreement up to RM500,000 — extended to 2027. The conditions, the price cliff, and what it saves.
• EPF for Foreign Workers Malaysia: the 2% Rule — Since the October 2025 wage month, EPF is compulsory for non-citizen employees at 2% employer and 2% employee. Who is covered, who is exempt, and how to get the money back.
• Minimum Wage Malaysia: RM1,700 Monthly, Daily & Hourly — RM1,700 is the national minimum wage under the Minimum Wages Order 2024. The daily and hourly equivalents, what counts as basic wages, who is exempt, and the penalties.
• PTPTN Repayment: Ujrah 1%, Schedules & Discounts — How PTPTN repayment actually works — the 1% ujrah on reducing balance, when instalments start, discounts, exemptions, rescheduling, and why it is your cheapest debt.
• MRTA vs MLTA Malaysia: Which One Should You Take? — MRTA vs MLTA in Malaysia — how each is priced, why financing the MRTA premium costs more than the sticker, portability, tax relief and how to choose.
• Annual Leave, Sick Leave & Public Holidays Malaysia (2026) — Malaysia's Employment Act leave entitlements — 8/12/16 days annual leave, 14/18/22 days sick leave, 60 days hospitalisation, 11 paid public holidays, pro-rating and pay in lieu.
• Service Tax on Digital & Imported Services (8%) — Why Google Ads, AWS and Netflix invoices carry 8% Malaysian service tax, the RM500,000 foreign-provider threshold, and when your business must self-account using SST-02A.
• RPC Shares in Malaysia: RPGT, CGT & the 75% Test — Selling the company instead of the land does not avoid tax. How the 75% RPC test works, how deemed acquisition prices are computed, and the 2024 split between RPGT and capital gains tax.
• Zakat on Gold & Jewellery in Malaysia (Uruf Explained) — How zakat on gold works in Malaysia — the 85g nisab, the uruf exemption for worn jewellery, state thresholds, the 2.5% rate and worked examples.
• Share Transfer Stamp Duty Malaysia (Form 32A, 0.3%) — How stamp duty on Malaysian share transfers works — the 0.3% on unlisted shares, the 0.1% contract note on Bursa trades, LHDN's valuation bases, and section 15A relief.
• SOCSO for Self-Employed & Gig Workers (SKSPS) — How PERKESO's Self-Employment Social Security Scheme works — Act 789 vs Act 4, the four contribution plans from RM157.20 a year, what it covers, and what it does not.
• Sole Proprietor vs Sdn Bhd: Which Pays Less Tax? — Personal scale rates vs the 15%/17%/24% SME company rates — where the crossover really is, what extracting profit costs you, and when incorporating is not worth it.
• Love & Affection Property Transfer Stamp Duty (Malaysia) — Gifting a house to your spouse, child or grandchild still attracts stamp duty on market value — but the 2023 remission wipes out the first RM1 million. The rules, rates and traps.
• Maternity & Paternity Leave Malaysia: 98 Days + 7 Days — Malaysia's statutory maternity leave (98 consecutive days) and paternity leave (7 days) under the Employment Act 1955 — eligibility, the 90-day allowance test, notice rules and termination protection.
• LHDN Penalties: Late Filing & Late Payment (Malaysia) — What it actually costs to file or pay Malaysian income tax late — the flat 10% increase under section 103, the 15%/30%/45% late-filing penalty under section 112(3), and how voluntary disclosure cuts it.
• Road Tax Malaysia: JPJ Rates by CC & Renewal — The full JPJ road tax schedule for private cars — saloon and non-saloon, Peninsular and Sabah/Sarawak, the 1,601cc cliff, the new kW-based EV rates from 2026, and how to renew.
• Withholding Tax Malaysia: Rates on Non-Resident Payments — Malaysian withholding tax explained — the 10% and 15% rates by income type, the one-month deadline, the 10% penalty, the section 39(1)(j) disallowance, and DTA relief.
• Malaysia LVG Tax & Import Duty on Online Purchases — Why a 10% tax appears on your Shein, Taobao or AliExpress checkout, the RM500 line that decides everything, and how duty and sales tax are worked out on parcels above it.
• BMI Cut-Offs for Malaysians — Why 23 Matters, Not 25 — Malaysia's MOH guidelines use lower BMI thresholds than the global WHO ones — overweight starts at 23.0, not 25.0. What the Asian cut-offs are, why they exist, and how to read your result.
• Quit Rent & Assessment Tax Malaysia (Cukai Tanah & Cukai Pintu) — Cukai tanah, cukai petak and cukai pintu explained — who bills you, how each is calculated, the February, May and August deadlines, and what happens if you do not pay.
• Car Insurance Malaysia: NCD, Sum Insured & Premiums Explained — Comprehensive vs third-party cover, agreed value vs market value, the 25-55% NCD ladder, betterment, excess, and what a Malaysian motor premium actually adds up to.
• Cost of Buying a House in Malaysia: Legal Fees & Duty — Beyond the 10% down payment: SRO 2023 legal fee scales, MOT and loan stamp duty, valuation, disbursements and SST — with a full worked cash table for an RM500,000 sub-sale.
• Notice Period Malaysia: Section 12 Rules & Pay in Lieu — Statutory notice periods under Section 12 of the Employment Act, buying out short notice, what counts as wages for the indemnity, EPF/SOCSO/tax treatment and absconding.
• Zakat Perniagaan Malaysia: Business Zakat Explained — How zakat perniagaan is assessed in Malaysia — the working capital and growth capital methods, the adjustments, nisab and haul, and the Section 44(11A) deduction versus the Section 6A(3) rebate.
• EPF Nomination & Death Withdrawal Malaysia (KWSP) — How EPF nomination works in Malaysia — wasi versus beneficiary, how to nominate via i-Akaun, the staged RM2,500 / RM17,500 payout when there is no nomination, and the RM2,500 death assistance.
• Benefits in Kind Malaysia: Company Car & BIK Tax — How benefits in kind are taxed in Malaysia — the LHDN prescribed value table for company cars and petrol, VOLA on employer housing, and the BIK that are fully tax-exempt.
• CCRIS & CTOS Malaysia: Check and Fix Your Credit Report — How to get your CCRIS report free from Bank Negara's eCCRIS, read the repayment-conduct grid, understand the CTOS score, and correct an error before you apply for a loan.
• Credit Card Interest & Minimum Payment Malaysia — How Malaysian credit card interest really works — the 15/17/18% tiered rate, why the 5% minimum payment takes 7 years to clear RM10,000, balance transfers, and free AKPK help.
• Zakat Fitrah Malaysia: Rate, Who Pays & Deadline — How zakat fitrah works in Malaysia — how each state sets the ringgit rate from one gantang of rice, who must pay, paying for dependants, the deadline and the tax rebate.
• PRS Malaysia: RM3,000 Tax Relief & the 8% Penalty — How Malaysia's Private Retirement Scheme works — the separate RM3,000 tax relief, the 70/30 sub-account split, the 8% pre-retirement withdrawal tax, fees, and PRS vs topping up EPF.
• Medical Expenses Tax Relief Malaysia: The RM10,000 Claim — What qualifies for Malaysia's RM10,000 medical expenses relief — serious disease, fertility treatment, the RM1,000 check-up, dental and vaccination sub-limits, learning disability, and the receipts LHDN wants.
• SSPN Tax Relief Malaysia: The RM8,000 Net Deposit Rule — How SSPN education savings relief works in Malaysia — the RM8,000 net deposit cap, why a December withdrawal can wipe out your claim, SSPN Prime vs Plus, and how to claim it.
• Child Tax Relief Malaysia: RM2,000, RM8,000 & Childcare — How Malaysian child tax relief works — RM2,000 per child, RM8,000 for tertiary study, RM6,000 for a disabled child, the RM3,000 childcare cap, and who claims what after a divorce.
• Lifestyle Tax Relief Malaysia: RM2,500 + RM1,000 Sports — What qualifies for Malaysia's RM2,500 lifestyle tax relief — books, laptop, smartphone, internet, courses — plus the separate RM1,000 sports relief and RM2,500 EV charging relief.
• Insurance Tax Relief Malaysia: RM3,000 Life + RM3,000 Medical — How Malaysia's insurance tax reliefs actually work — the RM3,000 life/takaful slot, the separate RM3,000 education and medical insurance relief, the RM7,000 pensionable rule, and how to split a premium.
• Education Fees Tax Relief Malaysia: The RM7,000 for Your Own Study — How Malaysia's RM7,000 education fees relief works for your own studies — which courses qualify below Masters level, the RM2,000 upskilling sub-limit, professional qualifications, and employer-paid fees.
• Donation Tax Deduction Malaysia: The 10% Aggregate Income Cap — How donations cut your Malaysian tax — the 10% of aggregate income cap, which gifts qualify under s.44(6), why it is a deduction and not a relief, and why zakat beats it.
• OKU Tax Relief Malaysia: Disabled Self, Spouse & Child — The Malaysian tax reliefs for registered OKU taxpayers and their families — disabled self, spouse and child amounts, the extra RM8,000 for higher education, and the RM6,000 supporting-equipment claim.
• Housing Loan Interest Tax Relief Malaysia (RM7,000) — Malaysia's housing loan interest tax relief for first-time buyers — RM7,000 or RM5,000 a year, the 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2027 SPA window, the three-year clock, and how joint buyers split it.
• Tax Rebate Malaysia: The RM400 Rebate & Zakat Rebate — Malaysia's income tax rebates explained — the RM400 individual rebate at RM35,000 chargeable income, the extra RM400 for a spouse, the unlimited zakat rebate, and how a rebate differs from a relief.
• Is FD & Savings Interest Taxable in Malaysia? — Bank interest is tax-exempt for individuals in Malaysia under Paragraph 35, Schedule 6 — but not for companies, and not for every kind of interest. What is exempt, what is not, and what goes on your return.