Voice of a Senior Citizen
By Bob Yong
Come January 2010, the new budget announced by the Government recently will come into effect and this has left senior citizens in a lurch. While it has often been said that old is gold, the government does not appear to think that it is so.
Here are the reasons why:-
5% Real Property Gained Tax (RPGT)-Ordinary citizens who had bought houses often considered such purchases as investment for old age. This notion has changed after the announcement of the 2010 budget whereby a property sold after January 1. 2010 will be subject to a 5% RPGT on the total gain. This means if you were to sell a house, bought at RM200, 000, 20 years ago, at RM1 million after the effective date, you will be taxed 5% on the gain of RM800, 000. The tax will work out to RM40, 000.
RM40, 000 would mean nothing to property speculators but it is a heavenly lot to retirees, especially to those who are required to sell the house to meet medical bills.
Prior to this, the 5% Tax was based on a sliding scale for a five years term. Should an individual’s property be disposed off after 5 years, no RPGT will be imposed. Why is there a need to change this? Does the Government know the long-term property owners are the losers? If indeed it is necessary to do this, the new rulings should only be applied to properties bought and sold after January1, 2010.
RM50 Service Tax on credit cards-Although the amount to begin with is a small sum to fuss about but the government has overlooked that these credit cards are for security and convenient reasons for the holders, particularly of that of senior citizens who do not want to carry a big amount of cash, lest they fall preys to snatch-thieves and robbers. Seem to me by citing the reasons that it would cultivate good habit of prudent spending and discouraging those who have many credit cards to give up some, is like putting a cart before the horse. It is more acceptable to the credit card users that the Service Tax will only be imposed for those who have multiple cards. A bad pay-master is always a bad-pay master and it has nothing to do with the number of cards one holds.
Senior citizens are always at the receiving ends. While employed, they had paid all taxes dutifully. With this in mind, the Government should be mindful not to further burden the senior citizens with all the unnecessary taxes. The Government is responsible to look after the public fund diligently, and must bring those who misuse the public fund to book without excuses. It is not right to ask the public, especially the senior citizens to make good the misappropriation of fund by these crooks.
I ask the Government to leave the senior citizens alone and let them enjoy their twilight golden years.
