The government has refunded RM6.2 billion for 2023 tax overpayments, with 2024 refunds targeted for completion by year-end and a record RM22.45 billion paid in 2025

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has settled RM6.2 billion in excess tax payments for the year of assessment 2023.

Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong (pic) said this involved 95,282 cases as of February 18.

He stated the government is confident of completing all 2023 refunds by February, ahead of the initial first-quarter 2026 target.

Refunds for the 2024 year of assessment are targeted for completion before the end of this year.

“At the same time, refunds, regardless of the age of the cases, will continue to be made to all non-company taxpayers, especially individual taxpayers,” he said in the Dewan Negara.

Liew was responding to a question from Senator Datuk Koh Nai Kwong about delays in processing refunds by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

He assured that refunds for all payable cases from 2022 and earlier were completed in 2025.

The deputy minister highlighted that excess tax refunds made in 2025 were the highest in five years at RM22.45 billion.

He said the MADANI government paid out RM56 billion in refunds from 2023 to 2025.

This figure is 50% higher than the RM37 billion refunded between 2020 and 2022.

A total of 3.7 million cases were settled last year compared with 2.7 million cases in 2024.

 The Sun Malaysia