Thai Finance Ministry mulls 10% tax on green tea

[webfact]

Finance Ministry mulls 10% tax on green tea
By English News



BANGKOK, Oct 28 – The Finance Ministry may ask to collect a 10 per cent excise tax on ready-to-drink green tea, beverages, according to a senior official said.

Rungson Sriworasat, deputy permanent secretary for finance, said the initial exemption of tax for green tea was to support farmers but an inspection by the Food and Drugs Administration found that green tea was a minimal ingredient for the beverage in the local market.

The excuse for a tax exemption to help farmers is no longer necessary and the Finance Ministry need not discuss the issue with green tea manufacturers, he said.

He said a decision on tax collection should be made soon and the Excise Department director general is empowered to execute it.

Ready-to-drink green tea beverages tax collection should start in the present fiscal year, he added.

Regarding an increase in the value added tax currently at 7 per cent, Mr Rungsan said discussion with several agencies concerned is necessary before a decision is made, adding that an increase by 1 per cent would boost the state’s revenue at Bt50 billion annually.

He said it was the government’s policy to exempt excise tax for diesel oil and diesel price would not be increased in the near future.

There are several factors, not only the government’s financial situation, that have to be taken into consideration and the financial reserves, which are in the range of hundreds of billion baht, are sufficient to cushion expenses in the first quarter of the present fiscal year, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-10-28

[harrry]

Taxes on tea. Look at all the trouble that gave the British.

[robblok]

They are really running short on cash..

Must be the rice scam and all those other things they steal from the taxpayers money.

Viva the red government.

[coma]

They sure are looking at all possible ways to increase revenue. And there should be more of this type of revenue raising as opposed to things like the foriegn visitor entrance fees.

These " ready-to-drink green tea beverages " are not so indifferent to soft drinks. And as stated in the OP, actual tea content in these drinks is "minimal". Indeed a consumer discretionary product. So why not tax it ?

[JoeThePoster]

Does this mean one can claim a tax deduction on tea money?

[RubbaJohnny]

Scraping the barrel.

Green Tea has many benefits although to me taste foul.

I read that it helps urine retention in males over middle age

Int studies showed old man's syndrome of a leek per pint etc as we all remember our grandpas

Uniquely it seemed Chinese chaps in a ntion where green tea is universal has less weakened prostrate glands

A fine reason for prostate-tuition if you'll pardon the expression

While it cannot retro fit it can help reduce the onset the studies clam and you can benefit from just one "medicinal cup per day

With some honey and a shot almost quaffable.

Of course as Earl Grey said Proper Tea is theft

[RubbaJohnny]

Sorry missed the linkys

1. Prostate cancer prevention: Ways to reduce your risk - MayoClinic.com

   www.mayoclinic.com › ... › Prostate cancer › In-Depth‎

   Prostate cancer prevention — Reduce your risk through changes to your diet. ... with an average risk of prostate cancer make choices that benefit their overall health if they're... Studies of men who drink green tea or take green tea extract as a ...
2. Questions and Answers About Green Tea - National Cancer Institute

   www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/prostatesupplements/.../page3‎

   Jun 10, 2013 - Many of the possible health benefits studied in green tea are thought to... green tea is useful in treating prostate cancer are in the early stages.

[A1Str8]

There is no need to tax the tea. They just need new ways to collect money as the current government is so effective that the country's dept is bigger than ever.

[Patje]

I'll drink white or black then

[Songhua]

Aha. Someone's figured out it's what the Chinese tourists buy.

[Misterwhisper]

Seems like the disastrous rice scam finally takes effect, as this inept government is becoming increasingly desperate for fast cash.

What's next? A tax on public nose-picking? Given that it's a national sport here, I'd say it could easily yield a few extra billions to replenish the depleted coffers.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Misterwhisper

[Thai at Heart]

Wouldn't they raise more if they taxed all drinks by water content?

[siampolee]

Seems as if the exchequer may well be running short of readies thus the tentative proposed taxing of green tea is in reality the metaphorical dipping of the excise departments toe in the water to ascertain what the reaction will be to this proposal.

First green tea then possibly a tax on all soft drinks, indeed a great money spinner if it was to happen.

As has been said in number of previous posts the money supply is getting short due to the funding of the assorted scams schemes put into place by this puppet government in order to finance their populist (vote buying) policies and to ensure that the money supply to the politicians does not stop.

Indeed now perhaps those that took the vote money will begin to both see and understand that they are about to increase their repayments for those votes they sold.

Anyone recall that wonderful statement that ''all Thai's will be rich within six months?''

Methinks it should actually be ''A select few Thai's will be even more amply rich within six months.''

.

u

[ExpatOilWorker]

Wouldn't they raise more if they taxed all drinks by water content?

They could also tax air or even better sunlight, foreigners use more of that in Thailand.

[fab4]

Taxes on tea. Look at all the trouble that gave the British.

Oh, I dunno, didn't that lead eventually to the Americans becoming independent?

[chrisrazz]

The only problem with this proposal it seems is that it's this government proposing it. All the usual childish gibberish relating to rice scams etc. give me a break! Currently, there is a tax exemption to aid the growth of a market. Revenue raising is what governments do, for all you Brits, just look at the 20% rate of VAT currently collected. Last week you were all knicker twisted over Starbucks not paying tax. Time you all found something better to do with your time. Oh no, sorry, that'll require a work visa.

[aussieinthailand]

So the guy's (BIB) that have been collecting (tea money) tax on green tea from the day dot, well we have all been paying that for years, or will the tax on (tea money) just go up from 200 baht to 300 baht???

but a better option could be that every one in LOS told the gov' to go and talk to the BIB and ask them for all the back taxes they have collected,

I'm just say'in

[FangFerang]

They found out that more farang drink green tea than Thais..the Thai tea turns orange if you top it with milk, and is not green tea.

Brilliant!

[bangon04]

Aha. Someone's figured out it's what the Chinese tourists buy.

Surely this is just a happy coincidence - 5 million more quality tourists from China, all drinking green tea instead of paying visa fees...

[josemanuel]

I am not sure if many of you have actually read or understood the opening post ... the news is this:

1- There is a tax exemption for green tea to helps manufacturers.

2- Green tea ready to drink made beverages (soft drinks with the name green tea) have so small a part of green tea, that they should not be considered green tea.

3- So this beverages are not having that tax exemption anymore.

This has nothing to do with recaudatory needs or urges, this is comon sense to me ... some big companies are paying less taxes just for throwing in a ridiculous small quantity of green tea in some products ... from now on they will have to pay the same taxes for green tea beverages as they pay for coffee, orange, or any other ingredient soft beverages.

That,s it.

Edited October 28, 2013 by josemanuel

[SOTIRIOS]

There is no need to tax the tea. They just need new ways to collect money as the current government is so effective that the country's dept is bigger than ever.

....and you know where the money will go....

...poor Thais...poor Thailand....

[marcusd]

Wouldn't they raise more if they taxed all drinks by water content?

that is next...

Sent from my RM-892_apac_laos_thailand_219 using Tapatalk

[Thai at Heart]

Aha. Someone's figured out it's what the Chinese tourists buy.

Surely this is just a happy coincidence - 5 million more quality tourists from China, all drinking green tea instead of paying visa fees...

Of course it is.

It's so childish. Hmmmm. What can we charge Chinese people to make some cash?

[Bkungbank]

The problems with local green tea

Promotion by giving away gold and cash the percentage are slim few thousand to one. the gimmick useful to lower income where have financial problems.

Sugar are added in bottle and most are sweet where bad for health if consume too much.

Over price product from 20 Thb to 16 sometimes to 10 Thb still earning profit.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Bkungbank

[midas]

They are really running short on cash..

Must be the rice scam and all those other things they steal from the taxpayers money.

Viva the red government.

oh no…………………….i bet this will be next

http://www.theleader.info/article/40287/spain/national/spain-to-introduce-tax-on-sun/