Jul 2010
Thai Customs announces the re-opening of the voluntary audit program (VAP) (โครงการตรวจสอบการเสียภาษีอากรให้ผู้ประกอบการ) to allow companies to review operations and disclose underpayments of duty and tax to Thai Customs.
The key advantages of the VAP includes a simplified declaration process and the potential waiver of penalties and surcharges for cases where it has been proved to Customs’ satisfaction that the offenders did not have fraudulent intent in committing the offences. It should be noted that historically offences related to non-declaration of goods, evasion of import / export restrictions, and counterfeit trading have not been considered under the program. Those currently under customs audit or investigation would not be eligible.
Companies that are interested in the VAP may contact the PCAB from now until 30 September 2010. The decision whether to join the program should be carefully considered and it is advisable to review the operations prior to making the final decision whether to enrol. Companies enrolling in the program are usually considered lower risk and therefore a lower audit priority in the future.
