The Times Australia
Mirvac Harbourside
News From Asia

.

Hong Kong's fiscal position remains healthy despite deficit, KPMG recommends strategically utilizing fiscal reserves to support economic growth

Encourage enterprises to establish regional headquarters to attract capital, companies, and talent holistically

  • The Budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year announced a full withdrawal of all demand-side management measures for residential properties with immediate effect, bringing positive factors to the economic recovery.
  • KPMG advises the government to conduct a comprehensive review of the tax system, taking into consideration Hong Kong's future economic positioning, and to make corresponding adjustments to the tax policy.

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 29 February 2024 - KPMG welcomes the Hong Kong government's Budget, recognising it as taking a balanced approach to development, addressing the needs of both citizens and businesses, which will effectively create opportunities and drive high-quality economic development in the city. Despite the forecast fiscal deficit being larger than expected, the government's fiscal reserves remain healthy.

John Timpany, Head of Tax in Hong Kong, KPMG China, says: "The government proposes various strategies to increase revenue and contain expenditure. For example, the recently announced Productivity Enhancement Program is expected to trim 1% of recurrent government expenditure in each of the next two fiscal years, with the saved resources being reallocated internally. These stringent expenditure control measures are a prudent step. While unlikely to be welcomed, proposals such as resuming the collection of Hotel Accommodation Tax and introducing a two-tiered standard tax rate regime for salaries tax and tax under personal assessment will increase government revenue in the short term without significantly impacting the majority of citizens and businesses."

Alice Leung, Tax Partner, KPMG China, says: "KPMG previously raised suggestion to the government regarding the profits tax allowances for industrial and commercial buildings and structures. We are pleased to see that the government has proposed optimizations in the Budget, including the removal of the time limit for claiming the allowances. Additionally, we welcome the government's decision to completely eliminate the demand-side management measures for residential properties. These measures were originally implemented to curb speculative trading, which is no longer a critical concern. Since the Policy Address in October last year, which dialed back the measures, we have not seen a resurgence in speculative activity in the property market. Eliminating these cooling measures could bring positive momentum to the economy."

Stanley Ho, Tax Partner, KPMG China, says: "KPMG welcomes the measures in the Budget, which aim to attract businesses, capital, and talent. This includes investing in innovative technologies and nurturing talent in the innovation and technology sector. To promote Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology centre, we are pleased to see the government's continuing support and assistance to enable high value-added technology industries and enterprises to establish a foothold in the city."

KPMG welcomes the reaffirmation of the government's commitment to optimising tax incentives for funds and family offices, and recommends that the government launch and implement relevant plans as soon as possible to further promote the development of asset management in Hong Kong. In addition, KPMG recommends that the government comprehensively review the tax system to allow Hong Kong to maintain its competitiveness.

KPMG believes that the government could provide further tax incentives and exemptions to attract global companies to establish regional headquarters in Hong Kong, such as adopting 50% of the normal tax rate (i.e. 8.25%) for profits derived from regional headquarters in the city. Additionally, KPMG recommends introducing special tax loss measures, promoting investment in start-ups and scientific research projects, and easing the current stringent tax deduction conditions for interest payments to enhance the tax system.

Hashtag: #KPMGChina

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About KPMG China

KPMG China has offices located in 31 cities with over 15,000 partners and staff, in Beijing, Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dongguan, Foshan, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Nanjing, Nantong, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xiamen, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR. Working collaboratively across all these offices, KPMG China can deploy experienced professionals efficiently, wherever our client is located.

KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG is the brand under which the member firms of KPMG International Limited ("KPMG International") operate and provide professional services. "KPMG" is used to refer to individual member firms within the KPMG organization or to one or more member firms collectively.

KPMG firms operate in 144 countries and territories with more than 236,000 partners and employees working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. Each KPMG member firm is responsible for its own obligations and liabilities.

KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.

In 1992, KPMG became the first international accounting network to be granted a joint venture licence in the Chinese Mainland. KPMG was also the first among the Big Four in the Chinese Mainland to convert from a joint venture to a special general partnership, as of 1 August 2012. Additionally, the Hong Kong firm can trace its origins to 1945. This early commitment to this market, together with an unwavering focus on quality, has been the foundation for accumulated industry experience, and is reflected in KPMG's appointment for multidisciplinary services (including audit, tax and advisory) by some of China's most prestigious companies.

Mirvac Harbourside

Times Magazine

YepAI Joins Victoria's AI Trade Mission to Singapore for Big Data & AI World Asia 2025

YepAI, a Melbourne-based leader in enterprise artificial intelligence solutions, announced today...

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an onli...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beau...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data anal...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right c...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in t...

The Times Features

Noticing These 5 Issues? Contact an Emergency Plumber Now

The invisible arteries running through homes, plumbing systems, streamline daily life discreetly...

The Perfect Champagne Day Pairing: Luke Nguyen’s Chargrilled Lemongrass Beef Skewers

Celebrate Champagne Day on October 24th with this delicious recipe and elegant pairing from Luke Ngu...

Bribing kids to eat vegetables might backfire. Here’s what to do instead

It’s a tactic many parents know well: “eat two bites of broccoli, and then you can have desser...

Common Wall Mounting Challenges and How Professionals Solve Them

It is not always as easy as it seems to mount artwork, shelves, or TVs, since some difficulties are ...

Understanding Centrelink Investment Property Valuation: A Guide for Australian Property Owners

Introduction Owning an investment property in Australia can bring financial stability — but it al...

The climate crisis is fuelling extreme fires across the planet

We’ve all seen the alarming images. Smoke belching from the thick forests[1] of the Amazon. Sp...

Applications open for Future Cotton Leaders Program 2026

Applications have opened for the 2026 intake for the Australia Future Cotton Leaders Program (AFCL...

Optimising is just perfectionism in disguise. Here’s why that’s a problem

If you regularly scroll health and wellness content online, you’ve no doubt heard of optimisin...

Macquarie Bank Democratises Agentic AI, Scaling Customer Innovation with Gemini Enterprise

Macquarie’s Banking and Financial Services group (Macquarie Bank), in collaboration with Google ...