Minimum income to match 15% flat tax rate for Malaysia's REP

Well, I've been thinking about returning home lately and was looking through the incentives of the REP (Returning Expert Programme). Among them is a flat tax rate of 15%, current highest tax rate for Malaysians is 26% (2010).

This might seem attractive in the beginning but currently, the effective tax rate (based on 2010 rates published on govt website) for a person earning around RM100K per year is 14.325%. So I'll be expecting a pay cut to return home, but I need to know the minimum I need to get so that I'll not lose out on this 15%.

So after a little math, the minimum you should aim for is an annual salary of RM106,137 (rounded to closest ringgit, that's RM8,844.75/month) just to match the 15% effective tax rate.

Now, what about the car? Information is unfortunately quite scarce online and I can only find the below info. Added another column for discount rate:

Skype for Android 2.0 for Samsung Galaxy Tab / HTC Incredible S

Skype's latest update now enables video calling!

Despite Skype saying it's only supported on Google Nexus S, HTC Desire S, Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro only, it actually works on other devices. So far I've tested it on a Samsung Galaxy Tab (with Overcome 2.0.1 Hermes ROM) and a stock HTC Incredible S. Both are working without problems!

Find the download link here.

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• How to Get a Real Education at College – WSJ.com
  Conquer Fear. I took classes in public speaking in college and a few more during my corporate days. That training was marginally useful for learning how to mask nervousness in public. Then I took the Dale Carnegie course. It was life-changing. The Dale Carnegie method ignores speaking technique entirely and trains you instead to enjoy the experience of speaking to a crowd. Once you become relaxed in front of people, technique comes automatically. Over the years, I've given speeches to hundreds of audiences and enjoyed every minute on stage. But this isn't a plug for Dale Carnegie. The point is that people can be trained to replace fear and shyness with enthusiasm. Every entrepreneur can use that skill.
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• http://dvice.com/archives/2010/12/11-cheap-gifts.php
  7. Miracle Berries

  By themselves, Miracle berries don't taste like much. The reason to eat them is that they contain a chemical called miraculin that binds to the sweet taste receptors on your tongue, changing their shape and making them respond to sour and acidic foods.

  The upshot of this effect is that some things you eat taste spectacularly different. Straight Tabasco sauce tastes like donut glaze. Guinness tastes like a chocolate malt. Goat cheese tastes like cheesecake. After about an hour of craziness, your taste buds go back to normal, no harm done.

  Price: $15

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• Wall Street’s 10 Biggest Lies—As told by financial elites and their Congress : Veterans Today
  “Private employers, led by our revitalized financial sector, will create the jobs we need — that is, if the government would just stay out of the way.”
  We now need 22 million new jobs to get us back to full employment (5 percent unemployment). In addition, each month the economy must generate another 105,000 jobs just to keep up with new entrants into the workforce. To get to full employment, the private sector would have to create about 630 firms the size of Apple (35,000 employees each). These numbers don’t lie. Does anyone on Wall Street really believe that the private sector alone can pull off this miracle? But really, why should they care? They’ve got theirs, thank you very much. The painful truth that both Wall Street and Washington refuse to face is that if the big, bad government doesn’t fund or create millions of new jobs, we’ll face crippling unemployment for decades to come
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