KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — The government has refunded excess tax payments amounting to RM6.2 billion for the year of assessment (YA) 2023, as of February 18 this year, hence settling 95,282 cases, said Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong.
While the government has pledged to settle the YA 2023 cases by the end of the first quarter of 2026, it is confident this could be completed earlier, by February.
“Meanwhile, refunds for excess tax payments for YA 2024 are targeted to be completed before the end of this year.
“At the same time, refunds, regardless of the age of the cases, will continue to be made to all non-company taxpayers, especially individual taxpayers,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today.
Liew was responding to Senator Datuk Koh Nai Kwong's query on the government’s assurance that delays in the processing and refund of excess taxes by the Inland Revenue Board would not recur, thus avoiding the need for additional ad hoc allocations.
He added that excess tax refunds made in 2025 were the highest in five years at RM22.45 billion.
Based on refunds in the last three years — from 2023 to 2025 — the MADANI government has paid out RM56 billion in refunds, 50 per cent higher than the RM37 billion refunded between 2020 and 2022.
“All excess tax payment cases for 2022 and earlier that were payable were completed in 2025. A total of 3.7 million cases were settled last year compared with 2.7 million cases in 2024,” Liew said.
