Abstract:
The objective of the integration of the ASEAN Economic Community is to be the identical market and production base, in order to empower in competition with non-ASEAN countries as well as to increase the ability of member countries. Therefore, base rate used to calculate the excise tax on automobile importation in ASEAN should be same or similar standard. Currently, the common practice in the excise tax for identical market and production base has not been determined yet, especially the use of the base rate, this will cause the competition between the countries in ASEAN or probably move the production base to other ASEAN countries in which has the tax policy benefiting to business purposes, hence it is necessary to establish as well as share the rules and guidelines regarding the use of the base and rate of automobile tax for the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA). Currently, the base used to calculate automobile tax in Thailand is industrial price and appropriate excise taxes. The problems are about industrial pricing and several improprieties during importation of automobile such as the declared CIF price use to calculate the import duty is lower than market price and the effects of integration which would have reduced to zero percent of import duty probably make revenues from excise tax dropped since the import duty is the part of the base used to calculate the excise tax then cause either advantage or disadvantage between domestic manufacturers and importers and this might actuate domestic manufacturers to move production base from Thailand to other countries in the region. In addition, the assortment and automobile tax of Thailand are still complicated and difficult to do the capital forecast leading different understanding between taxpayers and levier. Hence, the base for automobile tax calculation for both domestic production and importation should be the same base by using the retail price for calculation, also to change the calculation method from the rates in combination which included appropriate excise tax becomes a separate calculation instead in order to make more clear, convenient and fair. So that, the excise tax rate presumably be adjusted in higher level to compensate for state revenues that could be lost. Regarding the assortment and automobile tax, the rules should established to be more clear, automobiles in same or similar operation type should be taxed at the same rate in order to make a excise tax system simple and more convenient. As for importation of automobiles from non-ASEAN countries, there is no rule establishment on excise duty so far, in particular the use of the base and the rate for tax calculation. Therefore, we need to study and then establish the customs tariffs for imported automobile from non-ASEAN countries at higher level than imported from ASEAN countries virtue of the exemption under Article 24 of GATT. Such rate should be also obligated for non-ASEAN countries justly for achieving the objective of ASEAN Economic Community eventually.