Southeast Asian nations are stepping up taxation efforts

Moves to increase revenue from companies aim to fix pandemic-ravaged state finances

Southeast Asian nations get relatively large proportions of their tax revenues from corporations.

TOMOSHIZU KAWASE, Nikkei corporate tax editor, and KATSUYA MIYAKAWA, Nikkei staff writer

May 23, 2021 14:03 JST

TOKYO -- A wave of efforts to increase corporate tax revenue is sweeping through Southeast Asia as governments race to plug yawning budget holes created by the economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, tax authorities are accelerating the pace of investigations and are enforcing stricter rules on companies than before -- such as shortening the deadline for submitting tax documents.