Malaysian Taxation 101

05/05/2026

Grateful for the opportunity to return to UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College as an Adjunct Speaker and share a little of what I’ve learned along the way.

Always a privilege to speak with students who are about to step into the real world—full of questions, curiosity, and potential.

Thank you for the feature 🙏

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58 students joined an industry masterclass on Business & Finance, gaining practical insights into financial fundamentals for entrepreneurial success

27/04/2026

For some time now, I’ve been quietly building something in the background.

Between work, life, coffee stops, and early mornings, I’ve been writing practical ebooks based on things I’ve learned through experience — business, money, tax, decision-making, and a few more personal pieces from the heart.

Today, I’ve finally decided to share it properly.
📚 My digital bookstore is now open:

https://payhip.com/Experientia

Inside are short, practical reads designed to help everyday Malaysians, business owners, and anyone who appreciates useful knowledge without unnecessary jargon.

Some books may help you save money.

Some may help you avoid mistakes.

Some may simply make you think.
To mark the launch, I’ve packaged a small opening promo / bundle deal as a thank you for the support.

If you’d like to have a look, the link is above. Even a visit, share, or kind word means a lot.

Built slowly. Shared sincerely.

26/04/2026

𝟳 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿

Many Malaysians only remember tax reliefs when the filing deadline is near.

By then, receipts are missing, details are forgotten, and money may be left unclaimed.

Here are 7 relief areas people commonly overlook:

1️⃣ Medical Expenses for Parents

Subject to conditions, certain medical treatment, care and support expenses may qualify.

2️⃣ Lifestyle Relief

Books, computers, sports equipment, internet subscriptions and more (subject to current qualifying scope).

3️⃣ Education Fees

Courses for approved areas of study or self-development may qualify under specific categories.

4️⃣ Medical Check-Up / Vaccination / Dental / Health-Related Reliefs

Many people assume only major treatment counts. Not always true.

5️⃣ Childcare / Kindergarten Fees

Parents often miss this entirely.

6️⃣ EPF + Life Insurance Structuring

Many people claim partially without understanding the categories.

7️⃣ SSPN Contributions

Frequently forgotten by parents.

Important Reminder:

A relief being “popularly mentioned” does not automatically mean you qualify.

Always check:✔ current YA rules✔ eligibility conditions✔ caps / limits✔ supporting receipts

The Most Expensive Tax Mistake?

Not fraud.It is legally available reliefs you never claimed.

Follow MalaysianTaxation101 for practical, plain-English tax tips.

17/02/2026

A new year always brings fresh opportunities.

For families — it’s reunion.
For businesses — it’s renewal.
For investors — it’s reflection.

May this Lunar New Year bring not just prosperity, but better decisions, wiser planning and long-term growth.

Here’s to a year of being not just profitable — but purposeful.

Happy Chinese New Year from Anna & Richard HC Oon 🧧✨

02/02/2026

A common mistake I see among business owners is focusing too much on what is claimable, and not enough on what is defensible.

Something can be technically deductible, yet still raise questions during an audit if the reasoning isn’t clear.

Tax is rarely about cleverness.
It’s about clarity and consistency.

02/02/2026

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 & “𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀”: 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸

A recent article highlighted that influencers may be taxed on gifts received from brands.
This has raised questions — but the tax principle itself isn’t new.

When free or promotional items are received 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, the issue is not what they are called, but 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱.

If an item is given because someone is an influencer, and it is connected to promoting, reviewing, or creating content, it may be regarded as 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, even if described as a “gift”.

Where such items are genuinely used in producing income — for example, consumed or utilised for promotional content — a 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, subject to evidence and proper substantiation.

This is not automatic. Facts matter.

A key consideration is control.

Once a content creator chooses which brands to work with and which products to accept, the arrangement begins to resemble 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀, rather than casual gifting.

This is not about punishment or crackdowns.
It is about recognising when content creation has evolved into a commercial activity, and applying tax rules consistently — as expected by Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia.

As always, tax is not about being clever.
It is about 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Some content creators welcome the latest income tax guidelines - including the need to declare gifts - though they call for more clarity on what exactly should be declared and how.

30/01/2026

One of the most expensive mistakes business owners and property investors make isn’t tax rates.

It’s making decisions without understanding timing, cashflow, and consequences.

I’ve explained this in simple terms in one of my short guides for business owners.

Richard Oon, who is a chartered accountant and practising licenced tax agent, has more than 35 years’ experience in the field of taxation.Richard who is a Human Resources Development Corporation (HRDC) Accredited Trainer, has conducted numerous talks...

25/01/2026

24 January | Property & Tax Planning Session

Thankful for the opportunity to spend the afternoon with property investors and business owners last week.

What stood out to me wasn’t the questions about rates or rules —
it was how many decisions are still being made using old tax assumptions in a very different tax environment today.

The landscape has changed. Quietly, but significantly.

If you remember one thing from my session, let it be this:

It’s time for a tax mindset reset.

Tax planning is no longer about last-minute fixes or clever deductions.
It’s about understanding how decisions affect your numbers, recognising risks early, and planning ahead — when options still exist.

Thank you to everyone who attended and engaged so thoughtfully.
These conversations matter, and I always appreciate seeing that moment when clarity sets in.

Many of the ideas shared that day are the same principles I return to in my writing and workshops — practical, grounded, and focused on helping people make better decisions with confidence.

20/01/2026

Property investing doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

Returns, financing and tax decisions are interconnected —
and it’s always useful to hear perspectives from different angles.

Looking forward to a meaningful discussion with fellow speakers at Property Forecast 2026.

17/01/2026

Over the years, I’ve seen property investors focus heavily on price, location and financing —
but far less on how tax rules, risks and planning evolve over time.

2026 will bring new considerations that investors should not ignore —
not to alarm, but to prepare.

Looking forward to sharing these perspectives at an upcoming property session in Penang.