Chapter 4
These Are The Personal Tax Reliefs You Can Claim In Malaysia
For income tax in Malaysia, personal deductions and reliefs can help reduce your chargeable income, and thus your taxes. If planned properly, you can save a significant amount of taxes.
There are personal reliefs that every taxpayer in Malaysia can deduct once their income reaches the chargeable income level. In addition, there are other reliefs that you can deduct from your chargeable income if you had spent money in that category for the year.
Income tax relief for lifestyle expenses
The government has added a lifestyle tax relief during the 2017 budget, which now includes smartphones, tablets and monthly internet subscription bills. The previous laptop, books, stationary and sports equipment tax relief is now grouped under lifestyle tax too. There is also a separate tax relief for lifestyle expenses for sport activities.
These are the types of personal reliefs you can claim for the Year of Assessment 2023 [for filing in 2024] :
| Self and dependent relatives | |
| Expenses on charging facilities for Electric Vehicle (Not for business use) | |
| Life insurance and EPF including not through salary deduction For pensionable public servants: up to RM7,000 life insurance For non-public servants: up to RM3,000 for life insurance and up to RM4,000 for EPF | |
| Deferred annuity and Private Retirement Scheme (PRS) – with effect from year of assessment 2012 until year of assessment 2025 | |
| Insurance premium for education or medical benefit including not through salary deduction | |
| Contribution to the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) | |
| Husband/Wife/Alimony payment to former spouse | |
| Medical expenses for parents (treatment, special needs, carer expenses) | |
| Education fees (Individual) (i) Other than a degree at Masters or Doctorate level for acquiring law, accounting, Islamic financing, technical, vocational, industrial, scientific or technological skills of qualification; (ii) Degree at Masters or Doctorate level for acquiring any skills or qualifications (iii) Course of study undertaken for the purpose of upskilling or self-enhancement (Restricted to RM2,000) | |
| Medical expenses for serious diseases for self, spouse or child (including vaccination expenses up to RM1,000) | |
| Vaccination for self, spouse and child (up to RM1,000) | |
| Fertility or IVF treatments | |
| Lifestyle: (i) Purchase or subscription of books, journals, magazine, printed newspaper and other similar publications (except banned reading materials) for self, spouse or child; (ii) Purchase of a personal computer, smartphone or tablet for self, spouse or child; (iii) Purchase of sports equipment for any sports activity as defined under the Sports Development Act 1997 (excluding motorised two-wheel bicycles) and gym memberships for self, spouse or child; and (iv) Payment of monthly bill for internet subscription (under taxpayer name) | |
| Lifestyle: Purchase of personal computer, smartphone or tablet for self, spouse or child and not for business use. (This relief is an addition to the existing lifestyle relief) | |
| Lifestyle: Additional relief for the use / benefit of self, spouse or child in respect of: (i) Purchase of sports equipment for any sports activity as defined under the Sports Development Act 1997 (ii) Payment of rental or entrance fee to any sports facility (iii) Payment of registration fee for any sports competition where the organizer is approved and licensed by the Commissioner of Sports under the Sports Development Act 1997 | |
| Purchase of breastfeeding equipment (claim allowed once every 2 years) | |
| Disabled individual | |
| Disabled wife/husband | |
| Basic supporting equipment (for disabled self, spouse, child or parent) | |
| Domestic tourism expenses on: (i) Payment of accommodation at the premises registered with the Commissioner of Tourism under the Tourism Industry Act 1992 (ii) Payment of entrance fee to a tourist attraction (iii) Purchase of domestic tour package through a licensed travel agent registered with the Commissioner of Tourism under the Tourism Industry Act 1992 | |
| Ordinary child relief | |
| Each unmarried child of 18 years and above who is receiving full-time education ("A-Level", certificate, matriculation or preparatory courses) | |
| Each unmarried child of 18 years and above that is: (i) receiving further education in Malaysia for diploma or higher (excluding matriculation/preparatory courses) (ii) receiving further education outside Malaysia for degree or its equivalent (including Master or Doctorate) (iii) the instruction and educational establishment shall be approved by the relevant government authority | |
| Disabled child | |
| Additional exemption of RM8,000 of disabled child aged 18 years old and above, not married and pursuing diplomas or above qualifications in Malaysia or bachelor degree or above outside of Malaysia in program and in Higher Education Institute that is accredited by related Government authorities | |
| Net saving in SSPN's scheme (Net deposit is the total deposit in 2022 MINUS total withdrawal in 2022) | |
| Child care fees to a child care centre or a kindergarten | |
Source: LHDN
Other income tax reliefs for medical expenses, married couples
There really are a lot of tax reliefs and if you plan your reliefs effectively every year, you could be saving thousands in taxes every year.
Quick tips
One of the most beneficial personal tax relief categories is the medical relief, especially after the Prime Minister announced that the limit for medical personal tax relief has been increased from RM8000 to RM10000 starting from Year of Assessment 2023. Check out our article focusing on medical income tax relief to find out what procedures are eligible for a personal income tax relief.
Quick tips
On top of just looking at tax reliefs, how you file can make a difference. For married taxpayers, you need to consider whether to file for joint or separate assessment to maximise on the tax relief such as spouse relief, and also which spouse to claim for child relief. Depending on the income differences between the spouses claiming joint or separate can have a big impact on your tax savings.
Income Tax Calculator
Want to calculate how much tax you could be saving with tax relief?
Use our 2024 income tax calculator to find out!
