Paying My Taxes

[Thulemin]

Hello all,

I was teaching at a temple Language Center from June to December last year and I got a WP from them. It was a nightmare to get it, as the administration was doing it for the first time and was totally unaware of what was to be done. It was for a part-time job where I was paid 150bt per class (kind of semi-voluntary job), 3 times a week.

The thing is they put 10,000bt / month of the WP application, which is far from the truth. But I guess this is the amount on which the taxes are calculated, right ?

I went back home for 3 months and just came back. I heard other foreigner teachers saying that they went to pay their taxes and I know I need a receipt if I want to make a visa extension or get a WP for a new school. My WP with the temple is still running, as they haven't canceled it, btw.

Isn't it too late to go and pay my taxes ? How am I supposed to do it ? I'm pretty sure the temple won't have paid the taxes for me and they gave me no notice that I had to do it. So I basically have no idea of what documents to bring, where to go (I live in Chiang Mai) and if I'm going to be in trouble for not paying earlier.

Could anyone give me some inputs about my options ? Thanks a lot !!

Gaelle

[PeaceBlondie]

Hi Gaelle,

I do not know about Thai Taxes. But you only earned 7 months wages at best, less than 14,000 baht in reality. You probably owe no tax, because you get personal deductions and exemptions. I suggest that you consider to fiile a late return showing about 14K gross income for the year. As for extensions and work permit, I do not know. The guy I knew who worked at the same temple school (or Buddhist uni) paid no Thai taxes that I know of.

[Thulemin]

Hi Gaelle,

I do not know about Thai Taxes. But you only earned 7 months wages at best, less than 14,000 baht in reality. You probably owe no tax, because you get personal deductions and exemptions. I suggest that you consider to fiile a late return showing about 14K gross income for the year. As for extensions and work permit, I do not know. The guy I knew who worked at the same temple school (or Buddhist uni) paid no Thai taxes that I know of.

Hello PB!

What do you mean by filing a late return ? I have no idea what you are referring to and how I can do it...

Would you know any one in Chiang Mai who would have some experience on the taxes subject, who could advise me just a little ?

Thanks !!

[puchooay]

If you have just been home, ie.left Thailand, then you should be OK. It is an immigration requirement that if you have had a work permit and a visa for work then you have to show tax info at the airport.

By letting the WP run for so long after you finished working you have created a problem whereby your work time and WP don't correspond with each other. If the tax office notices this then you could have problems.

You need a "certification of earnings" for January 1st to December 31st 2008 from the temple to go to the tax office. They will ask for copies of passport and WP. They will then notice the discrepency. They will also notice that you have been away for 3 months but still have a valid WP.

What type of visa are you on? I would suggest that you get the temple to cancel your work permit and then you leave the country for a day, if your visa situation means that you have to. Be careful and talk to the temple. They will face a fine for late delivery. Maybe something like you had an emergency at home and were on leave for 3 months and upon return you have decided to find new work.

When you next apply for a job then you do it as a newbie.

An alternative would be to ask the temple to certify that you were on 3 months paid holiday and go see the tax people. I only wonder that if you had so much trouble getting the documents in the first place,it is quite a simple task, then you might just hit a brick wall with tax forms from the temple. It would be a way to clear things with the WP office. It would not chenge the tax form as Jan to March would be on this years tax and not last.

I would start again if I were you. Having left the country once already it should not be a problem.

If you decide to speak to the tax people then you will not have to pay anything. Your first 150000 a year is tax free.

Hope this helps

[TerryLH]

"It is an immigration requirement that if you have had a work permit and a visa for work then you have to show tax info at the airport."

As far as I'm aware, they haven't done that in many years.

In dealing with tax offices in several provinces over many years, I've never been asked for a work permit.

Good thing, too, because there were several years that I didn't have one. The tax office accepted my forms with no questions asked.

It's been my experience that most departments don't care about the documents/paperwork from other departments.

[Tywais]

"It is an immigration requirement that if you have had a work permit and a visa for work then you have to show tax info at the airport."

As far as I'm aware, they haven't done that in many years.

Correct, hasn't been required for some time now. Also, your earnings are less then 20,000/month which would mean no tax liability.

[Ijustwannateach]

Call me reactionary, but I still drag along the ol' tax certificate to the airport, just in case...

By the way, for teachers earning in excess of 60K or so (those lucky few!)- you may wish to investigate tax-dodging local investments (such as life insurance, government bonds, stock market, housing, etc., etc.) to reduce your tax burden as your tax bracket edges higher.

[tvaddict]

you ought to look here, the Thai tax office website, to get beyond opinion

http://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

if you earn less than 150,000 B in the year you pay no tax

however you will still need some paperwork (tax return) to prove this

you'll need to show your wage slips as evidence I expect