Why is money from my hubby taxable, asks Najib’s daughter
(FMT) – The daughter of former prime minister Najib Razak says she is the latest victim of the government’s pursuit of her family members after being taken to court over RM10.3 million in income tax arrears from 2011 to 2017.
“Just like in the case of my father and siblings who have been similarly hit on a ridiculous basis, many who know the details of the case are shocked and speechless at how blatantly the government is abusing the laws,” Nooryana Najwa wrote on her Facebook.
She claimed that she had long submitted documents to prove that most of the money which the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) considered as income was from her husband’s family in Kazakhstan.
Nooryana said she had also furnished proof that her in-laws had bought a home using funds from abroad, and that she was listed as as a co-owner.
“Somehow, this act of listing me as joint owner with my husband is now considered by the government as my ‘income’!
“And this forms the bulk of this ‘tax due’ even though the payment for the house did not even go through me,” she added.
In 2015, Nooryana married Daniyar Kessibayev, the stepson of Kazakh millionaire Bolat Nazarbayez who is the brother of strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Nooryana also said she and her husband were already wealthy before they met.
“In any case, even if you consider payments from husband to wife as income, these transfers are from abroad and should not be taxed.”
She said part of the money was also her wedding dowry and gifts from her family and friends.
LHDN, saying Nooryana had not submitted tax returns between 2011 and 2017, filed a suit at the Shah Alam High Court on July 24 to claim arrears ranging from RM21,084 to RM6 million.
It was the second suit slapped on Najib’s children after his son Nazifuddin was sued for RM37.6 million in tax arrears over seven years.
LHDN is also seeking RM1.69 billion from Najib in additional taxes, in what has been described as the largest tax suit against an individual in the country.
