Am I Required To File A Thai Tax Return

[Yumthai]

1 hour ago, motdaeng said:

i do agree indeed, interesting mindset if you think thai prefer foreigner not following the law ... 

 

I certainly do think that Thais want foreigners, and rightly so, to respect their customs and traditions.

 

Regarding laws, I think Thais are not much concerned about foreigners complying with the rules (especially when they themselves don't comply) as long as they are not somehow negatively impacted, unless they (for some) can grab a direct profit from it.

 

[CFCol]

On 2/16/2025 at 12:51 AM, shortstop2 said:

American expat, stayed more than 180 days in Thailand in 2024.

 

Only remittances to Thailand are direct deposit Social Security payments to Bangkok Bank. This is excluded from accessible income due to a bilateral treaty.

 

Earned Thai interest approx 30K.  2K baht withheld.  Not a big deal to lose this money.

 

I have a TIN and filed to receive a refund on withheld interest in the past but not for about 4 years.

 

Am I correct that I don't need to file a Thai tax return because the Social Security is non-accessible and tax was already withheld by my Thai banks?

Do you mean non assessable?

[CFCol]

On 2/16/2025 at 3:44 PM, Lacessit said:

When an Immigration Officer requires me to have a TIN and/or tax return to extend my visa, I will get one.

 

Until then, the tax office can come to me.

There's that chicken with its head in the sand again

[CFCol]

19 hours ago, Njoku said:

That might be the case depending on your local revenue department, certainly its not correct at Chon Buri/Pattaya, popped in This morning to pick up my TIN number after registering and lodging last Friday, took a moment to ask the head did I who is not liable to pay any tax did I still needed to lodge, he said any funds that are remitted into the country you must lodge a tax form, which was me, so it doesn't matter what or where the remitted funds come from, they work it out with you at lodgement so keep good records.

Only any assessible funds that you remit require a tax filing and if they are less than your tax threshold, you don't have to file but can if you want.(director of revenue ,Koh Samui, last week)

[Lacessit]

26 minutes ago, CFCol said:

There's that chicken with its head in the sand again

 

27 minutes ago, CFCol said:

There's that chicken with its head in the sand again

 

27 minutes ago, CFCol said:

There's that chicken with its head in the sand again

I'll leave the Chicken Little act to you.

[Luuk Chaai]

FYI..     being the skeptic that I am .....

I went to the local TRD in Pranburi ..   got the run around and caused the clerks eyes to roll like a roulette wheel when I told him how much money I brought in from US Social Security      he said Oh $$$   you have to pay  but I can get you a discount ..    ba bla bla..  wasted my breath ( the wife and I  )for 15 mins trying to explain the DTA between the USA and Thailand..   but. more enjoyable to bang my head on a brick wall...   

anyway .   back to being a skeptic...  I took one of the free 15 minute consulting one on one with Jason @ expat thailand

expained to him all my funds are  from US Social Security and he confirms  you are exempt... " you do not need to file any tax return"  do nothing !

 

Jason Rawal Head of Client Support

https://www.expattaxthailand.com/

 

[dayo202]

17 minutes ago, Luuk Chaai said:

FYI..     being the skeptic that I am .....

I went to the local TRD in Pranburi ..   got the run around and caused the clerks eyes to roll like a roulette wheel when I told him how much money I brought in from US Social Security      he said Oh $$$   you have to pay  but I can get you a discount ..    ba bla bla..  wasted my breath ( the wife and I  )for 15 mins trying to explain the DTA between the USA and Thailand..   but. more enjoyable to bang my head on a brick wall...   

anyway .   back to being a skeptic...  I took one of the free 15 minute consulting one on one with Jason @ expat thailand

expained to him all my funds are  from US Social Security and he confirms  you are exempt... " you do not need to file any tax return"  do nothing !

 

Jason Rawal Head of Client Support

https://www.expattaxthailand.com/

 

How much it the 15 minute consulting cost you ?

[NE1]

7 minutes ago, dayo202 said:

How much it the 15 minute consulting cost you ?

 

26 minutes ago, Luuk Chaai said:

I took one of the free 15 minute consulting one on one with Jason @ expat thailand

 

[anchadian]

16 minutes ago, dayo202 said:

How much it the 15 minute consulting cost you ?

I was wondering that to, how much did the free 15 minute consulting cost your?

[topt]

4 hours ago, anchadian said:

I was wondering that to, how much did the free 15 minute consulting cost your?

Depends on his phone package I guess.........

[Luuk Chaai]

On 2/19/2025 at 3:59 PM, dayo202 said:

How much it the 15 minute consulting cost you ?

IT'S A FREEBIE 

 you can schedule on line a that website ,,,   very good experience

[Luuk Chaai]

On 2/19/2025 at 4:19 PM, anchadian said:

I was wondering that to, how much did the free 15 minute consulting cost your?

as stated  free...      no strings attached ..   very pleasant and  quick ..

[Yumthai]

16 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

as stated  free...      no strings attached ..   very pleasant and  quick ..

Would you share her details (for a friend)?

[henryford1958]

On 2/16/2025 at 4:07 PM, Presnock said:

IMHO you do not have to file as the tax forms have no line for exempted by DTA (USA SS payments) but I am aforeigner so can't advise you what to do.  Ifyou doubt this, got to your local rd office and ask.

 

Yes i couldn't see one so if you filled in a return it would show that you do owe tax. How does the DTA work? One poster somewhere said he did a return and had to pay (a small) tax bill because the tax office knew nothing about DTAs.

[henryford1958]

On 2/18/2025 at 7:42 PM, Njoku said:

That might be the case depending on your local revenue department, certainly its not correct at Chon Buri/Pattaya, popped in This morning to pick up my TIN number after registering and lodging last Friday, took a moment to ask the head did I who is not liable to pay any tax did I still needed to lodge, he said any funds that are remitted into the country you must lodge a tax form, which was me, so it doesn't matter what or where the remitted funds come from, they work it out with you at lodgement so keep good records.

 

Was he able to explain how the DTA works and is it shown somewhere on the tax return? If not most of us will get a tax bill and then have to argue that the DTA covers it.

[Presnock]

17 minutes ago, henryford1958 said:

 

Yes i couldn't see one so if you filled in a return it would show that you do owe tax. How does the DTA work? One poster somewhere said he did a return and had to pay (a small) tax bill because the tax office knew nothing about DTAs.

It is fairly simple if you are an American anyway.  I am basically ignorant when it comes to complicated finances.  Mine are straight forward IAW the DTA if you have read it, exempts social security and US govt civil service pensions from taxes as ONLY the US can tax those very specific in the DTA article 20/21 explain what is exempt.  One if they are aware of the DTA  then they would see if their income is assessable or not.  If you have other income, interest, rental properties, IRA, state pension, etc especially if you are an American, you are required to file taxes on those incomes.   The US will tax you and supposedly IAW the DTA, you should be able to get a tax credit (as the Thais will tax you IAW their charts) and then you can file with your 1040, for a tax credit.  If your finance situation is complicated, you can use a tax agent to help you file.  expattaxthailand.com has a 15-minute free consultation on taxes, plus they have an estimator online but I am not familiar with that so anyway, there are other tax agencies too but like I said my finances are super simple and I also have an LTR so not foreign income remitted by me is taxed by the Thais.   They can also give you some pointers probably on the DTA and local Thai revenue dept office if they claim they know nothing about the DTA.  If you do not have assessable income then you do not have to get a tax id nor do you need to file for taxes.  I am a foreigner so can't advise you on taxes here but what I have passed to you can be found on the Thai revenue dept website in English.  "tr.go.th/English"  Good luck with your taxes

[Njoku]

8 minutes ago, henryford1958 said:

 

Was he able to explain how the DTA works and is it shown somewhere on the tax return? If not most of us will get a tax bill and then have to argue that the DTA covers it.

In my case, Australian and Age pension income only coming in, plus an amount of savings brought in for a major purchase, im not covered by a DTA, so not relevant for me to ask, in Pattaya first stop was a guy who checks your papers and speaks some English then you are shuffled off to a second person who fills in the form for you who had no English, bring your Thai partner and be well prepared.

[jwest10]

11 minutes ago, Njoku said:

In my case, Australian and Age pension income only coming in, plus an amount of savings brought in for a major purchase, im not covered by a DTA, so not relevant for me to ask, in Pattaya first stop was a guy who checks your papers and speaks some English then you are shuffled off to a second person who fills in the form for you who had no English, bring your Thai partner and be well prepared.

Again been be told you do not need to file as my allowances  are more than my income

[Njoku]

2 hours ago, jwest10 said:

Again been be told you do not need to file as my allowances  are more than my income

And again depends on your tax office location, get it in writing...

[shortstop2]

On 2/19/2025 at 2:33 PM, CFCol said:

Do you mean non assessable?

Should have wrote that my remittances are non-accessible since they are Social Security payments which are specifically excluded by a bilateral treaty.  The relatively small amount of interest is accessible.

[shortstop2]

On 2/18/2025 at 7:42 PM, Njoku said:

That might be the case depending on your local revenue department, certainly its not correct at Chon Buri/Pattaya, popped in This morning to pick up my TIN number after registering and lodging last Friday, took a moment to ask the head did I who is not liable to pay any tax did I still needed to lodge, he said any funds that are remitted into the country you must lodge a tax form, which was me, so it doesn't matter what or where the remitted funds come from, they work it out with you at lodgement so keep good records.

On what Line of the tax form would one claim credit for the remittance that is excluded due to the bilateral treaty?

[oldcpu]

25 minutes ago, shortstop2 said:

On what Line of the tax form would one claim credit for the remittance that is excluded due to the bilateral treaty?

 

There is no appropriately labelled line to claim the remitted tax income, is tax exempt ,due to a Double Tax agreement.

 

Hence the viewpoint of many of us is if the Double Tax Agreement (between Thailand and the source country of your foreign income) states the income is only taxable in the source country of the income, then per that DTA (and per Royal Decree-18 which calls up the DTA), that remitted income is exempt for the purpose of the tax calculation, and should not be included on a Thai taxation form.

 

There is at least one case where a user on this forum phoned up the Thai Revenue Department (RD) (talking to their help line) and they confirmed what I typed above.

 

However given the amount of attention drawn to Thailand taxation as a result of Ministerial instructions Por.161/162, many more foreigners are now assessing if they have to file a tax return. 

 

From what I read many of the local Thai RD offices are not conversant with the content of DTAs, and hence one can not be 100% certain the advice provided by the local RD officials is 100% accurate.  ... 

 

I tend to believe in the reported phone call to the Thai RD help line, which confirms what I typed ... but others on this thread (and even some youtube bloggers (with a possible conflict of interest)) dispute the Thai RD help line.

 

Best wishes in your approach. 

 

My view is IF you are 100% certain your remitted income is tax exempt in Thailand (due to a specific DTA) and if you have no Thai sourced income, nor other remitted income (not covered by a DTA), then there is not need to file a Thai tax return, as in such a case the assessable income threshold for filing a Thai tax return will not have been reached by you.

 

Note - I am not a tax expert.  I am just an ordinary expat.  Do take care as to whose advice you follow.  There are some posting (and advertising) who IMHO have either financial , or simple scaremongering motives.

[Njoku]

1 hour ago, shortstop2 said:

On what Line of the tax form would one claim credit for the remittance that is excluded due to the bilateral treaty?

In my case I dont have that luxury, they sit you down and fill it out had a Thai speaker with me that went through it all, but I did bring moneys in that where pre 1st jan 24 savings, they just wanted proof of where it was spent, as far as I could see nothing was noted on there tax form over that particular amount, they did not ask for proof that it actually was in an Australian bank pre jan 24.

[jwest10]

On 2/19/2025 at 4:19 PM, anchadian said:

I was wondering that to, how much did the free 15 minute consulting cost your?

They talk <deleted>e as per normal but sorry even the so-called experts fighting each other!!!

[Luuk Chaai]

11 hours ago, Yumthai said:

Would you share her details (for a friend)?

Jason Rawal Head of Client Support

https://www.expattaxthailand.com/