Korean Job Discussion Forums

ujin821 · Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Location: obsolete account

Got a question about my situation:

I'm working part-time as a freelancer/independent contractor (and yes, I am on an F-visa), so I'll be charged the 3.3% tax. I qualify for not being taxed at all based on the calculator, so is it possible to get the employers to tax nothing at every paycheck (by giving them proof, I'd assume), or do I have to wait until the end of the year and do a tax return? In my case, having the money immediately instead of at the end of the year would make a world of difference.

hagwonnewbie · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Asia

I went to the local tax office. I had prepared a complaint and all the accompanying documents.

I also called the foreign workers tax advocate. He contacted my boss and then called me back. I got the ball rolling.

As you might imagine, my pension hadn't been paid either, but that issue is a little easier to rectify. I just wait for the government to seize his property, and he will be forced to pay. Pretty ridiculous, huh?

hagwonnewbie · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Asia

Update:

I received my 24(1) from my boss today. I'm getting my money. Yeah!

Thanks to everybody that posted information.

debinoxford · Joined: 10 Jan 2008

ok, here's a new tax problem. i just found out that my former director (the school was just sold) did not start taking out taxes on me until october 2007...i'd been working there all year. so i was told today that in order to get that money refunded, i have to back pay all the previous taxes and then i'll get it all back. anyone else had to do this before? i could just scratch the 3 months, but i am here until this coming october. i hate being legal and working in the system. oh yes, and i found out that my former boss had been reporting my income at about half of what it actually is...how is that allowed? i can get it changed to my actual income, and it means i'll get more taken out on taxes and pension, but god, at least i'll be legal. this country is so freaking weird.

Miles Rationis · Joined: 08 May 2007 Location: Just Say No To Korea!

Tax Calculator Links are broken and not working....this has opened up a whole new can of worms...

sjk1128 · Joined: 04 Feb 2005

They changed their website all around. If you go to this link

http://www.nts.go.kr/eng/resources/resour_41.asp?top_code=R001&sub_code=RS04&ssub_code=RSD1

and then look over on the right at the beige colored bar, I think it's all still there. I don't know, though, because mine are finished for this year. I only went to the site to check my withholding for my new contract/ salary.

Good luck.

I-am-me · Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Location: Hermit Kingdom

I spent 2 hours at tax office this week clearing up the issue of my tax rate. Both the tax worker in Suwon and worker in Seoul kept telling me I was an independent contractor. They finally looked at my contract to see that I am an "employee" and whose boss pays pension and health insurance. Now I am a "salaried worker". My tax rate went from 3.3% to 1.7%. Now I am waiting for the boss to submit my last 3 years taxes to see if I get a refund. Confused

dimnd · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: Western USA

Is this collected ONLY after you leave the country for good?
What happens if you left the country and came back for another E-2 visa and entered on a tourist visa..twice.?

Is there a time limit on when to collect the pension money, or is it for each respective job and if having not collected from previous E-2's while in country, is it too late?

hbyrne1206 · Joined: 04 Nov 2007

ellegarden · Joined: 01 Sep 2007

I just started thinking about a tax refund now. I'm pretty sure I'm entitled some money back as I have been paying 3.3% on my monthly income since September of last year. My boss at the private academy has not mentioned anything to me about taxes and I doubt he knows much about it.

How am I able to get my tax refund at this point in time?

What months am I able to get a tax refund for?

ie. Should I get money back only for Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.?

If only these months, how can I get a refund for the remaining months of my one year contract?

sojourner1 · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 10:48 am Post subject:

What is the Korean governments action on tax law when foreign teachers report that their hagwon failed to pay NTS the tax taken out of their paychecks?

I sure hope Korea government is not a pushover, but it appears that they are as the National Pension Office seems to not force hagwons to pay pension money to them, but just waits for them to do so. Hagwon director says she paid the last 2 months, but cheated me out of that money.

As for taxes, the hagwon I used to teach for lied to me in an email after I finished saying I left bills and caused the director a bad credit which in fact I did not and then when I told them they were wrong, they just stopped communicating with me and won't reply. The head teacher who is a foreigner can't talk either as he knows it's wrong and still wants to work for the school. I am betting the hagwon director only treats the head teacher fairly to project confidence in the FT's as to keep the hagwon operating.

Can I just slam them some how with the law for cheating me once I get back into Korea?

Tokki1 · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:27 am Post subject:

Been here 7 years.

Currently working for GEPIK (no taxes taken off of pay, lol).

Never done taxes here in my life.

On a scale from 1-10, how screwed am I when Canada figures this out and my nonresidency turns into a 'you owe the Canadian Government tons of money' situation?

hasenman · Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Location: states

so if anyone is still reading this thread and would like to answer the repeated question of: "If I am not in Korea, and missed the May 'deadline', then is there any way of getting the tax refund back...or is it gone after the May 31st deadline???"

i'm returning to korea next month so i'll be able to file something then if needed. also, my hagwon DID NOT pay pension and medical...how would i legally go about getting my refund without getting myself in trouble (i assume Kgov will tell me it's my fault because i should know the laws..blah blah)

wormholes101 · Joined: 11 Mar 2003

Anyone know if tax refunds are retroactive? Can we collect on taxes for the last 5+ years?

Tobias · Joined: 02 Jun 2008

Need some info here, guys. I'm from the USA, and here's my situation, past, present, and (near) future:

1. Came in early 2007 to a public school. This was/is my first job here.
2. Never had taxes taken out during 2007
3. New HR person arrives in May 2008 and starts deducting taxes from my salary. I had to pay a lump sum for January-May 2008, and am now paying about 90K a month in taxes, albeit I'm still in the two-year window.
4. I've been told by my school wigs that I must bring them a 'proof of residency' certificate before the deductions will stop.

Now...am I going to be able to get the tax refund without the certificate of residency? When first told I needed this certifcate to stop deductions, I nearly went ballistic. I needed to 'prove' I'm a citizen of the US? Why the hell is that? I have a passport, a US driver's license, and a US bank account. I also have the job because I'm a citizen of the US. Now I have to 'prove' I am?

MUST I submit that damn certificate before I can get my taxes back, albeit I'm exempt from paying taxes my first two years? Anyone else been in this boat or is in it now? The end of the year will be here soon, and I want to get my ducks in a row so I can get the refund of the taxes I'm (by law) not supposed to be paying.

Thanks for any info, guys.