Hong Kong homeowners facing HK$5.1 million bill as government steps up campaign to claim unpaid stamp duty
- Court case is second of its type this week where buyers are pursued over tax
- Duty has generated HK$133 billion for government coffers since 2010
Hong Kong’s government has started cracking down hard on homeowners suspected of evading stamp duty that was imposed to discourage speculation and cool down the property market, taking two cases to court this week.
Court documents on Thursday revealed officials were suing two homeowners for HK$5.1 million for allegedly failing to pay stamp duty on their HK$3.4 million flat in Ho Man Tin, despite repeated requests to comply.
Tsui York-ting and Tsui Chau-hung are being chased for 10 times the cost of the original HK$510,000 charge, an amount they should have paid six years ago.
However, Wong has said she qualified for a waiver and provided proof of that to the relevant authorities. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau has declined to comment.
