Help reclaiming paid bank tax

[Keith5588]

I am from the UK, retired, and have been living in Khon Kaen Thailand since August 2017.

Today at Bangkok Bank I updated my Fixed Account passbook and have 3,000 baht interest added on 26/3/19 and 450 baht tax deducted. It is not that much interest this year but will be about 15,000 baht next year, but as I was at BB I asked about claiming the tax back. They said I needed to go to a bank counter and ask for a form, then take the form to KK Revenue office. I obtained the form which stated that I received 3,000 baht on 26/3/19 and 450 baht tax was deducted All straightforward so far.

 

I was with my Thai girlfriend. She speaks and writes quite good English but she is a bit shy and very illogical. Many times when she tells me what people have said to her in Thai it does not make sense. It is a problem.

 

At the Revenue Office I was first directed to number 9 desk where a lady could speak very good English. It was quite a short talk with the lady. She said the Thai tax year runs 1 Jan to end Dec, and I need to claim tax back during Jan to March period. For the tax paid at Bangkok bank 26 March 2019, I need to claim this back Jan to March 2020.

Still I think straightforward.

She then said I need a tax ID number and I need to obtain this within 60 days after 26 March otherwise I will be fined 500 baht I think she said  – I am not sure and a bit confused about this bit and might have details wrong?

She said I would need fill in a form together with a copy of the photo page of my passport, I would not need proof of my address, and would need to go to desk 5 to obtain my tax ID.

 

I always carry a copy of my passport so decided as we were in the Revenue office to fill in the form and try to obtain my tax ID. We sat down at desk 5, the Thai official seemed friendly but could not speak any English at all. The session with him lasted a long time maybe 30 minutes, him talking to my girlfriend. My girlfriend talked to me in English several times.

Sequence of events:-

1. My girlfriend said he wants us to go back to Bangkok Bank to get them to change the date on the statement they gave us from 26/3/19 to 26/3/18. I said they will not do that, it is illegal, they will not give me a fake form. She said that is what the official is asking. I said I don’t think so. She talked with him again, said the same to me again. I then thought he may be asking for the tax I paid during year 2018 so said this to my girlfriend and said that I received no interest and no tax during 2018, ZERO. This went on at least 4 times. As I had my updated passbooks with me I showed the official my Fixed interest account.

2.  My girlfriend asked me to show the official my Savings book. I said no tax paid in that but reluctantly handed it to him.

3.  My girlfriend said the official wants to know what my pension is. I said my savings and pension are all in the UK.

4. He went over to a photocopier. My girlfriend said he asked if I have any other ID.  I said of course I have my Thai driving licence (she should have known), and gave it to her. She trotted over to the official and gave it to him to copy.

5. My girlfriend said he wants to know what tax with details that I pay in the UK. I said why? I started to feel uncomfortable and said all I want is a Thai tax ID number. I asked if it is possible to speak to someone in English. They fetched the lady from counter 9. She said I could pay tax in Thailand. I said all my finance, my savings, pension are all in the UK, I declare everything and pay UK tax, and would like to keep it like that. I am retired, not working, I only money I have in Thailand is in Bangkok Bank. She said that was fine for me to carry on paying tax in the UK, then she left. She was helpful but I think a bit busy.

6. The official processed all information and gave me a card with my Thai tax number on .

7. My girlfriend still says that the official said I need to pay a 200 baht fine when I go to claim my tax back next January. I suspect this is wrong.

  

 

My queries:-

1. I suspect that I will not pay any 200 baht fine, or 500 baht fine if I reclaim my tax from the Thai Revenue department during Jan to March 2020. That I would only pay a fine if I claim late, after the end of the Jan to March period.

2. Have I done things correctly? Next, and subsequent years I just get the form from Bangkok Bank that states what interest I was credited and what tax I paid. Take this to the Revenue department together with my tax ID card and they refund me the tax?

3. The part above “She then said I need a tax ID number and I need to obtain this within 60 days after 26 March otherwise I will be fined 500 baht I think she said  – I am not sure and a bit confused about this bit and might have details wrong?”  Can anyone please comment on this?

Thank you for your help in advance

Keith

[jacko45k]

I did mine in Chonburi province, no mentions of fines, a nice lady helped me fill in the forms  to get the tax ID and subsequently, after I got the slips from the bank, the tax form to reclaim the tax.. Mine did it for free, sounds like yours is charging 200 baht! I claimed in January 2019 for with-holding taxes taken in all of 2018. 

After you claim the tax back you will be waiting a couple of months and then receive the refund as a single sheet of printed paper in the mail. This needs to be taken to a branch of Krung Thai bank that the Tax dept works with. You will need to open an account with them. Passport and the yellow tax card and the printed sheet required. 

 

I have lived here a long time and this is the first year I have made this refund claim.

 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2019 by jacko45k

[mahjongguy]

" This needs to be taken to a branch of Krung Thai bank that the Tax dept works with. You will need to open an account with them. "

You can open an account there if you wish. If not, you can insist that they create an e-Money card instead and put the refund on the card. Then go outside and withdraw the money from the ATM. That card will be good for five years.

[ivor bigun]

I used to do mine in Chonburi,2 years ag they started asking for forms from the U k regarding how much tax i paid there ,had to go to the tax office in jomtien with my paperwork" oh its a photocopy need original" this was the first time in 12 years it happened ,just could not be bothered i no longer claim it .

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[jacko45k]

31 minutes ago, mahjongguy said:

" This needs to be taken to a branch of Krung Thai bank that the Tax dept works with. You will need to open an account with them. "

You can open an account there if you wish. If not, you can insist that they create an e-Money card instead and put the refund on the card. Then go outside and withdraw the money from the ATM. That card will be good for five years.

Crikey, I had a lot of wasted time and effort and was extremely happy to get s far as I did. I  was at my third branch. The ATMs there aren't great either, mixed Thai and English, so press the button for 'English' and it went all in Thai!

Edited April 10, 2019 by jacko45k

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, Keith5588 said:

1. I suspect that I will not pay any 200 baht fine, or 500 baht fine if I reclaim my tax from the Thai Revenue department during Jan to March 2020. That I would only pay a fine if I claim late, after the end of the Jan to March period.

The tax year runs from January to December in Thailand.

All tax returns/claims are filed Jan - Mar of the proceeding year.

So for the tax year 2018, claims are filed Jan - Mar 2019.

 

In your case you've tried to file to early.

Your fixed term account matured 2/3/19, so you reclaim that tax paid Jan- Mar 2020.

You can file late for previous years (at least up to 4 years) but there is a 200 baht for each year filed late.

 

Were you given a username and login password?

The website is completely in Thai to submit tax returns.

Each year I submit the statement from BKK to revenue by hand and they sort it out in 10 minutes.

 

The local revenue office does not refund tax returns.

Claims are processed and you'll receive a cheque in the post at least 45 days after submitting the claim.

[Keith5588]

Thank's to all that have replied.

jacko - thank you for the information about what happens after I make the claim

mahjongguy - Thank's for information about e-card, I have made a note to ask for that.

ivor - Them wanting my UK tax information is the bit I am not sure about. The male official was definitely talking about that to my girlfriend. I am guessing a bit but I think he was trying to persuade her that I can have my earnings taxed in Thailand and not the UK. When the lady officer came over near the end she said something like that but she was quite satisfied when I said I declare and pay taxes to the UK Revenue and wish to keep doing that. I came to Thailand mainly to relax so if they start asking for my UK details, as you, I will not bother to reclaim the paid tax.

tanoshi - Thanks for confirming what I thought must be the case. I was not given a username or password. I live in Khon Kaen town, my bank and the Revenue office at both close, so it is no problem to go there in person.

Thanks again

Keith

[mahjongguy]

Two years ago I went to the RD and asked them to do my filing for me. As in previous years they were happy enough to do so. But, this time the boss lady insisted that I show her my U. S. tax return to prove that I had paid tax on my gov't pension. I wanted to tell her that according to Thai tax law and the various treaties that I didn't need to provide that info but I've been here long enough to know better. I went home, printed out a copy of my 1040, drove back, handed it to her, and she tossed it into the file without a glance. 

 

This year I filed online for the first time. Not a clear process even with an interpreter on hand. At the end of several days, I got a message that I needed to appear at the RD and show my passport. Did that, in and out quickly, got my refund voucher 20 days later in the mail.

[KittenKong]

19 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Claims are processed and you'll receive a cheque in the post at least 45 days after submitting the claim.

No more cheques. You now get a sheet of paper with a barcode on and you have to go to KrungThai bank to change it into money. As described above you can either get an eMoney card from them or open an account with them.