Car importers face post-audit

 The department also expects that the National Single Window – integrating information on exports, imports and logistics – will be 80 per cent completed this year.
Somchai said the department planned to audit all importers of luxury cars to investigate whether they paid all due taxes. It has already audited some of the approximately 50 firms, he said.
Some car importers, particularly in the grey market, have declared prices much lower than they actually are to evade taxes, according to the department.
Somchai said authorities had to obtain substantial evidence before they could collect more tax from these importers, so the department might first let them gain import clearance. “We will then implement a post-audit to find irregularities.”
The Cabinet last week approved a proposal by the Commerce Ministry to ban imports of bodies of used cars. The move is aimed at preventing imports of luxury cars as auto parts to pay less tax. Excise tax on complete luxury cars is 180-300 per cent.
Previously about 800-900 used-car bodies were imported every month, but recently that number has dropped to about 200-300 per month, he said.
Importers of other products such as wine, liquor and cigarettes that are subject to high import tariffs and excise taxes were also suspected of declaring artificially low import prices, Somchai said.
The department has also invested in three new patrol boats as it steps up its campaign against smuggling of oil and gas out of the country. Government subsidies on oil and gas make them cheaper than in neighbouring countries, which encourages smuggling, he said.
Regarding the National Single Window scheme, Somchai said 80 per cent of 40 state agencies would be able to connect their export, import and logistics data by the end of this year.