chiang mai

The Thai Revenue uses tax clearance certificates today. Tax Clearance Certificate is a certificate issued by the Director-General of the Revenue Department or the Provincial Governor or the delegated authority to a foreigner who is departing Thailand to indicate that he has already paid taxes or that he has provided a guarantor or securities as guarantee for tax liabilities and tax payable. https://www.rd.go.th/english/23518.html

I have worked for PWC as an audit senior for three years and am formally trained in tax, but modesty prevents me from referring to myself as expert in anything. I have also studied Thai tax and the Thai Revenue Code extensively for nine months so I do know a little about the topic.

In practical terms op, there is little risk at present in people not filing tax returns, although there is a significant risk of being assessed for tax and it being due but not paid. At some point in the future it is likely that tax clearance certificates will be required by Immigration in order to extend or obtain a new visa. If tax clearance certificates are implemented across the board, they will be required in order to exit the country. Tax Clearance certificates are in force currently for certain professions but there are no plans I'm aware of currently to roll them out to all foreigners. It should be noted that several countries require tax clearance certificates from resident foreigners, they were in operation in the US when I lived there as a resident green card holder.

I have no interest in the op or his circumstances, I was answering a question raised by another poster....if you would but bother to read the thread!

The penalty for evading taxes, that means intentionally not paying tax, is 200k baht and/or 1 year in jail. If taxes are owed and not paid, those are the possible penalties, per the TRD. If anyone thinks they can be assessed for tax and then say they are just popping overseas for a while and will pay later, good luck with that! https://sherrings.com/tax-evasion-not-filing-tax-returns-thailand.html#:~:text=Punishment for Intentionally Avoiding (Evading) Tax&text=Whoever intentionally avoids (evades) payment,Both*. and for anyone interested in reading it, here's the law: https://www.thailandlawonline.com/revenue-code/tax-law-revenue-code-general-provisions

The worst that would happen is the person will be fined and potentially sent to jail. The idea that a person can just leave the country to escape taxes that are due is laughable. If the TRD has determined taxes are owed, they are payable immediately and the person will be prevented from leaving until they are paid.

It is the responsibility of the individual to self assess and declare where appropriate, during each year for which they are tax resident. If they are not tax resident in a particular year, or, they don't have the minimum amount of assessable income that requires them to file a tax return, it is not necessary to file. The minimum amount of assessable income required to file a tax return is different from person to person, based on their age, marital status, the deductions and allowances they can claim. Technically, anyone who is tax resident, is married and has assessible income of 220k baht or greater must file. In practise, if no tax is due, the TRD isn't interested in you filing (although you can if you wish). In practise, a person over aged 65 years, married and importing pension income, can expect to remit over 500k baht per year, before they begin to pay tax. A single person under age 65 years who remits other form of income, may begin to pay tax after 60k baht per year. There are many variables.

This is a cash flow issue. If banks don't have income (that is money from their lending), they cannot pay for their liabilities (the money they must pay out). The cycle depends on people borrowing so that banks can lend, if they can't lend then nothing grows and the cycle comes to a stop....think 2008. If business doesn't borrow, because banks can't lend, business growth comes to a stop and there's no jobs.

If your only income is from savings and dividends in Thailand where tax has already been withheld, the taxpayer has the option to file and account for the details and potentially obtain a refund, or, not to file and allow the TRD to keep the tax already withheld and there is then no need to file a return.

Yes, but it would no longer involve BBL NY. You will need to notify US SSc of a change of bank from BBL to NY to your bank in Thailand. Your US SSc point of contact will be the Manilla SSc office. SSc has a special form for this purpose which you will need to download and complete and also have BBL in Thailand sign - they will retain a copy, the original is then sent to Manilla.

Ditto the above. 188 and 80 kgs for over six months, I weigh myself every morning and make sure my weight never varies by more than 1 kg, if it does, I adjust my diet that day. It's a lot lot easier to gain/lose 2 lbs than it is twenty or thirty. My blood work numbers are now the best I have seen them in 15 years.

The Expense allowance for categories 1-3 of PIT income, the most common types, is capped at 100k, maximum, whilst category 4 income has no allowance. Category 5 income is property based and categories 6 & 7 are professional and not the standard types of PIT income the op refers to. I agree that anyone who is uncertain about the rules or not comfortable interpreting them, should seek complete and thorough professional advice and not just use it to try and fill gaps in their perceived understanding. It's very dangerous to use tax advisors in only a partial way to fill in knowledge gaps.

Presumably the farm is not operated as a business and held in a company name?

The above reference to a 100,000 baht allowance for expenses is highly misleading. There is an allowance available for many types of income (but not all, group 4 for example doesn't have one) which typically is a percentage of the income involved and is a maximum of 100,000 baht. Also, you can itemize your expenses if you wish, but you would only want to do that if they totaled more than the standard deduction maximum. Lastly, you don't state your age but there is also a deduction of 190k for people over age 65 years, this is in addition to the expenses allowance..

This works well for me also.

11% file, actually, only 6% pay tax.

Yes it does, we use it.

It was said early in the year that TRD was in the process of hiring one new lawyer per regional /district offices, in order to take care of treaty related issues, some 40+ new staff in total. It makes sense that process and the associated training would take time. But the new tax process can't really be stopped, only ignored or deferred and it makes sense that it might be. But that doesn't imply that taxpayer liability is also delayed or deferred, that continues to exist and that's the risk.

Income that is exempt by treaty and/or income on which tax has already been paid overseas and none is due in Thailand. Inheritance and Gifts are also mostly not taxable.

Not if it's savings, exempt or any other form of non-assessable funds, eg savings acquired before 21/12/23.

Thai Revenue law.

There is no tax on remittances if non-assessable funds are remitted, eg savings or tax exempt income.

How are expats being hoodwinked, aren't they just offering a service like anywhere else?

And on Wednesdays between 11 am and 2:45 pm.

No, I mean alternate arrangements. I have two friends who were each given six months to do that, both ended up putting their property in the name of friends who are Thai and then did a superficies to ensure they could remain living there. The way they were detected was their annual company returns that showed no activity for a few years.