Revenue Department boss calls on tax residents in Thailand to file 2024 returns by March 31

[anchadian]

Revenue Department urges tax residents in Thailand to file 2024 returns by March 31. Expats with over 180 days in Thailand must submit returns for income remitted in 2024. New tax rules require filing electronically, with possible refunds for early submissions.

 

The Director-General of the Revenue Department on Thursday called on taxpayers to file their end-of-year returns for 2024. This will be the first year that all foreign residents in Thailand are included. Changes to tax regulations in 2023 make all income remitted to Thailand by foreign residents in the country for over 180 days last year declarable. The income tax payable by each foreigner depends on the nature of such income and the tax treaty with their country of origin. The question now is how many foreign taxpayers will file returns between now and March 31st. After that, it remains to be seen if follow-up actions will be taken against those who fail to do so. A Thai Examiner survey in 2024 showed that 16% of people plan to take professional advice, while a full 58% would not file a return at all.

 

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2025/01/03/revenue-department-boss-calls-on-tax-residents-in-thailand-to-file-2024-runs-by-the-march-31st-deadline/

[Rampant Rabbit]

no thanks..........

[SiamAndy]

Buh bye Thailand!

[OJAS]

5 hours ago, anchadian said:

Revenue Department urges tax residents in Thailand to file 2024 returns by March 31.

 

And no question of English language versions of relevant forms being issued by that date, of course. Instead Revenue Department staff have no doubt been instructed by their Director-General to devote all their energies between now and then to the task of drawing up a comprehensive list of all foreigner tax residents (with the eager and willing assistance of their pals in the Immigration Bureau, of course) aimed at gleefully hitting all such foreigners with 2,000 THB fines for non-compliance bang on the dot at 00:00:01 on 1 April!🤑

[The Cyclist]

5 hours ago, anchadian said:

Changes to tax regulations in 2023 make all income remitted to Thailand by foreign residents in the country for over 180 days last year declarable. The income tax payable by each foreigner depends on the nature of such income and the tax treaty with their country of origin.

 

This actually makes sense. It is what I thought at the the time of the initial announcements.

 

Doesn't make any sense to have people doing their own thing, certainly with monies that are moving across borders and trying to stamp out tax evasion / avoidance.

[Rampant Rabbit]

26 minutes ago, The Cyclist said:

 

This actually makes sense. It is what I thought at the the time of the initial announcements.

 

Doesn't make any sense to have people doing their own thing, certainly with monies that are moving across borders and trying to stamp out tax evasion / avoidance.

which would be mildy reasonable if they werent  filching from their own country at every level in  the  billions, nah stuff em

[CallumWK]

6 hours ago, anchadian said:

New tax rules require filing electronically, with possible refunds for early submissions.

 

I assume online English language version is available now?

[The Cyclist]

4 minutes ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

which would be mildy reasonable if they werent  filching from their own country at every level in  the  billions, nah stuff em

 

I didn't say it was either right or wrong, I simply said it made more sense, to me, at least.

[Rampant Rabbit]

1 minute ago, The Cyclist said:

 

I didn't say it was either right or wrong, I simply said it made more sense, to me, at least.

neither did I say u were

[oldcpu]

9 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

I assume online English language version is available now?

 

Not yet as far as I can tell.

 

https://www.rd.go.th/english/65308.html

 

Year 2023 appears to be the latest at present time.

[bkk6060]

6 hours ago, anchadian said:

while a full 58% would not file a return at all.

They should but say they refuse too?

 

If so, what will be the consequences?

Fines, past audits? Visa rejected?

Jail or mass deportations?

[Sheryl]

No English language version

 

No way to declare income that is non-assessable under DTA

[SooKee]

Submit a tax return while they're still unclear what the rules are? Pass. 🙄

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

No English language version

 

No way to declare income that is non-assessable under DTA

My current understanding which may of course be wrong is that Thailand has a self declaration system and income like that is not needed to be declared at all.

In other words, if all of your remitted income was from Social Security and bank savings before 2024, there would be no need to get a TIN and no need to file. 

Of course if they see your transfers and audit you need to be prepared at that time to prove you were correct not have a TIN or file.

[ukrules]

8 hours ago, anchadian said:

Changes to tax regulations in 2023 make all income remitted to Thailand by foreign residents in the country for over 180 days last year declarable.

 

That's nonsense of course, complete and utter nonsense

[Jingthing]

Jeez Louise. This official could be more diplomatic about all this and realize that it will take years for foreigners to absorb and understand all this especially as the messages we are getting about any details of compliance are so ambiguous and muddled. A bonanza for so called "advisors" if little else. 

[topt]

From reading the linked article I cannot see anywhere where new TRD DG actually mentions "foreigners" at all.........

 

It appears it was just a general statement about tax residents filing which the publication neatly segued into potential Thai expat requirements and it's own take on the subject. 

[Sheryl]

32 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

My current understanding which may of course be wrong is that Thailand has a self declaration system and income like that is not needed to be declared at all.

In other words, if all of your remitted income was from Social Security and bank savings before 2024, there would be no need to get a TIN and no need to file. 

Of course if they see your transfers and audit you need to be prepared at that time to prove you were correct not have a TIN or file.

That had been my understanding but the article states all  remittances are declarable.  (Declarable not necessarily assessable...but no way to show that on a tax form). 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

That had been my understanding but the article states all  remittances are declarable.  (Declarable not necessarily assessable...but no way to show that on a tax form). 

It does indeed but personally at this point in time I would go with our current understanding and be prepared for audits that likely won't happen. 

[Seppius]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

No English language version

 

No way to declare income that is non-assessable under DTA

They will also need a Russian and Chinese version, as I believe that is who they are really after, not Bob the pensioner from Bristol

[Sheryl]

20 minutes ago, topt said:

From reading the linked article I cannot see anywhere where new TRD DG actually mentions "foreigners" at all.........

 

It appears it was just a general statement about tax residents filing which the publication neatly segued into potential Thai expat requirements and it's own take on the subject. 

It reads as though he did mention foreigners but it is impossible to clearly tell from the article which words are his and which are added by the writer. 

[TheAppletons]

1 hour ago, Seppius said:

They will also need a Russian and Chinese version, as I believe that is who they are really after, not Bob the pensioner from Bristol

 

  Isn't he your uncle?

[topt]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

It reads as though he did mention foreigners but it is impossible to clearly tell from the article which words are his and which are added by the writer. 

Well here is a link to the Siam Rath article in Thai which is credited under his pic in the linked article

https://siamrath.co.th/n/591447

 

Just using a translate option definitely no specific mention there.

[oldcpu]

30 minutes ago, topt said:

Well here is a link to the Siam Rath article in Thai which is credited under his pic in the linked article

https://siamrath.co.th/n/591447

 

Just using a translate option definitely no specific mention there.

 

The article mentions the electronic forms P.N.D. 90 and Form P.N.D. 91 and states they can be submitted online.  However I believe that is only possible 'online' if one already has a Thailand Tax ID Number (TIN). (And if someone knows better, please correct me on that).

 

I suspect if one does not yet have a Thai TIN and one wishes to submit, then the one could fill in the forms (minus the Thai TIN), print them out, and take them to one's local Thai RD.   .... ( and then 'maybe' sit for an hour or more while they try to figure out what to do with a tax submission from someone who has no Thai TIN).

 

However I type the above noting tax year 2024 P.N.D. 90 and Form P.N.D. 91 forms are not as of yet (as of me typing this) on the Thai Revenue Department web site, so I make this post from how I understand the year-2023 tax forms to work (which require a Thai TIN, I believe).

 

Again - I am not 100% certain on this - but that is my understanding (that a Thai TIN is needed).

[Dmaxdan]

1 hour ago, topt said:

Well here is a link to the Siam Rath article in Thai which is credited under his pic in the linked article

https://siamrath.co.th/n/591447

 

Just using a translate option definitely no specific mention there.

And there is no mention of remmited overseas funds either...

[chiang mai]

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

 

The article mentions the electronic forms P.N.D. 90 and Form P.N.D. 91 and states they can be submitted online.  However I believe that is only possible 'online' if one already has a Thailand Tax ID Number (TIN). (And if someone knows better, please correct me on that).

 

I suspect if one does not yet have a Thai TIN and one wishes to submit, then the one could fill in the forms (minus the Thai TIN), print them out, and take them to one's local Thai RD.   .... ( and then 'maybe' sit for an hour or more while they try to figure out what to do with a tax submission from someone who has no Thai TIN).

 

However I type the above noting tax year 2024 P.N.D. 90 and Form P.N.D. 91 forms are not as of yet (as of me typing this) on the Thai Revenue Department web site, so I make this post from how I understand the year-2023 tax forms to work (which require a Thai TIN, I believe).

 

Again - I am not 100% certain on this - but that is my understanding (that a Thai TIN is needed).

You cannot file without a Thai TIN, it's just not possible.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, topt said:

Well here is a link to the Siam Rath article in Thai which is credited under his pic in the linked article

https://siamrath.co.th/n/591447

 

Just using a translate option definitely no specific mention there.

Thank you for that.

 

Most importantly the this  statement -- which contradicts what most of us have understood to be true -- is not there:

 

"Changes to tax regulations in 2023 make all income remitted to Thailand by foreign residents in the country for over 180 days last year declarable".

 

So presumably it was the writer from the Examiner saying that, and to my understanding it is untrue; only assessable income is declarable. Non-assessable income remitted is not declarable; in fact there currently is no way to declare it. 

 

Big difference.

[chiang mai]

7 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Thank you for that.

 

Most importantly the this  statement -- which contradicts what most of us have understood to be true -- is not there:

 

"Changes to tax regulations in 2023 make all income remitted to Thailand by foreign residents in the country for over 180 days last year declarable".

 

So presumably it was the writer from the Examiner saying that, and to my understanding it is untrue; only assessable income is declarable. Non-assessable income remitted is not declarable; in fact there currently is no way to declare it. 

 

Big difference.

I wouldn't worry too much about this, it looks like a classic case of misinterpretation by the writer.

[ronnie50]

Without seeing the actual correct transcript of the TRD DG it's hard to judge. But if the OP interpretation is correct, two things stick out. 1) he only mentioned 'remittances' - and stopped using the words 'global income'; 2) it is still just the reported mumblings of a senior civil servant and not a Government Minister. I'm not even sure if a 'directive' is legally sufficient to make non-immigrant residents pay income tax - that might need an actual legal amendment and published in the Royal Gazette. And it still isn't clear if remittances from long-held foreign bank accounts are taxable at all - anywhere - presumably if they are after-tax savings from many years gone by.

[chiang mai]

1 minute ago, ronnie50 said:

Without seeing the actual correct transcript of the TRD DG it's hard to judge. But if the OP interpretation is correct, two things stick out. 1) he only mentioned 'remittances' - and stopped using the words 'global income'; 2) it is still just the reported mumblings of a senior civil servant and not a Government Minister. I'm not even sure if a 'directive' is legally sufficient to make non-immigrant residents pay income tax - that might need an actual legal amendment and published in the Royal Gazette. And it still isn't clear if remittances from long-held foreign bank accounts are taxable at all - anywhere - presumably if they are after-tax savings from many years gone by.

Savings don't have to be from years gone by, only pre 31/12/23, according to POR 162