Tax Relief and What You Can Do with Them

As March approaches, many of us do not recognize it as the end of Winter season; but the start of tax filing season in Malaysia. According to LHDN, individuals whose total taxable income exceeds the given threshold value are subjected to taxation and must register for an income tax file.

During this season, taxpayers strive to obtain as many tax reliefs as possible. As the basic theory of economics dictates, we would want to acquire as much savings as possible for rainy days or investments.

So, what kind of expenditures are eligible for tax relief? Well, based on LHDN’s 2021 assessment, these are the expenditure categories and where you can enjoy extra savings for next year:

(The value of tax relief claims is subject to change based on the annual assessment by LHDN.)

Sports

Sports equipment and gym membership are eligible to be claimed up to RM2,500 and RM500 respectively. A variety of fitness equipment is available at Black Box Fitness and Legacy Fitness Malaysia if you prefer to exercise at home or setting up a home gym. Black Box Fitness offers dumbbells, kettlebells, bumper plates, barbells and many more; providing everything you need for a home gym.

If you prefer a specific type of sports gear, Titan Badminton is there for all badminton lovers. For cycling enthusiasts, KBR Cycle, Mile One Cycle and Jass Cycle Trading sell different types of quality bicycles. As for gym enthusiasts, sign up for a membership at Star Fitness today!

To explore more merchants under the sports category near your area, click here.

IT & Gadget

Worry not about replacing your old personal computer, smartphone or tablet, as your purchase is entitled to claim a tax relief up to RM2,500. The purchase for your spouse or children is also included in the category. Browse through for a wide range of latest gadgets from reputable merchants, such as Thunder Match Technology, All IT Hypermarket and Pineapple Computer.

Don’t wait up and delay your purchase until your devices give way, as they may cause loss of data; or worse, important files. To check out for more IT & Gadget merchants, click here.

Medical Expenses

Expenses on medical treatment, vaccination and medical checkup are eligible for tax relief up to RM8,000. As for medical expenses for serious diseases for self, spouse or child as well as for fertility treatment, you are eligible to claim up to RM7,000.

Klinik Central and Klinik Alam Medic Jenjarom are few of the many clinics to go for your general medical treatments for you and your family. You can get your HPV vaccine and Covid-19 RTK Antigen and RT-PCR swab test at Klinik Central; as for Klinik Alam Medic Jenjarom, minor surgeries, emergency treatments and immunisations such as Hepatitis and Typhoid are available.

It is important to get ourselves checked and seek treatment when we feel ill, because our health outweighs everything in life. So, with tax relief, you can have peace of mind with your health. To look for more clinics near you, check out our merchants here.

Maternity Product

Breastfeeding mothers are entitled to claim RM1,000 once every two years for breastfeeding equipment. The equipment involves: breast pump kit and ice pack, breast milk collection and storage equipment, and cooler set or cooler bag.

If you are a breastfeeding mother, take the chance to enjoy this benefit! Get your breastfeeding equipment from baby and kids merchants such as Aishah Baby Store, Baby Nova and Oh Baby Store. A variety of equipment is sold, from rechargeable breast pump kits and silicon cups. You can also find different designs of cooler bags to store your equipment. Handheld bags and backpacks are also available based on your preference.

If you are interested in browsing for more baby and kids merchants for online shopping or outlets near you, click here. 

Publications

Purchase and subscription of books, journals, magazines, newspapers or other similar publications (including electronic subscription) for oneself, spouse or child is eligible to claim tax relief up to RM2,500.

As the saying goes, education is a lifelong journey. It is important to constantly equip ourselves with the latest information and knowledge. You can get a wide range of reading materials, such as novels, autobiographies, self-help books and textbooks from Pustaka Chiew and Patriot Publishing.

It’s time to enrich yourselves while getting tax reliefs! Check out for more merchants selling publications here. 

It feels great to receive tax reliefs while buying the items you need, but do you know what is better? Paying slowly by splitting your payments up to six months with zero interest! You do not need to spend all your tax reliefs at once, as you may need to save some for rainy days.

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