A 139-page draft circular on customs procedures, customs inspection and supervision, and tax administration of imports and exports has been recently put up for public comment.
Under the draft, customs inspection of imported, exported and transited goods as well as means of transport on entry, exit or transit would be conducted on the risk management principle, that is on the basis of results of information analysis and assessment of the observance of law by customs declarants and taxpayers.
Goods owners that have good law observance records would be given priority in carrying out customs inspection procedures for their imports and exports.
A goods owner with a good law observance record is defined in the draft circular as a goods owner that, within 365 days counting to the date of registering a customs declaration for a goods lot, has been determined by the customs office as not having been handled for smuggling or illegal cross-border transportation of goods; tax evasion, tax fraud or incorrect declaration resulting in tax underpayment and subject to a fine of VND 20 million or more; not having owed tax debts for over 90 days from the tax payment deadline; and having paid value-added tax by the deduction method.
The circular is expected to be promulgated in June.-