TravelerEastWest

I have my LTR Pension visa now I am applying for the digital work permit. I have uploaded all the requested documents and have a "Qualification Approved" status and am on screen 1. How do I now get an appointment? Thank you!

On my monitor the type is not overly large - maybe something is off with my settings?I I shall have to consult with someone who is good with these things. I do not shout in person or online ever - end of story. For some it is easier to read and you are the first person ever to suggest this. By mentioning those four years and where you were employed you opened up questions; please do not blame others when you prefer not to speak about your tax background or lack thereof. I agree again this is your right. As a courtesy to you I won't mention the missing four years again as I don''t want you to be uncomfortable. Confusing that you know about the general deduction yet feel such confidence is placed in the taxpayers again it seems to clearly not support your stated theory as does my practical but very limited experience in Thai tax life, but again you have a right to your opinions right or wrong. we have something in common - I found out about that deduction by accident from my wife's CPA. As for removing posts that would be a bit much; removing posts should be reserved for bad language, violence, prohibited quoting - etc. if you are not comfortable with readers being curious your education and experience - which is 100% directly related to the topic as you brought it up... Again I do think that you are kind and mean well. Thank you for your many hours trying to help people.

Hello Mike Lister, Thank you for your thoughtful and friendly comments: 1) Your disclaimer will be ignored by some of your readers - evidence of that is by a recent poster who was very uncertain about what to do... you replied that you would be happy to help (sounds a lot like advice to readers). Note I am impressed with your kindness I think you are clearly a nice person who it would be fun to have a cup of coffee with... 2) Your comment on HR Block is actually an interesting one - they (and other firms like them) prepare many returns and typically do not employ CPAs or other qualified staff - what they do is recruit seasonal workers who they train for a few hours. They are actually very much in your old field - finance those without experience in the American tax industry are unlikely to know this... They make money - lots of money by making high interest loans for tax refunds. I do not know what percent of their customers would use them without the loans probably a very small number? Not really sure what your mention of UK taxpayers shows but since I have never been to the UK (but would love to visit one day to walk in the Lake District and visit the V and A museum) I will not comment and take it as your thoughts... In regards to education systems, I do know a bit about the UK education through accounts from friends who grew up and taught there. One thing comes to mind the early narrowing of subjects in high school compared to the American system with many electives. Like the sports world, there will be fans of both. And I do see advantages to both systems but prefer the American system. Both because the American system tends to be more fun (I know not a serious response) and because the American system tends to lead to thinking outside the box. Although Darwin and others in England are amazing! The Thai Revenue department thinks a bit differently than you imagine (and all tax practitioners in Thailand know about these rules) - They do not always trust those with small businesses (such as street noodle sellers) they stand nearby and count sales and then tell the taxpayer how much to pay. Just an example but a real one told to me by a Revenue department district director. This shows the lack of trust in the skill set of the population. That was a practical example, on a more theoretical level they know that bookkeeping can be difficult for those who are not trained in that skill so for some small businesses - they simply say - you have no need to keep track of your expenses at all - not all, as it is not practical- instead, they give you a percent of revenues - such as 60% as an automatic deduction. If you haver the slightest doubt of what I am saying ask a Thai tax professional on either side of the street a CPA of Revenue department auditor. You will never see such a kind practice by the US IRS - never... I have no idea what is allowed in the UK maybe you can tell us? I am still very curious about your 4 years at Deloitte which is a fantastic firm and very large - were you in the tax department as you hinted at or a totally unrelated area? I ask as if you were a tax guy I very much need to give you a great deal of respect as four years in their tax department would mean you know great deal about the tax world. If you have no real-world tax experience or a recent tax law education - you should not be offering to help elderly forum members - I get it that you have a good heart but again unless someone has experience and or education in the field it is perhaps not really being kind... As for your mention of the average Expat's skills in Thailand I really don't know; but in general due to a lack of language skills yes, they are at a disadvantage. At home, someone who is a good reader but not skilled in taxation can read about a new tax law and be alerted to research it or pay for advice - in Thailand that could be difficult. Thai CPAs are very inexpensive and something you may know is the fact that tax returns prepared by CPAs have a very low probability of audit compared to those done by individuals. You may or may not know this - did you mention this fact in your guide and did you know this? All CPAs know this. Thinking aloud - if someone enjoys doing complex crossword puzzles and playing chess etc. doing your Thai tax return yourself may be an interesting challenge? Just a random thought I could easily be wrong. I understand that you truly believe in your positions and I compliment you on your kind intentions. Softly, gently, and politely I don't agree with your opinion of your advice and theories - but I am eagerly awaiting your response to my question about the nature of your four years at Deloitte.

Mike Lister, You are a native speaker of English (I think) and you seem to have not understood my post. My comment had nothing to do with tax rules. It was to why individuals would file themselves rather than having a Thai CPA file in Thai for them correctly, at a low cost, and quickly. Your post supports my thoughts that you need a high level of training and skill (both with languages and tax law) to advise on international tax matters. As a side note working in banking and finance for many years does not in any way qualify anyone to prepare or advise on international tax returns especially when they are not a native (or near-native speaker) of the language. Working for Deloitte for years means you are probably very smart and hard-working but says nothing about your tax skills and you know this very well. If you have any doubt at all about this call a Deloitte tax partner and ask... Now if you tell me that you were not a banking consultant or something like that for four years - but were a tax specialist and you have a recent education in taxation then all bets are off and I will ask you for advice on Thai tax matters. I believe that you are a nice person and want to help people but I think the possibility exists that you can cause more harm than good. In America, we have lots of people who are convinced they know a lot about taxes to the point at times where they feel that Income taxes are not legal - and tax practitioners don't take them seriously. Sometimes they end up in jail... I am not saying that you are that extreme - actually, you are quite reasonable and friendly. PS If you don't see anywhere on a form a place to do something like rely on a DTA or exclude nontaxable money - this is something tax accountants are trained to do correctly in a way that won't trigger an audit. This is a very practical example of why not trained and educated (In taxation) individuals should not give tax advice.

Exactly. But normally foreigners with businesses here have their CPAs file for them. The CPAs know the law well. They file quickly and save the businessman time - which is money when you are working. So I wonder why they are filing...?

Topt, Not a scientific survey or anything similar, but I agree with you 100%. I have lived in Thailand a long time and have not met even one retired foreigner who files taxes or who owes taxes and certainly none who are knowingly evading taxes. Key point they are retired many with low incomes and some with high incomes - all who bring money in from past years. I pay personal and corporate taxes yearly in Thailand and individual taxes in America - but no corporate taxes in America ever - but I am required to file every year in America, even though I don't owe corporate taxes in America. So for those in this thread who say you may have to file in Thailand even if you don't owe taxes - maybe they are right and maybe they are not correct - I don't know. I am 99% certain (there are a couple of retired accountants on this thread with good solid ideas about Thai taxes- those are the only posters that should be listened to.) that the posters in this thread are well-meaning; but are not skilled enough with Thai taxes to render a reliable opinion. I have no idea why they don't consult a licensed Thai CPA who is bilingual... Again not expensive at all. If you are deep in the countryside find a good translator and then talk to a Thai CPA. Note: I have friends who are not doctors who really and truly believe they know more than highly trained doctors with advanced degrees and modern science - so maybe I do understand hobbyists who think they know as much as or more than well-trained tax accountants and lawyers...

Bad Rabbit, I agree with Mike - please don't worry, instead focus on your health - whatever you do don't take advice in tax matters from well meaning non professionals who know very little about Thai tax matters. This could possibly create serious problems for you. I have a tax background but I don't read Thai and I would not considering trusting my own understanding of Thai tax laws... so I have a bilingual Thai CPA who went to a top university in Bangkok and has many years experience. Plus as needed I will consult with tax attorneys who are trained in Thai tax laws. But I have a Thai business and my situation is complicated - for you a Thai bilingual CPA should be fine. And not expensive! I repeat not expensive.

I agree with you 100%. Speaking softly, politely, and gently I think a Tax Guide thread could perhaps give people a false sense of security in following its words - as it seems to be written by nontax professionals who are not native speakers of Thai (or near-native speakers). It also could open the forum up to legal issues if someone follows it and has problems... Then again many people may prefer a tax guide thread as it is... and I am all for freedom of speech. I love the Voltaire quote: "I may detest what you have to say but I will die for your right to say it..."

I just tried opening the form 95 on my Mac desktop and using text boxes that I created I could type on the form. See example below - very easy - I imagine newer PCs can do teh same but not sure how...

He has an LTR Pensioner visa which he got just over a year ago - and he seems to be OK so far with using TM47 but I should ask what his receipt looks like...

My friend used TM 47 I know it says 90 days report but that's what he used... https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/home But TM 95 looks better - smiling!

I started with an agent and later found that I did better on my own - as in faster and with more accuracy... buyer beware.

I emailed my friend and asked for the form number - lets see what he reports...

A friend did his report recently online...

Many thanks for the link - it looks like expert information in a clear format just what we need. I also hope they provide an update on the current tax situation soon... For those looking for Thai tax advice that is reliable stick with expert local Thai Tax CPAs and lawyers. CPAs will often be your go-to person to advise and prepare your Thai tax returns - they are far less expensive than CPAs back home let's say 5.000 baht for a small office CPA. Less for a simple tax return. If you can't afford to pay a CPA then you probably don't owe anything. Perhaps it might be best to wait for a couple of months before asking for help? They can read all the laws, rules and regulations etc in Thai and have a good understanding of what works and doesn't work in Thailand. Advice from well-meaning tax non-professionals (and in many cases the RD) can be useful to get you started - but also dangerous... Keep in mind that all over the world the RD is not on your side and often low to mid-level staff are not well trained.

Recently I have seen free shipping with iherb also - within certain min and max limits. Exciting to hear about Amazon - any more details? electronics only? Books with free shipping would be great...

I worked as a tax accountant a long time ago at a large International accounting firm in America and I can assure you that there is not a single audit partner or manager ( probably worldwide) who does not have a clue about taxes - not one. they were being modest when they spoke to you. Is an audit partner or manager at the same skill level as a tax partner or manager for the world of taxes - no. But taxes are considered in an audit and while the tax department of a firm is normally called in to help with the the audit the audit partner needs to understand and sign off on the audit a big responsibility... Now someone who works for a large accounting firm in banking consulting or IT may not know about taxes... maybe that is what you mean when you say consulting partner a non accounting or tax position...

A good point! I think that common sense will solve many of these issues new regulations or not. For the tough issues with large amounts of money - normally you hire an expert...

Is that a good example? I would think the BOI would be sure to take care of taxes for a big investment including no import taxes on machinery and maybe a tax holiday for a number of years?

Any man who has kids who gives him large gifts is very lucky. My two kids very much need regular supplies of money but they assure me they will take care of me when I am old - so all is well. Gifts are indeed an interesting idea for tax planning. If the gifts are real then they should work if not real then they could be more trouble then they are worth. Before someone says the RD has to prove they are not gifts let me say they can do whatever they want (IRS also) and then it is up to you to go to court for Justice. Which can be a slow and expensive process. I wonder if this is like the US IRS where they can lose a tax case in one part of the country but still follow their view somewhere else? Example they lose in Bangkok but in Chiang mai they legally still follow their view of the law. People talk about immigration offices being different in the rules they follow and complain - don't forget in America we have state law and each state can have different rules much more complicated than Thailand.

Actually as I mentioned that was only an example of how a tax question can come up on what seems to be clear... Sorry if it seemed like a real question. "1. Residents of Thailand If you stay in Thailand for the total of at least 180 days in the tax year, you are considered a “resident of Thailand” for tax purposes. You have to file a return on the income that you received if you meet one of the following conditions: (1) Your total income exceeded 120,000 baht in the tax year. (2) You were married and your income combined with that of your spouse exceeded 220,000 baht in the tax year. 2. Non-residents of Thailand If you stayed in Thailand for less than 180 days..." But the above Rd statement doesn't go into details. What if you are a permanent resident or Thai citizen does that change things and make you always a tax resident? (Just a rhetorical question.) I think my friends in America with Green cards told me that they always owe taxes in America regardless of how many days they are in America after getting their Green card. Also the above RD statement is a translation which is slanted to their point of view - same thing happens with IRS publications - which are not the law only an IRS view of the law - but not a translation normally. If I had a lot of money I would hire an expert to help me - but I don't have a lot of money so I will keep reading this thread...

Not sure how it happened - apologies for the duplicate posts!

Once when I lived in Bangkok a long time ago I spoke with a Thai tax accountant who used to work as a partner for one of the large international accounting firms. Great education, spoke English well - good experience etc he was very expensive - around $500 per hour. My tax needs were not that complicated so I didn't hire him. i do not know how much this firm charges but it is probably a lot... I agree that the new rules are a work in progress and the average person doesn't need high level advice - but a large corporation needs to plan ahead as best they can and can afford $500 per hour for a tax partner to brief them and help to plan.. I understood their summary very quickly it was well written. But I don't speak Thai very well or read Thai at all so in the sense that to understand tax law you need to understand Thai at a native speaker's level or close to it - not me...) and understand taxation. Understanding international taxation comes after you understand domestic taxation. Just for fun let's look at the often stated idea in this thread that you qualify as a tax resident each year - do we really know that? Or does the RD have another unpublished interpretation where you qualify as a tax resident and then you are one until you are not...? Probably not but this is the type of question that is difficult to answer sometimes. also it is interesting like a puzzle. Someone recently posted an idea where an expat can move to Thailand mid year and not be a tax resident for that year and buy a Condo and presumably not have tax liabilities. He may have been joking but it actually sounds like a good idea? Probably there are many legal ways that don't require great wealth to avoid most of the tax consequences of the new rules. Sometimes a good tax accountant can put together a plan quickly and help you with the paperwork, and be worth their fees especially if you are still working and not retired. It becomes even more confusing if the legislative developments are not conducted openly. CPSAN in America used to broadcast lots of legislative sessions - some very boring. The British legislative sessions were much more interesting in comparison! The politicians were very witty and sarcastic.

Once when I lived in Bangkok a long time ago I spoke with a Thai tax accountant who used to work as a partner for one of the large international accounting firms. Great education, spoke English well - good experience etc he was very expensive - around $500 per hour. My tax needs were not that complicated so I didn't hire him. i do not know how much this firm charges but it is probably a lot... I agree that the new rules are a work in progress and the average person doesn't need high level advice - but a large corporation needs to plan ahead as best they can and can afford $500 per hour for a tax partner to brief them and help to plan.. I understood their summary very quickly it was well written. But I don't speak Thai very well or read Thai at all so in the sense that to understand tax law you need to understand Thai at a native speaker's level or close to it - not me...) and understand taxation. Understanding international taxation comes after you understand domestic taxation. Just for fun let's look at the often stated idea in this thread that you qualify as a tax resident each year - do we really know that? Or does the RD have another unpublished interpretation where you qualify as a tax resident and then you are one until you are not...? Probably not but this is the type of question that is difficult to answer sometimes. also it is interesting like a puzzle. Someone recently posted an idea where an expat can move to Thailand mid year and not be a tax resident for that year and buy a Condo and presumably not have tax liabilities. He may have been joking but it actually sounds like a good idea? Probably there are many legal ways that don't require great wealth to avoid most of the tax consequences of the new rules. Sometimes a good tax accountant can put together a plan quickly and help you with the paperwork, and be worth their fees especially if you are still working and not retired. It becomes even more confusing if the legislative developments are not conducted openly. CPSAN in America used to broadcast lots of legislative sessions - some very boring. The British legislative sessions were much more interesting in comparison! The politicians were very witty and sarcastic.

Once when I lived in Bangkok a long time ago I spoke with a Thai tax accountant who used to work as a partner for one of the large international accounting firms. Great education, spoke English well - good experience etc he was very expensive - around $500 per hour. My tax needs were not that complicated so I didn't hire him. i not know how much this firm charges but it is probably a lot... I agree that the new rules are a work in progress and the average person doesn't need high level advice - but a large corporation needs to plan ahead as best they can and can afford $500 per hour for a tax partner to brief them and help to plan.. I understood their summary very quickly it was well written. But I don't speak Thai very well or read Thai at all so in the sense that to understand tax law you need to understand Thai at a native speaker's level or close to it - not me...) and understand taxation. Understanding international taxation comes after you understand domestic taxation. Just for fun let's look at the often stated idea in this thread that you qualify as a tax resident each year - do we really know that? Or does the RD have another unpublished interpretation where you qualify as a tax resident and then you are one until you are not...? Probably not but this is the type of question that is difficult to answer sometimes. also it is interesting like a puzzle. Someone recently posted an idea where an expat can move to Thailand mid year and not be a tax resident for that year and buy a Condo and presumably not have tax liabilities. He may have been joking but it actually sounds like a good idea? Probably there are many legal ways that don't require great wealth to avoid most of the tax consequences of the new rules. Sometimes a good tax accountant can put together a plan quickly and help you with the paperwork, and be worth their fees especially if you are still working and not retired. It becomes even more confusing if the legislative developments are not conducted openly. CPSAN in America used to broadcast lots of legislative sessions - some very boring. The British legislative sessions were much more interesting in comparison! The politicians were very witty and sarcastic.