Highlights of Prominent Documents in the Fields of Taxation and Healthcare

1. Implementation and Introduction of New Contents in Circular 99 on VAT Refund Management

Official Dispatch 3593/TCT-KK has outlined several new points in Circular 99/2016/TT-BTC on value-added tax (VAT) refund management, effective from August 13, 2016, as follows:

- Expanded scope to include the management of VAT refunds for taxpayers.- Enhanced VAT refund database. In addition to the general tax management database, a dedicated database for VAT refunds is now available.- Clarification of risk management principles in VAT refunds.- Implementation of customs procedures and refund management measures for cases with high tax risk.- Added guidance on offsetting tax debts and post-offset procedures for taxpayers’ refundable tax amounts.- Additional regulations related to refund documentation, VAT refund funding, and more.

Detailed new points in Circular 99 can be viewed in Official Dispatch 3593/TCT-KK issued on August 11, 2016.

2. Guidance Application of Import Tax Rates According to the Export and Import Tax Law

General Department of Customs recently issued Official Dispatch 8600/TCHQ-TXNK on September 07, 2016, providing guidance on applying import tax rates.

Guidance on the application of import tax rates covers:

- Imported goods originating from countries, group of countries, or territories that maintain most-favored-nation status in trade relations with Vietnam; goods from non-tariff zones entering the domestic market that meet the origin conditions from countries, group of countries, or territories with most-favored-nation status.- Imported goods originating from countries, group of countries, or territories having special tax preference agreements in trade relations with Vietnam; goods from non-tariff zones entering the domestic market meeting the origin conditions from countries, groups of countries, or territories with special preferential tax agreements.- Imported goods not falling into the above categories.

3. Guidance on Using Functions of the Import-Export Tax Accounting System

On September 01, 2016, the General Department of Customs issued Official Dispatch 8450/TCHQ-CNTT guiding provincial and municipal Customs Departments on operations within the import-export tax accounting information system regarding:

- Using the grace period adjustment function to adjust grace periods; entering penalty decisions to calculate late payment interest.- Checking guarantees or manual deposits via electronic vouchers on the system for temporary import and re-export trading goods.- Using the function to enter separate guarantee certificates or deposit funds to manage guarantee documents or deposit amounts.- Using journal vouchers related to import declarations to enter tax exemption decisions for import declarations.

Additionally, this past week, Thu Ky Luat has updated some notable documents in the healthcare sector, such as:

1. Decision 4845/QD-BYT issued in 2016, providing guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria by the Minister of Health.
2. Decision 4825/QD-BYT issued in 2016 on the technical processes in pediatrics by the Minister of Health.
3. Circular 31/2016/TT-BYT detailing the template for bidding documents for procurement of medicinal herbs and traditional medicines at healthcare facilities, issued by the Minister of Health.
4. Circular 25/2016/TT-BLDTBXH guiding the determination and management of participants in health insurance as prescribed in Clause 4, Article 1 of the amended Law on Health Insurance, issued by the Minister of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs.

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE