National Assembly Delegate: Applying a 10% tax rate to all press agencies is in line with the digital transformation trend.

On the morning of March 26, continuing the program of the 7th Conference of full-time National Assembly deputies, 15th National Assembly, under the chairmanship of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, delegates discussed the Law on Corporate Income Tax (amended). Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai chaired the discussion session.

Presenting his opinion during the discussion, delegate Thach Phuoc Binh (Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Tra Vinh province) expressed his concerns about the tax rate issue with the press agencies.

According to the delegate, the draft Law has absorbed many contents but the content on tax rates for the press has not been adjusted. Accordingly, the draft Law still stipulates that press agencies are subject to the general corporate income tax rate of 20%. At the same time, it stipulates a preferential tax rate of 10% for the income of press agencies operating in print newspapers, including newspaper advertising.

The delegate emphasized that this is an inadequacy in tax policy for press agencies.

Delegate Thach Phuoc Binh (Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Tra Vinh province) proposed applying a tax rate of 10% to all press agencies.

The first problem is the contradiction between the practice of journalism and tax policy. According to the delegate, online journalism is now becoming the main form of journalism while print journalism is increasingly declining. Many newsrooms have reduced or stopped publishing paper editions to focus on online journalism.

In addition, printed newspapers enjoy a preferential tax rate of 10% while electronic newspapers are subject to a tax rate of 20%, although both serve the goal of providing official information, orienting public opinion and carrying out the communication tasks of the Party and State.

In addition, according to current trends, online newspapers have a large source of revenue from advertising, content fees and digital services. However, these sources of revenue are still subject to a 20% tax rate while printed newspapers can enjoy a 10% tax rate on advertising on paper newspapers.

The second problem, according to the delegate, is the negative impact on the press in the context of digital competition. This is reflected in the fact that many online newspapers have difficulty maintaining operations due to a decrease in advertising revenue while still having to pay higher tax rates than print newspapers.

The government has a policy of converting newspapers into digital newspapers, but tax policies have not kept up with reality, creating financial barriers for electronic press agencies.

Besides, currently platforms such as Google and Facebook account for the majority of advertising revenue but are only subject to indirect taxes in Vietnam, while domestic newspapers are subject to high taxes and have to compete fiercely with these platforms.

From there, delegate Thach Phuoc Binh suggested that, in order to ensure fairness and encourage press development in the context of digital transformation, it is necessary to apply a tax rate of 10% to all press agencies, regardless of print or electronic newspapers.

The 7th Conference of Full-time National Assembly Deputies.

According to the delegate, this solution brings many benefits, including 4 main benefits:

Firstly , it will support press agencies to overcome financial difficulties, maintain operations and ensure the quality of information content.

Second, create fairness among types of journalism, in line with the digital transformation trend.

Third, encourage sustainable development of journalism, helping newsrooms have more resources to invest in content and especially in technology.

Fourth, applying a 10% tax rate to all press agencies will contribute to improving competitiveness with cross-border platforms and protecting mainstream journalism.

"Maintaining a 20% tax rate for electronic newspapers while print newspapers enjoy a preferential 10% rate is no longer suitable for reality. Therefore, I propose that tax policy should be revised, applying a common 10% tax rate to all press agencies, ensuring fairness and supporting the press industry to develop sustainably in the digital age," delegate Thach Phuoc Binh suggested.

Deputy Minister of Finance Cao Anh Tuan reported and clarified a number of issues raised by National Assembly deputies.

At the meeting, on behalf of the agency drafting the report, clarifying a number of issues raised by National Assembly deputies, Deputy Minister of Finance Cao Anh Tuan expressed his agreement with the deputies' views on applying tax rates to press agencies in the direction of not distinguishing between print and electronic press agencies.

Deputy Minister Cao Anh Tuan said that the drafting agency will coordinate with the National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee to receive and agree on a plan to stipulate a tax rate of 10% for all press agencies./.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/dbqh-ap-dung-muc-thue-suat-10-cho-toan-bo-co-quan-bao-chi-la-phu-hop-voi-xu-huong-chuyen-doi-so-2025032615202838.htm