This 1 April 2023 you’re going to have to pay 10% more for stuff you buy and import from overseas priced less than RM500. This is because Malaysia will start collecting a new sales tax for online low-value goods and hard-to-find overseas smartphone cases are usually below RM500.

This will not affect goods bought before 1 April 2023 but shipped afterwards. But, if you buy a smartphone case from China or Amazon after 1 April 2023 for RM10 with a shipping fee of RM4.90, you will have to pay RM15.90 (RM10 + 10% sales tax [RM1] + RM4.9 shipping fee). 

What if you're a seller?

If you’re an online seller of below RM500 imported goods then you’re going to have to register with Customs. Strangely enough, this new tax does not affect e-cigarettes, vape devices or the liquid or gels needed for these devices. 

This means that even if you’re buying a smartphone case from a local seller after 1 April 2023, if it was originally imported in bulk from overseas after 1 April 2023, it would still have been taxed and subsequently increased in price. To most people, this isn’t entirely a big issue but local online sellers as mentioned above might get a bit of a pinch in import costs. 

Given the 1 April 2023 starting date, it all seems like a horrible pre-April fools joke, but according to the Malay Mail it is officially based off of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department’s (RMCD) draft tax guide as of January 1. What do you think? Will this impact you? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com