KUALA LUMPUR: Tax collection has risen 9% to RM129.6bil in the first half of 2026, driven mainly by higher corporate income tax, says Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong.
The figure was up from RM119.1bil in the same period in 2025.
Liew said the increase was also from sales and service tax collected, particularly the food and beverage, services, insurance and logistics sectors.
"In line with economic growth, tax revenue collection up to June 2026 also increased by 9%," he said in a written reply during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Oct 7).
He said the economy grew 6% in the second quarter, up from 5.4% in the first, bringing growth in the first half to 5.7%.
Liew said e-invoicing, rolled out in phases since August 2024, had also helped prevent revenue leakage.
He was replying to Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut), who asked about total tax collection this year compared with previous years.
In March, Liew told the Dewan Rakyat that corporate income tax collection was projected to rise 6.5% to RM103.35bil this year, from RM97.03bil in 2025.
