Thailand launches Easy E-Receipt 2.0 for tax deductions on shopping

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Finance Ministry’s Easy E-Receipt 2.0 measure, designed to encourage income earners to shop and deduct amounts of up to 50,000 baht from their taxable income. 

Speaking to reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra explained that the proposal allows salaried people to deduct shopping amounts of up to 50,000 baht from their income before calculating the tax due.

This measure will be in effect from January 16 to February 28, she added. 

Shops within the value-added tax system will need to issue e-receipts by inputting customers’ identification card numbers. These e-receipts will then automatically register as expenses to reduce taxable income. 

The premier noted that the Easy E-Receipt 2.0 measure differs slightly from the previous version (1.0), with the following changes: 

• Taxpayers can deduct up to 30,000 baht from spending at general shops
• For purchases made at community enterprise shops, SMEs and Otop shops, the deduction will range between 20,000 and 50,000 baht. 
   

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said the Easy E-Receipt 1.0 initiative successfully encouraged more shops to join the VAT system, with a 20% increase in participating shops this year. He added that community enterprises can also join the VAT system to benefit from the Easy E-Receipt 2.0 measure, with the process taking just one week. 

Julapun said the Finance Ministry expects to lose around 10 billion baht in tax revenue, but the measure is expected to see some 70 billion baht in circulation within the economy. 

The Easy E-Receipt 2.0 scheme will not cover purchases of: 

• Liquor, beer and wine
• Tobacco
• Motorcycles, vehicles and boats
• Water, electricity, phone and internet bills
• Disaster insurance premiums.