The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) have both limited their operating hours following the tightening of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the reimplemented nationwide movement control order (MCO 3.0).

MCO 3.0 originally began on 12 May 2021 and is slated to end on 7 June 2021. However, the government decided to introduce stricter SOPs starting from 25 May 2021 (today) after the country saw a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases reported daily.

Employees Provident Fund (EPF)

Starting from 25 May 2021 until further notice, EPF offices and counters nationwide will limit their operating hours to start from 8.30am to 2pm. Members who wish to visit must first make an appointment either via the Janji Temu Online facility within the EPF website, or by calling ahead to the relevant branches.

“Walk-in visits are strictly not allowed. Only services that are listed under the Janji Temu Online are available at branches during this period,” said the EPF in a statement.

The provident fund also emphasised that it will enforce the necessary SOPs for all of its branches nationwide, in line with the announcement by the National Security Council (MKN) to keep its members and staff safe. These include ensuring that all members go through a temperature screening and check-in via MySejahtera prior to entering branch premises, as well as enforcing physical distancing measures.

Members are also required to present their MySejahtera status to an EPF officer; they will only be allowed entry into the office or counters if they are identified as low-risk individuals.

Inland Revenue Board (LHDN)

LHDN also released a statement to say that it will continue offering its services within limited operating hours during the MCO 3.0 period. Starting from 25 May 2021, certain services will be closed, whereas others will see a revised schedule.

According to the board, its one-stop counters (tax services) and government special assistance counters will be closed to the general public as taxpayers can access the services provided by these counters online. Those who need to be present at the counter, however, must first make an appointment by contacting the office of the state or branch director, or by calling the Customer Care Office of the respective LHDN branch.

Meanwhile, stamp duty counters will only be open to individuals who are unable to register as Stamp Assessment And Payment System (STAMPS) users. These counters are open between 8am to 1pm during the working days of each state, with payments only accepted until 12pm.

LHDN also clarified that the payment counters in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, and Kuching will operate from 8am to 12pm, on Monday to Friday. Taxpayers can visit these counters for selected services, namely:

• Cash and cheque payment for withholding tax, real property gains tax (RPGT), compounds, and others.
• Credit and debit card payment for income tax and other taxes.

If you wish to employ other services at the payment counters, you will also need to make an appointment beforehand.

Other than that, LHDN’s office lines will function as per usual. Its HASiL Care Line is operational from 9am to 5pm (Monday to Friday), whereas calls to all LHDN offices and branches can be made between 8am to 4pm (depending on each state’s working days).

LHDN further reminded taxpayers that the services at its counters are only available to those who are identified as low-risk individuals by the MySejahtera app. Additionally, visitors will need to obey all SOPs, including temperature screening and social distancing.  The board also urged customers to consult the list of closed LHDN offices and branches before heading out so as to avoid any inconveniences.

(Sources: LHDN, EPF)

• TAGS:
• Employees Provident Fund (EPF)
• EPF
• EPF Janji Temu Online
• Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri
• LHDN
• Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN)
• MCO 3.0
• Movement Control Order
• MySejahtera
• MySejahtera App
• Stamp Assessment And Payment System (STAMPS)