Highlights for profits tax reporting on Year of Assessment 2024/25

稅務年度 2024/25 利得稅申報重點

A new tax year in Hong Kong has already begun on 1st April, 2025. Let’s go through what has been updated by Inland Revenue Department (IRD) regarding profits tax reporting in this year.

As along with previous years, IRD has issued a Circular Letter to Tax Representatives as an annual communication with professional tax service providers. This letter is now also accessible to the public so you can simply check it out if you so wish.

For those too busy to go through the letter, here are some highlights :-

1. Tax filing deadlines

2. New items in Profits Tax Returns (Highlights)

a. To state the Auditor’s practising certificate number in the Profits Tax Return (Form BIR51 Item 7.1.2), as an effort to combat with lousy auditors whom have signed auditor’s report for corporations without reporting such to the AFRC (regulators on auditors), a long overdue loophole now fixed following the sharing of information between AFRC and IRD. Without proper regulations, the level of standard in such audit work could hardly be maintained. We do hope that after implementing these new rules the rotten apples in the barrel could be taken away, so that the auditing standards and fees could now be returning to a reasonable level.

b. To state the amount of deductions claimed for leased premises reinstatement costs, a new deduction item available since this tax year (Form BIR51 Item 10.21). Previously such reinstatement costs were considered to be in capital nature and not allowed for direct tax deductions – this has been changed starting from this tax year and now they become deductible as part of s.16 of Inland Revenue Ordinance. The following items are required in ascertaining your eligibility :-

(i) you have to be a lessee to a commercial or industry building (including staff quarters)
(ii) contained mandatory clause to reinstate the property to its original condition in the tenancy agreement
(iii) obtained invoices from relevant dismantling companies (e.g. contractor firms for self-initiated dismantling works, landlord if such dismantling work was initated by them, etc.)
(iv) obtained payment of proof (receipts or bank statements) to such relevant dismantling companies
(v) took photos on such property before and after such dismantling works.

There are no specific limits on the deduction amounts, as long as they are within reasonable ranges.

As always, you are very welcomed to contact us for further consultations on the subject matter!


新的稅務年度已自 2025 年 4 月 1 日開始。我們來看看今年稅務局於利得稅申報事宜有何更新。

一如往年，稅務局發出了稅務代表通函，作為與專業稅務從業者的年度通訊。現在該通函亦已於稅務局網頁中刊載，有興趣者可自行查看。

如您只想簡單了解一下重點，我們已為您準備如下：

1. 利得稅申報期限

2. 利得稅報稅表新項目（節錄）

a. 須於利得稅報稅表內申報審計師的執照編號（BIR51 表格第 7.1.2 項目）。此規定用於堵塞一個由來已久的漏洞，即有無良審計師為企業客戶簽署審計報告，但沒有向財匯局（審計師的監管機構）申報有為該客戶進行審計服務，從而使該審計服務無法作出有效監管，審計工作水平因而無從得之。自從稅務局與財匯局達成資料互換機制，加上是次新規定，應能有效打擊財務審計界的害群之馬，使審計服務及費用回復合理水平。

b. 可於利得稅報稅表內申報還原租賃處所費用的金額（BIR 51 表格第 10.21 項目），此為本年度起新增可作稅務扣減的開支。以往此等還原租賃處所費用（簡稱還原費）被視為資本性開支而無法直接用作扣稅，由本稅務年度起已作出變更，可根據稅務條例第 16 條作出費用扣除。如要得到扣除資格，須注意以下事項：

(i) 須為商業或工業物業租賃者（包括員工宿舍）
(ii) 須於租賃合同內包含「強制將物業還原至原來狀態」的條款
(iii) 須向負責拆卸的公司取得相關發票（如由租客安排拆卸，應取得裝修公司開立的發票；如由業主安排拆卸，應取得業主開立的發票）
(iv) 須取得向負責拆卸的公司付款之憑證（如銀行月結單，負責拆卸的公司開立的收據）
(v) 須提供物業還原前及還原後的照片以作比對。

此扣除金額並無設立上限，惟費用須在合理水平之內。

一如既往，如對上述說明有任何疑問，歡迎您隨時聯絡我們以作出咨詢！