Tax Structure of Malaysian Sdn. Bhd. Malaysian Shareholders vs. Foreign Shareholders 马来西亚 Sdn. Bhd. 公司税率架构 马来西亚股东 vs 外国股东
Only Companies That Meet the MSMC Conditions May Enjoy the 15% / 17% / 24% Tiered Tax Rates
From YA 2024 onwards, where more than 20% of the paid-up ordinary share capital is held directly or indirectly by foreign companies or non-Malaysian citizens, the company’s eligibility for the MSMC preferential tax rates may be affected.
HASiL’s latest Public Ruling No. 8/2025 has clearly set out this rule.
Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Corporate Tax Rate Structure
Malaysian Shareholders vs Foreign Shareholders
This tiered tax structure has applied from YA 2023 and continues to be reflected in HASiL Public Ruling No. 8/2025.
For example, if the company’s final:
Chargeable Income = RM500,000
Tax calculation:
First RM150,000 × 15%
= RM22,500
Next RM350,000 × 17%
= RM59,500
Estimated Corporate Income Tax = RM82,000
Therefore, the entire RM500,000 is not taxed at 15%.
2. Other Basic Conditions Must Also Be Satisfied
Eligibility cannot be determined solely by whether the shareholders are Malaysian.
Generally, the company must also satisfy conditions including:
Paid-up Ordinary Share Capital ≤ RM2.5 million
and:
Gross Income from Business Sources ≤ RM50 million
The company must also satisfy the relevant statutory conditions relating to group structure, related companies, and other eligibility requirements.
Therefore:
Malaysian Shareholders ≠ Automatic Eligibility for the 15% Tax Rate
Only companies that satisfy the full MSMC qualifying conditions may apply the preferential tiered rates.
3. Sdn. Bhd. Owned by Foreign Shareholders
Foreigners are permitted to become shareholders of a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd.
However, for corporate income tax preferential-rate eligibility, special attention must be given to the level of foreign ownership.
From YA 2024, if at the beginning of the basis period for the relevant year of assessment, more than 20% of the company’s paid-up ordinary share capital is held directly or indirectly by:
① One or more companies incorporated outside Malaysia; or
② One or more individuals who are not Malaysian citizens;
the company will not qualify for the relevant MSMC preferential tax rates.
4. Example: 100% Malaysian Shareholding
Assume:
ABC Trading Sdn. Bhd.
Shareholder:
Malaysian Individual — 100%
The company also satisfies all other MSMC eligibility conditions.
Chargeable Income:
RM1,000,000
Tax calculation:
First RM150,000 × 15%
= RM22,500
RM150,001 – RM600,000:
RM450,000 × 17%
= RM76,500
Amount exceeding RM600,000:
RM400,000 × 24%
= RM96,000
Corporate Income Tax = RM195,000
Effective tax rate:
Approximately 19.5%
5. Example: 100% Foreign Shareholding
Assume:
XYZ International Sdn. Bhd.
Shareholder:
Chinese Individual — 100%
Chargeable Income:
RM1,000,000
Because foreign ownership exceeds 20%, the company does not qualify for the above MSMC preferential tax rates.
General corporate income tax rate:
24%
Calculation:
RM1,000,000 × 24% = RM240,000
Therefore:
Estimated Corporate Income Tax = RM240,000
6. Important Misunderstanding: Foreign Shareholders ≠ No Deduction for Business Expenses
This point must be separated from the issue of the applicable tax rate.
For example, assume a:
100% Foreign-Owned Sdn. Bhd.
has:
Business Revenue:
RM2,000,000
and genuine qualifying:
Purchases + Salaries + Warehouse + Advertising + Logistics + Accounting + Software and other expenses:
RM1,400,000
It would be incorrect to calculate:
RM2,000,000 × 24%
The company must still calculate:
Revenue
− Cost of Goods Sold
− Allowable Business Expenses
± Tax Adjustments
= Chargeable Income
Only then is the applicable corporate income tax rate applied.
Therefore:
Foreign ownership may affect MSMC preferential tax-rate eligibility, but it does not mean that a foreign-owned company cannot deduct genuine and qualifying business expenses.
7. How Should the 20% Rule Be Understood?
This point is especially important.
The rule uses the wording:
more than 20%
Therefore, 20% and more than 20% should not be treated as the same thing.
For example:
80% Malaysian + 20% Foreigner
The company should not automatically be treated as disqualified merely because there is a 20% foreign shareholder. The other MSMC eligibility conditions must still be reviewed.
However:
79% Malaysian + 21% Foreigner
Foreign ownership exceeds 20%, so the foreign ownership restriction is triggered.
It is also important to consider both:
Direct and Indirect Shareholding
The assessment should not be based only on the first layer of shareholders shown in the SSM records.
8. Two Structures at a Glance
🇲🇾 Malaysian-Shareholder Sdn. Bhd.
Meets All MSMC Conditions
↓
First RM150,000
15%
↓
RM150,001 – RM600,000
17%
↓
Amount exceeding RM600,000
24%
🌏 Foreign-Shareholder Sdn. Bhd.
Direct / Indirect Foreign Ownership >20%
↓
Does not qualify for the relevant MSMC preferential tax rates
↓
Chargeable Income
General Corporate Tax Rate: 24%
9. Important Reminder for Foreign Investors
When foreign investors incorporate a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd., the following three concepts should be clearly distinguished:
① Foreign Ownership
This determines the company’s ownership structure and may affect eligibility for the MSMC preferential tax rates.
② Paid-up Capital
Paid-up Capital may affect certain tax qualifications, licensing applications, banking matters, ESD / WRT planning, and other regulatory requirements.
However, corporate tax-rate eligibility cannot be determined solely by looking at paid-up capital.
③ Allowable Business Expenses
Tax deductibility is generally determined by whether the expense is genuine, incurred in producing business income, and satisfies the relevant income tax requirements.
Therefore:
Foreign shareholders may legally operate a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd., and genuine qualifying business expenses may still be deducted in accordance with the law. However, where direct or indirect foreign ownership exceeds 20%, special attention must be given to the company’s eligibility for the MSMC 15% / 17% preferential corporate tax rates.
马来西亚股东 Sdn. Bhd.
外国股东 Sdn. Bhd.
From YA 2024 onwards, where more than 20% of the paid-up ordinary share capital is held directly or indirectly by foreign companies or non-Malaysian citizens, the company’s eligibility for the MSMC preferential tax rates may be affected.
HASiL’s latest Public Ruling No. 8/2025 has clearly set out this rule.
Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Corporate Tax Rate Structure
Malaysian Shareholders vs Foreign Shareholders
This tiered tax structure has applied from YA 2023 and continues to be reflected in HASiL Public Ruling No. 8/2025.
For example, if the company’s final:
Chargeable Income = RM500,000
Tax calculation:
First RM150,000 × 15%
= RM22,500
Next RM350,000 × 17%
= RM59,500
Estimated Corporate Income Tax = RM82,000
Therefore, the entire RM500,000 is not taxed at 15%.
Eligibility cannot be determined solely by whether the shareholders are Malaysian.
Generally, the company must also satisfy conditions including:
Paid-up Ordinary Share Capital ≤ RM2.5 million
and:
Gross Income from Business Sources ≤ RM50 million
The company must also satisfy the relevant statutory conditions relating to group structure, related companies, and other eligibility requirements.
Therefore:
Malaysian Shareholders ≠ Automatic Eligibility for the 15% Tax Rate
Only companies that satisfy the full MSMC qualifying conditions may apply the preferential tiered rates.
Foreigners are permitted to become shareholders of a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd.
However, for corporate income tax preferential-rate eligibility, special attention must be given to the level of foreign ownership.
From YA 2024, if at the beginning of the basis period for the relevant year of assessment, more than 20% of the company’s paid-up ordinary share capital is held directly or indirectly by:
① One or more companies incorporated outside Malaysia; or
② One or more individuals who are not Malaysian citizens;
the company will not qualify for the relevant MSMC preferential tax rates.
Assume:
ABC Trading Sdn. Bhd.
Shareholder:
Malaysian Individual — 100%
The company also satisfies all other MSMC eligibility conditions.
Chargeable Income:
RM1,000,000
Tax calculation:
First RM150,000 × 15%
= RM22,500
RM150,001 – RM600,000:
RM450,000 × 17%
= RM76,500
Amount exceeding RM600,000:
RM400,000 × 24%
= RM96,000
Corporate Income Tax = RM195,000
Effective tax rate:
Approximately 19.5%
Assume:
XYZ International Sdn. Bhd.
Shareholder:
Chinese Individual — 100%
Chargeable Income:
RM1,000,000
Because foreign ownership exceeds 20%, the company does not qualify for the above MSMC preferential tax rates.
General corporate income tax rate:
24%
Calculation:
RM1,000,000 × 24% = RM240,000
Therefore:
Estimated Corporate Income Tax = RM240,000
This point must be separated from the issue of the applicable tax rate.
For example, assume a:
100% Foreign-Owned Sdn. Bhd.
has:
Business Revenue:
RM2,000,000
and genuine qualifying:
Purchases + Salaries + Warehouse + Advertising + Logistics + Accounting + Software and other expenses:
RM1,400,000
It would be incorrect to calculate:
RM2,000,000 × 24%
The company must still calculate:
Revenue
− Cost of Goods Sold
− Allowable Business Expenses
± Tax Adjustments
= Chargeable Income
Only then is the applicable corporate income tax rate applied.
Therefore:
Foreign ownership may affect MSMC preferential tax-rate eligibility, but it does not mean that a foreign-owned company cannot deduct genuine and qualifying business expenses.
This point is especially important.
The rule uses the wording:
more than 20%
Therefore, 20% and more than 20% should not be treated as the same thing.
For example:
80% Malaysian + 20% Foreigner
The company should not automatically be treated as disqualified merely because there is a 20% foreign shareholder. The other MSMC eligibility conditions must still be reviewed.
However:
79% Malaysian + 21% Foreigner
Foreign ownership exceeds 20%, so the foreign ownership restriction is triggered.
It is also important to consider both:
Direct and Indirect Shareholding
The assessment should not be based only on the first layer of shareholders shown in the SSM records.
🇲🇾 Malaysian-Shareholder Sdn. Bhd.
Meets All MSMC Conditions
↓
First RM150,000
15%
↓
RM150,001 – RM600,000
17%
↓
Amount exceeding RM600,000
24%
Direct / Indirect Foreign Ownership >20%
↓
Does not qualify for the relevant MSMC preferential tax rates
↓
Chargeable Income
General Corporate Tax Rate: 24%
When foreign investors incorporate a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd., the following three concepts should be clearly distinguished:
① Foreign Ownership
This determines the company’s ownership structure and may affect eligibility for the MSMC preferential tax rates.
② Paid-up Capital
Paid-up Capital may affect certain tax qualifications, licensing applications, banking matters, ESD / WRT planning, and other regulatory requirements.
However, corporate tax-rate eligibility cannot be determined solely by looking at paid-up capital.
③ Allowable Business Expenses
Tax deductibility is generally determined by whether the expense is genuine, incurred in producing business income, and satisfies the relevant income tax requirements.
Therefore:
Foreign shareholders may legally operate a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd., and genuine qualifying business expenses may still be deducted in accordance with the law. However, where direct or indirect foreign ownership exceeds 20%, special attention must be given to the company’s eligibility for the MSMC 15% / 17% preferential corporate tax rates.
符合 MSMC 条件的公司才可享有 15% / 17% / 24% 阶梯税率；从 YA 2024 起，超过 20% 的外国公司或非马来西亚公民直接或间接持股，会影响该优惠税率资格。 HASiL 最新 Public Ruling No. 8/2025 已明确这一规则。
马来西亚 Sdn. Bhd. 公司税率架构
马来西亚股东 vs 外国股东
一、马来西亚股东持有的 Sdn. Bhd.
如果公司符合马来西亚 **Micro, Small and Medium Companies（MSMC）**优惠税率的全部资格条件，公司应税收入（Chargeable Income）可适用：
应税收入 Chargeable Income 税率
首 RM150,000 15%
RM150,001 – RM600,000 17%
超过 RM600,000 的部分 24%
这套阶梯税率自 YA 2023 起适用，并继续反映在 HASiL Public Ruling No. 8/2025 中。
例如，公司最终 Chargeable Income = RM500,000：
首 RM150,000 × 15% = RM22,500
接下来 RM350,000 × 17% = RM59,500
预计公司所得税 = RM82,000
所以不是 RM500,000 全部按照15%计算。
________________________________________
二、享受优惠税率还必须满足基本条件
不能只看股东是不是马来西亚人。
一般还需要检查包括：
Paid-up Ordinary Share Capital ≤ RM2.5 million
以及：
Gross Income from Business Sources ≤ RM50 million
同时还要检查集团关系、关联公司及其他法定资格条件。
因此：
马来西亚股东 ≠ 自动享受15%公司税率。
只有符合完整 MSMC 条件，才可采用优惠阶梯税率。
________________________________________
三、外国股东持有的 Sdn. Bhd.
外国人完全可以成为马来西亚 Sdn. Bhd. 的股东。
但是在公司所得税优惠资格方面，需要特别注意外国持股比例。
从 YA 2024 开始，如果在有关课税年度基期开始时，超过 20% 的公司实缴普通股股本直接或间接由以下人士持有：
① 一家或多家在马来西亚境外成立的公司；或
② 一名或多名非马来西亚公民个人；
则公司不能享有相关 MSMC 特别优惠税率
四、举例：100%马来西亚股东
假设：
ABC Trading Sdn. Bhd.
股东：
Malaysian Individual — 100%
公司同时符合 MSMC 的其他资格条件。
Chargeable Income：
RM1,000,000
税务计算：
首 RM150,000 × 15%
= RM22,500
RM150,001 – RM600,000：
RM450,000 × 17%
= RM76,500
超过 RM600,000：
RM400,000 × 24%
= RM96,000
公司所得税 = RM195,000________________________________________
五、举例：100%外国股东
假设：
XYZ International Sdn. Bhd.
股东：
Chinese Individual — 100%
Chargeable Income：
RM1,000,000
由于外国持股超过20%，不能享有上述 MSMC 特别优惠税率。
一般公司税率：24%
计算：
RM1,000,000 × 24% = RM240,000
所以：
Estimated Corporate Income Tax = RM240,000
________________________________________
六、最容易误解：外国股东 ≠ 不能扣公司开销
这一点一定要与“税率”分开。
例如一家：
100%外国股东 Sdn. Bhd.
营业收入：
RM2,000,000
真实且符合条件的：
采购成本 + 员工薪资 + 仓库 + 广告 + 物流 + 会计 + 软件等费用：
RM1,400,000
不能理解成：
RM2,000,000 × 24%
公司仍然需要正常计算：
Revenue
− Cost of Goods Sold
− Allowable Business Expenses
± Tax Adjustments
= Chargeable Income
然后才根据公司适用的税率计算所得税。
所以：
外国持股影响 MSMC 优惠税率资格，并不代表外国股东公司的正常商业费用不能获得税务扣除。
________________________________________
七、20%规则怎么理解？
这里尤其需要注意：
外国持股刚好20%
规则使用的是：
more than 20%（超过20%）
因此不能简单把“20%”和“超过20%”混为一谈。
例如：
80% Malaysian + 20% Foreigner
不能仅因为存在20%外国股东，就直接判断失去优惠资格；仍需要继续检查其他 MSMC 条件。
但是：
79% Malaysian + 21% Foreigner
已经超过20%，则触发这一外国持股限制。
而且需要注意直接及间接持股（directly or indirectly），不能只看 SSM 表面第一层股东。
________________________________________
八、一张图看懂两种架构
马来西亚股东 Sdn. Bhd.符合 MSMC 全部条件
↓
首 RM150,000
15%
↓
RM150,001 – RM600,000
17%
↓
超过 RM600,000
24%
________________________________________
外国股东 Sdn. Bhd.外国直接/间接持股 >20%
↓
不符合该 MSMC 特别税率资格
↓
Chargeable Income
一般公司税率 24%
________________________________________
九、给外国投资者的重要提醒
外国投资者注册马来西亚 Sdn. Bhd. 时，建议把以下三个概念完全分开：
① Foreign Ownership（外国持股）
决定公司股权结构，并可能影响 MSMC 税率优惠资格。
② Paid-up Capital（实缴股本）
会影响部分税务资格、执照、银行、ESD/WRT等商业规划，但不能只看股本判断公司税率。
③ Allowable Business Expenses（可扣税商业开销）
主要根据费用是否真实、是否为产生营业收入而发生，以及是否符合所得税法规判断。
因此：
外国股东可以正常经营马来西亚 Sdn. Bhd.，公司真实且符合条件的营业开销仍可依法扣除；但超过20%的外国直接或间接持股，需要特别注意 MSMC 15% / 17%优惠公司税率资格。
最简单的客户版本
马来西亚股东公司：
符合 MSMC 条件 → 15% / 17% / 24% 阶梯税率
外国持股不超过20%：
→ 仍需进一步检查 MSMC 其他资格条件
外国直接或间接持股超过20%：
→ 不享有该 MSMC 特别税率，一般24%
无论本地或外国股东：
→ 公司所得税都是针对**应税收入（Chargeable Income）**计算，而不是直接针对营业额计算。HASiL 最新 Public Ruling No. 8/2025 也确认自 YA 2023 起的 MSMC 特别税率为首 RM150,000 15%、RM150,001–RM600,000 17%、超过 RM600,000 的部分24%
Aug 25,2026