Thailand's Expats Urged to Register with TRD for Tax, Says Expert

[Lorry]

On 11/7/2024 at 6:18 PM, Sheryl said:

Last time I filled out form to get interest witholding back it led to 2 full days of inquisition at provincial tax office  and having to submit copious documentation going back many years. My replies were definitly not consideted  sufficient. ... and that was back before the  rule about remittances was modified. 

You have told us this before. 

It seems you really were an exception,  I know many people in Bangkok and Pattaya who claimed their refund of WHT without problems. 

Maybe because it's a routine here, whereas in Prachinburi a foreigner is not routine...no idea. 

[Jack1988]

To me this tax thing is irrelevant as I only stay in Thailand less than 6 months. I won't give my money to a country that isn't mine

[chiang mai]

2 hours ago, Lorry said:

We  know different people.

I hardly know anybody who spends more than 50000 a month. 

(But sure,  I know these people exist. )

And many people aren't here 12 months per year. 

Hmmm! Two things:

 

1) All the surveys/threads on farang spending in recent years as shown 50k to be the norm, 50k and above has been the vast majority....perhaps we need a new survey.

 

2) of all the tax form data people have sent me, only very few have been below 600k for the year (50k month)

 

I'll be interested to know the up to date reality on this point.

[toums]

And during this time.. Only 4% of the Thai population pay income tax 😂

[chiang mai]

1 hour ago, toums said:

And during this time.. Only 4% of the Thai population pay income tax 😂

25% of the workforce file tax returns, 11% of the workforce pays tax. Since the average wage in Thailand is 15k baht per month (200k per year) and the average tax threshold is 210k (60k personal allowance plus 140k zero rated for tax), that is not surprising. Note the population is 70 million, the workforce is 38 million.

[chiang mai]

6 hours ago, Lorry said:

The TRD's system has forgotten them already (not kidding).

In theory,  they could still find them.

In reality,  a couple of years back, no more. 

I don't know what that means, "forgotten them". I think you're either in their system with a TIN or you're not. If you are, then what? Do they look at your record every month/year, do they do some sort of check and if so, for what? IF bank WIT is handed over and you don't reclaim it via  return, they don't write and remind you. They also don't follow up and ask why you didn't file, ever it seems. They used to send out paper copies of blank tax forms in advance of the filing season but only for one year. if you didn't file, you didn't get a blank form again....it was more of a courtesy exercise than anything else.

[quake]

This thread is misinformation.

I'm surprised it's still open.

[chiang mai]

3 minutes ago, quake said:

This thread is misinformation.

I'm surprised it's still open.

Specifically what is?

[quake]

3 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

Specifically what is?

 

Quote

 members of the Pattaya City Expat Club, Carden emphasised the need for expatriates to register and submit tax forms by the first quarter of 2025, even if they believe they owe no tax

 

How about that.

There's enough misinformation about tax in Thailand we don't need more scaremongering. 

 

 

[chiang mai]

2 minutes ago, quake said:

 

 

How about that.

There's enough misinformation about tax in Thailand we don't need more scaremongering. 

 

 

Ok, fair enough, the lead article is misinformation but the posts in the thread correct that understanding.

[quake]

Just now, chiang mai said:

Ok, fair enough, the lead article is misinformation but the posts in the thread correct that understanding.

 

Sure. 

 

 

[Cuchulainn]

I'd like to ask a quick question if I may.

 

When filing taxes, I believe everyone filing taxes is allowed a personal deduction of B60,000.

 

My question is about the other deduction of B100,000 (labelled ''expenses''). Is this 100k deduction only for salaries/employment income, or is it for everyone filing taxes (as well as the 60k)?

 

Is everyone allowed to deduct 60k + 100k (total 160k)?

 

Many thanks

Edited November 10 by Cuchulainn
spelling

[Lorry]

4 hours ago, chiang mai said:

don't know what that means, "forgotten them". I think you're either in their system with a TIN or you're not.

No, that would be logical, but IT systems do forget (data banks migrate, systems are upgraded, data are deleted according to statutes of limitation, whatever).

If you had a TIN 10 years ago and then never used it, it's as good as not being in the system. 

My home country is one of the most bureaucratic places in the world,  but they would have a hard time searching for tax data from 20 years ago. 

The perfect surveillance state is being developed,  but it didn't exist 20 years ago.

[Lorry]

8 hours ago, chiang mai said:

 All the surveys/threads on farang spending in recent years as shown 50k to be the norm, 50k and above has been the vast majority....perhaps we need a new survey.

 

People subsisting on less (real life examples: 500 € per month in Pattaya,  721€ per month in Pattaya) are exactly the people who do not participate in surveys. 

But they claim back their WHT, as 100B is a big deal for them. 

These are the people who know all the happy hours,  and who complain bitterly if beer goes up 10 Baht. There are many of them. 

 

Just like low-class Thais, they never waste a thought on tax. That's why you don't see them asking questions about tax.

 

OTH there was a guy who posted,  20 years ago, that it's impossible to live a decent life here on less than 300,000 per month.  His calculation included apartment and BMW for the mia noi. He also enjoyed threesomes, no other form of sęx. YMMV

Edited November 10 by Lorry

[node]

Thailand is like a dog that started to sock your eggs from your chicken cage. You will not be able to stop it. Once they taste money, they will not stop. 

[chiang mai]

1 hour ago, Cuchulainn said:

I'd like to ask a quick question if I may.

 

When filing taxes, I believe everyone filing taxes is allowed a personal deduction of B60,000.

 

My question is about the other deduction of B100,000 (labelled ''expenses''). Is this 100k deduction only for salaries/employment income, or is it for everyone filing taxes (as well as the 60k)?

 

Is everyone allowed to deduct 60k + 100k (total 160k)?

 

Many thanks

There are eight classes of income, about six of them have expense elements associated with them. For example, you can claim expenses on pension payments, just as you can claim expenses on income earned thru employment. You must look at your income category and decide which class it exists in and see if there is an associated expenses deductions.

 

https://www.rd.go.th/english/6045.html

 

Note: property rental income has a 30% expenses element, dividend income does NOT have an expenses element and is in a class of its own.

 

[racket]

12 hours ago, Jack1988 said:

To me this tax thing is irrelevant as I only stay in Thailand less than 6 months. I won't give my money to a country that isn't mine

 

Based !

[Sheryl]

13 hours ago, Lorry said:

You have told us this before. 

It seems you really were an exception,  I know many people in Bangkok and Pattaya who claimed their refund of WHT without problems. 

Maybe because it's a routine here, whereas in Prachinburi a foreigner is not routine...no idea. 

Yes, definitely. Hardly any foreign retirees in this province, the few foreigners here are all working. Provincial RD did not even know/believe there is such a thing as retirement visa/extension.

 

But, this is where I live and I am not the only board member residing in the sticks where there are few expats.

[tomacht8]

What is that? An advertisement for a tax consulting office? If a tax authority wants something from me, they should write to me with an official letter and send me the forms. As long as nothing comes to me through official channels, I won't do anything. In my case, I already know that I don't have to pay income tax in Thailand. This saves me and the tax office unnecessary time and effort in filling out their forms.

 

And Why should a pig voluntarily go to the slaughterhouse and ask stupid questions?

[chiang mai]

2 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

What is that? An advertisement for a tax consulting office? If a tax authority wants something from me, they should write to me with an official letter and send me the forms. As long as nothing comes to me through official channels, I won't do anything. In my case, I already know that I don't have to pay income tax in Thailand. This saves me and the tax office unnecessary time and effort in filling out their forms.

 

And Why should a pig voluntarily go to the slaughterhouse and ask stupid questions?

Write to you personally, through official channels, dear God man, you're living in a country that is frequently described as the third world....best you get your expectations under control.

 

 

[tomacht8]

11 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

Write to you personally, through official channels, dear God man, you're living in a country that is frequently described as the third world....best you get your expectations under control.

 

 

Maybe my expectations are too high. I have had a Pink ID card since 20 years (the number of which probably also serves as my tax number) and have always reported the same home address every 3 months since 20 years. If the Thai tax authorities want something from me, they should take the trouble to inform me accordingly. It can't be that hard.

[chiang mai]

1 hour ago, tomacht8 said:

Maybe my expectations are too high. I have had a Pink ID card since 20 years (the number of which probably also serves as my tax number) and have always reported the same home address every 3 months since 20 years. If the Thai tax authorities want something from me, they should take the trouble to inform me accordingly. It can't be that hard.

In the more than 20 years that I've been here, I can't recall ever having had any form of official communications from any government department, apart from a blank copy of a tax return from TRD, for a couple of year a decade ago. Oh, and a traffic tickets as a result of a speed camera this year. 

[quake]

1 hour ago, tomacht8 said:

Maybe my expectations are too high. I have had a Pink ID card since 20 years (the number of which probably also serves as my tax number) and have always reported the same home address every 3 months since 20 years. If the Thai tax authorities want something from me, they should take the trouble to inform me accordingly. It can't be that hard.

 They may well in the future send you a letter.

But it may not be to your liking.

Good luck.

[redwood1]

12 minutes ago, quake said:

 They may well in the future send you a letter.

But it may not be to your liking.

Good luck.

 

Tax documents should be thrown in the trash then burned.....

 

I think we would all agree with this.....Pretty much 100% in agreement here I would think....

Edited November 10 by redwood1

[quake]

2 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

 

Tax documents should be thrown in the trash then burned.....

 

I think we would all agree with this.....Pretty much 100% in agreement here I would think....

 

Go ahead.

Are you going to burn your Bra as well. 

[anchadian]

We must remember that all foreigners residing in this country are aware of the new tax change, i.e. those that don't view this forum or even read the news.

Edited November 10 by anchadian

[Enzian]

5 hours ago, chiang mai said:

Note: property rental income has a 30% expenses element,

But I've also read in more than one place (one might have been official, can't recall) that one has the option to deduct actual expenses; but I believe that some think that the 30% deduction is the only option. With the actual expenses option I could just show them my Schedule E, though I doubt they would be thrilled by that. But with 30% only, I would have to leave the country; I've brought this up before. Does anyone have anything definitive?

[chiang mai]

4 minutes ago, Enzian said:

But I've also read in more than one place (one might have been official, can't recall) that one has the option to deduct actual expenses; but I believe that some think that the 30% deduction is the only option. With the actual expenses option I could just show them my Schedule E, though I doubt they would be thrilled by that. But with 30% only, I would have to leave the country; I've brought this up before. Does anyone have anything definitive?

You are correct to say that actual expenses can be used in leiu of the standard deductions in all income categories but I do not know if Schedule E can be used for this purpose.

[Lorry]

1 hour ago, chiang mai said:

In the more than 20 years that I've been here, I can't recall ever having had any form of official communications from any government department, apart from a blank copy of a tax return from TRD, for a couple of year a decade ago. Oh, and a traffic tickets as a result of a speed camera this year. 

You (or your wife) should have gotten the invitation to pay property tax.

I got it for several years,  some mail from the government adressed to my former landlord, I had no idea what it was and threw it away. That wasn't very smart. 

[chiang mai]

1 minute ago, Lorry said:

You (or your wife) should have gotten the invitation to pay property tax.

I got it for several years,  some mail from the government adressed to my former landlord, I had no idea what it was and threw it away. That wasn't very smart. 

If we did get it, she didn't tell me.