Getting Thai Tax Refund

[brillo]

Hi All

Has anyone managed to get their tax back in thailand? If so, how did you do it?

There are a number of companies online that will do it for you, but they want up to 50% of what they get back (around 4k GBP!)

I'm looking at doing it myself. Has anyone managed it? Or can anyone recommend a company that works and takes a smaller cut?

Thanks in advance

[BM12]

Hi Brillo,

I am in my 2nd year here in Thailand and will be leaving so I am in the process of doing it. Based on recommendations of (mostly British) teachers, I made contact with Stephen Dann (you can find some info on him on TES forums too). He has his website here: http://www.siamtaxtreaties.com/ or you can send me a pm if you want his email address.

Basically, he is a British guy, been here for over forty years and has been doing tax refunds for years apparently. Total fees are 110.000 THB plus VAT. There are some shady people doing it for less it seems, but he came well recommended by ex teachers from different schools (Brighton, Shrewsbury and one teacher at my current school).

Met up with him a few months ago for a face to face, paid a deposit and signed a contract. If for some reason the tax refund does not work, he pays back the deposit. All in all an decent experience and will see in a few months how it turned out. But I have faith that it will be fine.

[buffalofan]

I got mine back for the last year I worked in Thailand, but this was well over a decade ago so who knows what it is like now.

My school organized it, but I had to go back to Thailand in person to collect the refund check from my school. No other way was possible. I then walked across the street and deposited the check into my Thai bank account, which I had kept alive for this.

I'm not sure my experience was the norm though. You need to make sure your school does not intend to pocket your refund (happened to a friend of mine), and also make sure the tax withheld shown on your monthly payslip actually gets sent to the revenue department in the first place and does not go into someone's pocket (heard loads of stories about this happening).

Edit: assuming here we are talking about income tax. If we are also talking Thai Social Security tax, I'd love to hear how anyone got that back. When I left, I was told it is not possible until you are 60.

[brillo]

Thanks for the responses! I'll see if my school will be willing to do it (they're pretty above board, though also incompetent) and go for your recommendation BM12 if not.

I have a local friend who is pretty good at navigating thai bureaucracy so may also see if they can give it a go.

[PsyGuy]

When I left I had my IS take care of it for me.

[durianfan]

Hire someone to do it but shop around. Most do want around 100k baht.

FYI if you have ever worked in Thailand before, then you are out of luck, I'm afraid.

[Illiane_Blues]

My friend tried to do it herself. She thought it would be an interesting challenge. It was not, it was hell. She ended up using a company that no longer exists.
Your HR department will know someone, or use other expats to get recommendations.

[brillo]

Hi All

Thanks for the replies. School flat out said no so I'm going to hire someone.

Apparently the schools can do it easily, just choose not to. Or finance do it on the sly and then keep it for themselves.

So yeah, external company seems to be the way to go.

[tafawke]

Stephen Dann at http://www.siamtaxtreaties.com/ is highly recommended - he looked after my refund a few years ago and he also helped me out with a few other accounting matters. I found him extremely knowledgable and his staff very competent. I wouldn't bother looking for an alternative - his rates are excellent as well.

He is on Linkedin under Stephen J Dann at Sian International Accounting Management.