Personal Income Tax

Personal Income Tax (PIT)

If you are a foreign individual residing in Thailand you are still required to pay or file for your Personal Income Tax or PIT. This type of tax is a direct tax imposed on the income of a person, and the amount is based on a progressive rate schedule set out by the Revenue Department of Thailand. Taxpayers are classified as either "resident" or "non-resident". For personal income tax purposes, "resident" refers to a person who has resided in Thailand for more than 180 days in that calendar year.

Importance of Personal Income Tax

Correct and timely payment of taxes, including Personal Income Tax and other taxes in Thailand, is crucial if you are seeking Permanent Residence status in the country. Meeting tax obligations is one of the determining factors considered in the Permanent Residence application process, alongside other requirements related to your visa and duration of stay in Thailand.

Assessable Income

As per the guidelines of the Revenue Department of Thailand, income subject to Personal Income Tax (PIT) is referred to as "assessable income." This encompasses both cash and non-cash income. Therefore, any benefits provided by an employer or other parties, such as a rent-free house or employer-paid taxes on behalf of the employee, are also considered assessable income for PIT purposes. Assessable income is categorized into 8 categories as follows

  • Income from personal services rendered to employers;
  • Income by virtue of jobs, positions, or services rendered;
  • Income from goodwill, copyright, franchise, other rights, annuity or income in the nature of yearly payments derived from a will or any other juristic Act or judgment of the Court;
  • Income in the nature of dividends, interest on deposits with banks in Thailand, shares of profits or other benefits from a juristic company, juristic partnership, or mutual fund, payments received as a result of the reduction of capital, a bonus, an increased capital holding, gains from amalgamation, acquisition or dissolution of juristic companies or partnerships, and gains from transferring of shares or partnership holdings;
  • Income from letting of property and from breaches of contracts, installment sales, or hire-purchase contracts;
  • Income from liberal professions;
  • Income from construction and other contracts of work;
  • Income from a business, commerce, agriculture, industry, transport, or any other activity not specified earlier.

Resident - Non-Resident

A resident is liable for tax on income derived from sources in Thailand and on income from foreign sources brought into the country. A non-resident is subject to tax only on income derived from employment or business conducted in Thailand and from property located in Thailand.

Tax Payments

Typically, a taxpayer is required to calculate their tax liability, file a return and pay any tax due on a calendar year basis. The return and payment are made to the Revenue Department by the last day of March in the year following the taxable year.

Withholding Tax

For certain types of income, the tax must be withheld by the payer when payment is made. The payer of the income is responsible for filing a tax return and submitting the amount of the tax withheld to the District Revenue Office. The amount of tax withheld is credited against the payee’s tax liability at the time of filing their Personal Income Tax return.

Perhaps the best-known type of withholding tax is the Personal Income Tax deducted by an employer from an employee's wages, but there are many other types of transactions in Thailand that are subject to withholding tax.

Summary

It is important that you make sure all of your taxes in Thailand are well-managed and taken care of, otherwise, it may pose a possible threat to your stay in Thailand. It is advised you should inquire with taxation professionals to avoid any problems related to such issues.

Juslaws & Consult's lawyers possess in-depth expertise in Personal Income Tax Laws in Thailand and have considerable experience in offering tax planning advice and services to both individuals and businesses in the country. If you need further information on any of our Taxation Services, please feel free to contact us.