Presnock

If your wife is dual citizenshipor is a Thai native and you depart withher getting80% of your US pension, Thai can tax her legally as article 21 states clearly that there is no exemption if the recipient is also a Thai native citizen so she would be taxed in Thailand legally. She could file a form 4 I think for the IRS to cease taxing her in the US and then avoid a double tax as she is responsible for Thai taxes as a resident citizen. Read the DTA articles 20 and 21 about exemption of US paid ss and govt pensions.

other international health plans are also increasing more and more each year as hospitals' charges continue zooming. Mine too just increased another 7+ percent and just continues going up with possible lower and lower max payments. But at 77 I sure can't just forget it.

recomend drinking water just before going to bed and immediately upon waking, drink water again before getting out of bed is the general health suggestion

read your question - article 21 (govt service) is not all pensions, is govt pensions only as the title states. Private company pensions may or may not be exempt under this article anyway.

Mike I for one have been saying from the very beginning when we first read about this new interpretation of an old law - with so many DTA's with different countries, each ex-pat wherever they are from should read in their language of understanding, the details on pensions, and any other banking requirements for double taxation or whatever. Must be that too many ex-pats can't read nor just too lazy to try and figure out what might be coming as until we see the final requirements, we all are guessing only

Pensions are those paid by the US govt that are exempt IAW article 21 unless the recipient is also a Thail native. SS is exempt under article 20 of the DTA with the US and Thailand

I think that I would have it sent to an aussie bank and then draw funds into Thailand from that account since then you would be receiving the check from the govt within aussie land, not Thailand. My opinion only and we still do not fully know if all pensions will be exempt or not as they are in some countries.

Yeah thanks for continuing to honcho this crap! I don't plan on getting a TN unless there is a requirement put out by the government as I have zero assessible income - having only a US govt pension and while I continue to pay for a lot of things here, if they continue to push at the ex-pats then I might spend a lot less. Right now I own a house in CM and lease a condo for my Thai college kid and lease a house in Bangkok so my wife and I can be near our daughter but far enough away to keep our two huskies. I delayed getting another car but that is not as necessary as it used to be with the local train system. But this means I spend a lot of $$$ (at least 100K) plus charge a lot too for groceries, tuition, restaurants, etc and will slow a lot of that down as I am sure other ex-pats will do too. I chat with some in the PI and there was a mention of a similar track there but they decided it would cost them more than they would get back from the ex-pats. Similar stories in other ASEAN countries too about a new tax on ex-pats but most pensions were mentioned as not affected at all. take care keep up this almost thankless assistance for all.

WIth US govt pension is easy enough to do, get yearly/monthly reports of pension funds sent and taxes deducted, then at end of year get a w2 stating total paid during the year and taxes paid for that period and if that is not enough, then there is my 1040 income tax form that I have to do yearly. fyi interesting article on some local powers against this new policy too in Thai Examiner.com

when I asked a tax agency about this new tax, they didn't mention exemptions according to the DTA but told me that if my pension was double taxed, then I could get my monies credited for current year or lower taxes on that amount charged by the tax resident country. I then began looking at the DTA and other notes passed in this forum. even seeing all the different documents etc, until I see the RD put out guidance for ALL ex-pats then I will for the most part just read and forget as I have been noted to jump to conclusion without being properly informed. I hate that probably more than those that read it. Actually I get a lot of laughs out of this forum as I thought most would be more like me than so far different from me. Maybe because I am an old fart that has lived around the world, spent several years at war where folks were trying to kill me and therefore am not really bothered by much as I can't do anything about it anyway. Take care enjoy life here as it might become once again.

Usually, the purpose of a DTA is to avoid having to pay taxes in both countries on the same income - if you pay in one country and the other also takes out taxes, then I think (don't know for sure but at least the US) the paying country will reimburse you on the amount charged by the resident country.

well for sure, the building industry would reap huge profits maybe on all the warehouses to store all the paperwork copies that the Thai govt likes if this comes to pass. My opinion on what I have to provide for something so simple and is already in a computer data base!

Mike sorry, I was mistaken as IRS does not tax SS below 25K single or 32K married unless above those amounts a W4 is filed with the IRS to withhold certain percentages of the SS to be paid. I always though the IRS didn't let anyone get away...you know "...death and taxes"

as for 1, article 20 about ss exempt as for 2, nothing that I saw in the DTA said anything about requirement of resident government for you to file a tax return in Thailand. That is covered by the Thai tax laws so you have to read and understand those and decide whether to get a Tax Number and file a "zero balance" tax return each year.

Mike, I noted your previous note of going to the Revenue Department to settle up your zero balance tax form and how quick and easy it was, but if all the ex-pats that remain went to the RD to do their tax reports whether nil or not, it doesn't seem to me that it will ever be quick and easy again. Just wondering. Have a good day, exercise your fingers regularly or RA might settle in with all the typing.

unless I am mistaken, if one receives US pension and/or SS the govt paying office deducts the tax prior to every check sent out or transferred to a bank account.

article 20 on US SS of DTA

from other expat forums, same discussions by local govt of new tax base possibly for ex-pats until they see how many they might lose

Well the government cannot change the royal decree but of course royally it could be changed but probably will not happen in my opinion

so, according to what has been written so far, if taxed already there shouldn't be any new tax added in my opinion but I sure have no idea what the new government plans for us.

countries to which one might move to are fairly short today...even Russia china and india signed. Probably a few more too, N. korea probably didn't Iran probably didn't...check them out as there won't be that many that would give an ex-pat a tax break in my opinion...after all this is mainly for those rich multinational organizations paying less than their fair share to some and those individuals that don't pay on earned income this was stated

well, since the ltr are supposedly under royal exemption, you shouldn't worry for 8 more years.

we the resident here, I think they will eventually instruct us that we must have a Tax Number, and that to extend a stay in the country, we have to provide that tax number and money remitted into Thailand by a copy of one's bank book (s) and that local banks will need to provide names of resident aliens and then, we will need to also provide our income and any taxes paid to our home country. For me is is easy, just need to print out an additional page or two when I do my 1-year long stay extension. I have plenty of documentation from my US payers of my govt pension and the amount of taxes withheld by the government. I used to have to provide these same documents to immigration along with my Embassy letter which disappeared a few years ago.

From what I see it will be like US tax returns, they are due normally 15 April of the year following the tax year, or sometimes extended if one is living overseas or has a specific excuse for filing late. The individual is responsible for correct numbers and tax paid plus we in the US that have a foreign bank account also have another form that we are required to file each year with the Justice department. So, here I believe that the govt may put the onus on the individual and have the immigration folks collect the paperwork and send it to the Revenue dept. My opinion only.

I don't believe that students will be having much of an earned income.