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IELTS examiner certification
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backtothefront



Joined: 02 Sep 2012
Posts: 48
Location: uk

PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you are able to gain the position of examiner in one country are you able to relocate and work as a as an IELTS examiner in other countries?
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vikeologist



Joined: 07 Sep 2009
Posts: 600

PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, the invitation to examine is essentially worldwide, but outside China there's much less work.
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canrun30



Joined: 03 Oct 2012
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My "office-mate" (is there a better term?? we share a small room) said last week that the Chinese government is talking about going after IELTS examiners and the BC for serious back taxes. Any truth to this tax issue, and if so, can anyone elaborate?

Could be nothing more than a rumor, just like doing away with the English portion of the Gaokao completely in some parts of China...
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NoBillyNO



Joined: 11 Jun 2012
Posts: 1762

PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A co worker (he works in the same building but not the same uni) of mine who also doubles with IELTS has told me he heard the same rumor but so far "nothing".... if you have another job then likely you will not be checked.... If I am not mistaken IELTS cannot offer a RP so it could be that they will go after those with no visible (official) means of support. Although there is a lot of money being left on the table.....they will target those who they can collect from and who will not have the means to fight the obligation to pay tax. Much like the waitresses, in the US, who not have to pay a % of food sales to Uncle Sam, to weak of an occupation to resist the additional taxes with no representation or lobbying effort....taxes are coming, best we can do is to keep our heads down and our powder dry....or you could appeal to your own governments to sign a tax treaty with China......anyone think their "Homies" will come to the rescue.
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happeningthang



Joined: 08 Oct 2003
Posts: 117

PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 7:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

IELTS have already taken steps to be compliant with the Chinese tax collector.

Previously, they would pay examiners their gross pay and tell them that tax payment was the individual examiners responsibility.

Technically, they were within their rights to do so - but I imagine it meant precious few of examiners were paying their taxes, and so now the British Council is retaining some agency to collect taxes on behalf of the examiners - have them pay it to the - and the examiners receive a net amount instead.

Smart move - really. No-one can complain about it- the Chinese government get what they want and life goes on.

As for chasing down individual examiners for back taxes - I doubt that's going to happen. Too much disruption and trouble that no-one wants. The Chinese government can't compel BC to do it - and they can't do it themselves.

The new arrangement is probably the result of the threat however - so it's already a done deal.
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canrun30



Joined: 03 Oct 2012
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My office mate (hate that term) is saying a large-scale strike may well be in the works if IELTS examiners are forced to sign the new agreement. Things have the potential to get VERY interesting here....
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theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895

PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 11:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am an examiner and I won't be signing the form that BC wants me to allowing a third party (government owned) to retain my taxes. They have said we will not be allowed to examine if we don't sign. Fine - end of time with BC.

Nor will I pay back taxes.

BC recently gave us a raise from 102/candidate to 122/candidate, then said they would be keeping 20/candidate in taxes. What BS!

Plenty examiners on the way out. Plenty newbies on the way in.

And just another example of a once respectable Western organization kowtowing to the Chinese gubment.

Time to change country. The sooner the better. I will re-certify in Jan/Feb, and be leaving China shortly after. Unless my Chinese gal handcuffs me to the bed.
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Javelin of Radiance



Joined: 01 Jul 2009
Posts: 1187
Location: The West

PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

canrun30 wrote:
My office mate (hate that term) is saying a large-scale strike may well be in the works if IELTS examiners are forced to sign the new agreement. Things have the potential to get VERY interesting here....

I doubt anyone will be forced to sign anything. They can sign or choose not to work if they don't want to pay taxes.

theoriginalprankster wrote:
I am an examiner and I won't be signing the form that BC wants me to allowing a third party (government owned) to retain my taxes. They have said we will not be allowed to examine if we don't sign. Fine - end of time with BC.

Why are you against paying tax on earned income?
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theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895

PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Javelin of Radiance wrote:
canrun30 wrote:
My office mate (hate that term) is saying a large-scale strike may well be in the works if IELTS examiners are forced to sign the new agreement. Things have the potential to get VERY interesting here....

No-one is going to be forced to sign anything. They can sign or choose not to work if they don't want to pay taxes.

theoriginalprankster wrote:
I am an examiner and I won't be signing the form that BC wants me to allowing a third party (government owned) to retain my taxes. They have said we will not be allowed to examine if we don't sign. Fine - end of time with BC.

Why are you against paying tax on earned income?


I pay my taxes myself, through a tax consultant. Not a shady firm owned the gubment.

Having been paying my taxes through a firm since 2005. It's staying that way.

Keep in mind that by working for BC you are working illegally. Hand all your info to this shady gubment firm, and they have ALL the dirt on ALL the examiners - which means we can ALL be kicked out if the gubment is having a bad day.

Think a little more about the consequences..
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NoBillyNO



Joined: 11 Jun 2012
Posts: 1762

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 1:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unless a licensed company, consultancy status is not recognized in China.

I understand that as of January IELTs examiner will pay tax but they got a 20% raise...so on balance .. maybe a 1-2% cut....
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theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 2:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

NoBillyNO wrote:
Unless a licensed company, consultancy status is not recognized in China.

I understand that as of January IELTs examiner will pay tax but they got a 20% raise...so on balance .. maybe a 1-2% cut....


The uni pays my taxes for that job. I pay my taxes for the IELTS work. I get a receipt from the taxman.

The POINT is, the government has bullied BC into doing this. BC has sold out, and itself is chasing money, not better education.

So, we get a raise, and end up getting the same as before. I can assure you the fat cats at BC are getting healthy salary increases each year.

All that happens is the quality of examiner goes down. The smart ones leave China and find a less corrupt (financially and morally) country.

The examiners in my city had a sit down, and most are not signing. The ones with a set that is. The desperate ones, the spineless ones - well they are signing.

I will take a copy of the form, and show it to my lawyer. He's good, he'll give me the low down.

BC has a policy of bullying examiners into doing what it wants, mostly by threat of witholding work, but I'm financially healthy, so that doesn't work with me.

Instead I'll take it to the media, and get them the limelight they don't necessarily want.

I will recertify before I finish up with BC China and China the Bully.

Life's short. I want to enjoy it. Not in China.
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NoBillyNO



Joined: 11 Jun 2012
Posts: 1762

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 4:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Instead I'll take it to the media, and get them the limelight they don't necessarily want.


So your gonna take it to the media that the BC is collecting taxes and has given a raise to offset those taxes....
Quote:

So, we get a raise, and end up getting the same as before.


I can admit I don't like paying tax...rarely do.... but if I was presented with a tax solution and in fact the difference was negligible...and the money was good... what is the difference?
Quote:

The examiners in my city had a sit down, and most are not signing. The ones with a set that is. The desperate ones, the spineless ones - well they are signing.

Spineless, desperate....most of the IELTs examiners I know are a bit off, and I can imagine the hysteria surround this tax collecting action .... but it does seem to cut off your nose to spite or 失面子.
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theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 5:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

NoBillyNO wrote:
Quote:
Instead I'll take it to the media, and get them the limelight they don't necessarily want.


So your gonna take it to the media that the BC is collecting taxes and has given a raise to offset those taxes....

No, go to the media and let it be known that BC employs 100s or even 1000s of foreigners illegally. Ie. we examine, we get paid, we get taxed, but no where on our work permit does it say we're employed by the BC. We have no contract with them, thus we're working illegally. How can you tax an illegal worker?

Quote:

So, we get a raise, and end up getting the same as before.


I can admit I don't like paying tax...rarely do.... but if I was presented with a tax solution and in fact the difference was negligible...and the money was good... what is the difference?

No raise in eight or so years. Therein lies the problem. Heard of inflation?

Quote:

The examiners in my city had a sit down, and most are not signing. The ones with a set that is. The desperate ones, the spineless ones - well they are signing.

Spineless, desperate....most of the IELTs examiners I know are a bit off, and I can imagine the hysteria surround this tax collecting action .... but it does seem to cut off your nose to spite or 失面子.


My nose will be just fine. I've done this before, with bullyboy bosses, and come out on the right side just fine. Intimidation works both ways.

And yes a lot of examiners are, well, I'll stop there.
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NoBillyNO



Joined: 11 Jun 2012
Posts: 1762

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
No, go to the media and let it be known that BC employs 100s or even 1000s of foreigners illegally. Ie. we examine, we get paid, we get taxed, but no where on our work permit does it say we're employed by the BC. We have no contract with them, thus we're working illegally. How can you tax an illegal worker?


Why be a punk. Your willing to "rat" on your co workers? By the way, all income is taxed legal or not.

Quote:
My nose will be just fine. I've done this before, with bullyboy bosses, and come out on the right side just fine. Intimidation works both ways.


I am sure you have as this kind of behavior is developed over a period of time and I am sure those who do depend on this employment will consider you a wage hero.

Going to the papers does seem kind of spineless.
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Volver



Joined: 27 Sep 2013
Posts: 181

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am also an examiner and totally disgusted by the way BC handled this. If I were ever to write a business textbook, I would use this mess as a perfect example of how to really screw over the people who make your organization a success.

I'll probably stick with examining simply because I need the money. However, next year I'll be in a bigger city and able to get a lot more side work. The more side work I get the less examining I will do until I can eventually tell the BC to shove it.

Got a really bad feeling about this whole situation. Nothing that starts off this badly is likely to end well.

V
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