The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, announced on 2 May 2025 that the "Caring Employer" Medal is open for application starting from 2 May until 4 July. The Medal is a three-tiered award system, comprising Disability Inclusive Supporter, Disability Inclusive Employer and Disability Inclusive Pioneer. It aims to encourage employers to take the first step in supporting disability-inclusive employment while also recognising role models who have made exemplary contributions to building inclusive workplaces.

Mr Sun attended the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment Kick-off Ceremony cum Market Fair 2025, and encouraged enterprises and organisations to participate in the "Caring Employer" Medal actively. He also highlighted that persons with disabilities could have remarkable capabilities in different aspects and expressed hope that different sectors in the community would pay greater attention to their talents. Enterprises could provide more employment opportunities for persons with disabilities to realise their potential and thereby achieving inclusive workplace. Mr Sun also invited members of public, students and persons with disabilities interested in design to take part in the "Caring Employer" Medal Design Competition, to convey their recognition towards caring employers.

The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that to encourage and support persons with disabilities to engage in employment, the Government will introduce the "Caring Employer" Medal to commend employers who actively engage and support persons with disabilities. The Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) has launched the Diverse Abilities．Inclusive Workplace Recognition Scheme on the basis of the existing Talent-Wise Employment Charter, and collaborated with the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to jointly take forward the "Caring Employer" Medal. This aims to recognise employers who actively employ and support persons with disabilities, thereby encouraging more enterprises to participate in fostering inclusive workplace, as well as facilitating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Details and application methods of the Medal have been uploaded to the website caringemployer.com/cem2025/login/en. Further information on the Medal Design Competition is accessible at the LWB's website (www.lwb.gov.hk/en/highlights/charter_scheme/s4.html).
 
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202505/02/P2025050200873.htm.
 

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) issued about 2.66 million tax returns for individuals for the year of assessment 2024/25 and urged taxpayers to file their returns on time on 2 May 2025. The filing deadline is one month (by 2 June) for general cases and three months (by 2 August) for sole proprietors. An extension of one month will be granted for returns filed electronically (i.e. the deadline is 2 July for general cases and 2 September for sole proprietors).

The Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Mr Benjamin Chan, hosted a press conference on the completion of tax returns on 2 May, three new tax portals to be launched under eTAX this July, and tax collection in the financial year 2024-25.

Mr Chan said that the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Tax Concessions) Bill 2025 was passed by the LegCo on 30 April 2025, which gives effect to the proposal in the 2025-26 Budget to reduce salaries tax, tax under personal assessment and profits tax for the year of assessment 2024/25 by 100 per cent, subject to a ceiling of $1,500 per case. Taxpayers only need to complete the tax returns for the year of assessment 2024/25 as usual. The tax concessions will be reflected in their final tax payable.

He also introduced the following new tax measures to be implemented from the year of assessment 2024/25:

(1) a two-tiered standard rates regime for salaries tax and tax under personal assessment;

(2) an increase in deduction ceilings for home loan interest or domestic rent from $100,000 to $120,000 for taxpayers who are residing with their newborn children born on or after 25 October 2023;

(3) a new deduction for expenses on assisted reproductive services, subject to a ceiling of $100,000; and

(4) enhancement measures for the deduction of expenses under profits tax to provide tax deductions for expenses incurred for reinstating the condition of leased premises to their original condition, and to remove the time limit for claiming annual allowances in respect of industrial/commercial buildings or structures.

Mr Chan encouraged taxpayers to file their tax returns through eTAX, which is easy, secure and environmentally friendly, and to ensure that they reach the IRD in time.

He said, "The IRD is committed to promoting tax digitalisation and has been upgrading the functions of electronic tax filing to facilitate taxpayers and enhance the efficiency, reliability and accuracy of return filing. The IRD will launch three portals under eTAX this July, namely Individual Tax Portal, Business Tax Portal and Tax Representative Portal. Existing individual tax services provided by eTAX will be migrated to the Individual Tax Portal with a new design and enhanced functions. A mobile application for the portal will also be launched. The Business Tax Portal and the Tax Representative Portal enable businesses and service agents respectively to handle tax and business affairs electronically."

He reminded taxpayers that when filing profits tax returns online, they may submit at the same time supporting documents in a specified electronic format. Details on electronic filing of profits tax returns are available on the IRD's website. Taxpayers are also reminded to pay sufficient postage if they choose to submit their returns by post to ensure timely delivery. Underpaid mail items will not be accepted by the IRD.

Taxpayers may visit the IRD's "e-Seminars" for details on completing tax returns. From 2 May to 2 June, the IRD will deploy additional staff to operate the telephone enquiries hotline 187 8022 and extend the service hours (8.15am to 7pm on weekdays, and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays).

Please see Annex 1 for details of the IRD's tax revenue collection in the financial year 2024-25.
 
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202505/02/P2025050200498.htm.
 

The Transport Department (TD) announced on 30 April 2025 that a pilot licence for autonomous vehicles (AVs) has been updated in accordance with section 20(3)(b) of the Road Traffic (Autonomous Vehicles) Regulation (Cap. 374AA) to expand the routes for the AV trial in North Lantau.

Details of the pilot licence have been uploaded to the TD's website on AV trials.

The TD welcomes interested organisations or enterprises to submit applications and act in concert to promote the further development of autonomous driving in Hong Kong. Upon receipt of an application for a pilot licence, the TD will consider various factors including the design operating range and functions of the autonomous system submitted by the applicant, relevant international or national standards/guidelines, and the road test situations, based on the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles before approval. The TD will exercise stringent control with a view to promoting AV trials in Hong Kong in a safe and orderly manner.
 
For details, please refer to the relevant press release https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202504/30/P2025043000417.htm.
 

Government welcomes passage of Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Tax Concessions) Bill 2025