LHDN withdraws income tax appeal against Najib's daughter Nooryana

PUTRAJAYA: The government has withdrawn its appeal against a High Court decision in relation to a RM10.3mil tax suit filed against Datuk Seri Najib Razak's daughter Nooryana Najwa.

It was understood that the Court of Appeal, where the appeal was filed, received a notice of discontinuance regarding the appeal from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).

The appeal was withdrawn without costs.

In an Instagram post, Nooryana Najwa said her tax case was settled after her tax agents and LHDN went through the case.

"They finally agreed that wang hantaran, nafkah (alimony) from my husband and a house fully purchased by my in-laws using funds from abroad are not taxable," she wrote.

The appeal was initially fixed for an online hearing on Wednesday (Oct 5).

LHDN was appealing against a Shah Alam High Court decision on Aug 26, 2020 that dismissed its application to obtain a summary judgment against Nooryana Najwa to recover RM10.3mil in unpaid income tax.

A summary judgment is obtained when the court decides on a case, through written submissions, without a full trial and calling witnesses.

On July 24, 2019, the Malaysian government as the plaintiff, filed a writ of summons through LHDN at the High Court naming Nooryana Najwa as the defendant.

According to the statement of claim, LHDN alleged that Nooryana Najwa failed to submit the Individual Income Tax Return Forms to the IRB, under Section 77 of the Income Tax Act 1967, for the years of assessment from 2011 to 2017.

LHDN contended that she had not paid the amount of income tax owed including the increases, worth a total of RM10,335,292.36.