Personal Income Tax / Non-O retirement

[thuisinthailand]

To the admins: if this topic should be posted in a different forum, please feel free to move it.

 

I have a question related to Thai Personal Income Tax. Anyone who is living in Thailand for more then 180 consecutive days, is considered a resident and therefore liable to pay tax from income in Thailand (or other sources), if any. See for instance here: http://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

I have a Non-O retirement visa, and I am on extension for quite some time now, therefore I should qualify as a tax resident. Obviously, I don't have any income inside Thailand (hence the Non-O retirement), but I receive money from overseas.

 

Question: is it obligatory to ask for a personal tax number? If so, where to ask for it?

 

If not obligatory, I could consider it anyway because I would benefit from having a Thai tax number, as I could use it to show to the tax authorities in my home country and as such I can be exempted from paying certain taxes there, as my home country and Thailand are having a bilateral tax treaty. We have special forms in order to achieve that.

 

Any advice on this is much appreciated.

[lopburi3]

In practice only income from outside Thailand that is remitted into the country in the year earned would be subject to local tax - so most seem to draw on savings if not exempt by treaty.  There is no requirement for tax number but it can be used to obtain bank withheld interest for those with larger accounts here.

[thuisinthailand]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

In practice only income from outside Thailand that is remitted into the country in the year earned would be subject to local tax - so most seem to draw on savings if not exempt by treaty.  There is no requirement for tax number but it can be used to obtain bank withheld interest for those with larger accounts here.

Just ask a (reputable) local accountant to arrange for a tax number (if I decide to do so) I presume?

[simoh1490]

Simply go to your local tax office with your passport, prove that you've been in the country for more than 183 days and ask them for a tax ID - it takes about fifteen minutes.

 

As said earlier: only overseas income remitted here in the year it is earned is subject to Thai tax.

[lopburi3]

Believe many have posted about doing it themselves.

[simoh1490]

Just to add:

 

You say you obviously don't have any income in Thailand... Many retirees have bank deposits in Thailand which earn income and where 15% tax is deducted at source. You can reclaim that tax each year between January and March by filing a simple tax return, easy access savings or fixed deposits, the tax can be reclaimed from either/both, up to a maximum income of 300k baht per year (currently). Of course, you need a tax ID to do that hence another good reason to get one. BTW don't waste money on accountants or lawyers just to get the tax ID, it's not that level of activity. The Thai tax people are some of the most friendly and helpful of all the government offices.

[thuisinthailand]

4 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Just to add:

 

You say you obviously don't have any income in Thailand... Many retirees have bank deposits in Thailand which earn income and where 15% tax is deducted at source. You can reclaim that tax each year between January and March by filing a simple tax return, easy access savings or fixed deposits, the tax can be reclaimed from either/both, up to a maximum income of 300k baht per year (currently). Of course, you need a tax ID to do that hence another good reason to get one. BTW don't waste money on accountants or lawyers just to get the tax ID, it's not that level of activity. The Thai tax people are some of the most friendly and helpful of all the government offices.

Thanks, very helpful! Will check out the local tax office here on Samui. I suppose for filing tax returns (I indeed do have a savings account here), you can go to the local tax office as well?

[simoh1490]

Just now, thuisinthailand said:

Thanks, very helpful! Will check out the local tax office here on Samui. I suppose for filing tax returns (I indeed do have a savings account here), you can go to the local tax office as well?

Yes, where I live in the North the people at the tax office complete the tax return for me, very helpful folk. You just need a letter from your bank showing details of the tax deducted and they will do the rest - they'll mail you a check, usually within three weeks.

[dabhand]

This thread might be of interest to the OP:

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/951527-tax-on-foreign-income-remitted-into-thailand/

 

 

[meatboy]

On 6/5/2560 at 4:13 PM, thuisinthailand said:

Thanks, very helpful! Will check out the local tax office here on Samui. I suppose for filing tax returns (I indeed do have a savings account here), you can go to the local tax office as well?

if you have any savings eg.fixed term acc.where tax [15%] is witheld by the bank,at the end of the year get the bank to give you the tax certificate showing the tax youve paid.

go along to your local tax office they will give you a TIN NO.[tax id] and fill in the form for you to receive the tax witheld refund.

if you have prompt pay acc.you get it very quick otherwise its 45days after youve applied.