Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

Pardon me if this has been mentioned, but I can't find any discussion searching this site. I found it on www.IRS.gov, but little makes sense to me about it.

OK, how do you get this bugger over to Korea to your Korean accountant if the beaurocratic IRS won't send and receive by fax or internet and denies the application if living abroad? This document is a beaurocratic formal statement saying you are a resident of the USA to be tax exempt when working in countries that have signed a tax treaty with the USA. Couldn't a passport verify you're an American citizen? This is only a formality made much more complicated than necessary. The American government and large companies love to make things almost impossible through outdated formalities that don't make sense in todays world.
This is very overly complicated as the intstruction manual is the size of a book and I can't understand what it says as it's geared toward corporate tax accountants. The only part I understand is that the application is to be mailed and costs $35. I'll have to call them tonight to try to get an answer on how to do this outside the states and to get translation on how simple it must be for an individual teaching English in Korea.

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=137809,00.html

Can anyone tell me in laymans terms what and how to do it when it concerns an English teacher? Can this turkey just be fabricated since it's only a document no American will ever see that just formalizes my tax exempt status with Korea's NTS?

[Rob'sdad]

Since 1992 I've just sent the IRS a 1040 and a 2555.
You're not required to prove your income from your Korean employer.

Next time you're on irs.gov go to forms, click 2555 and read the instructions.

Also, the IRS doesn't care if you file later than April 15th. As long as you file before they start wondering you'll be cooler than Bob Marley.

If you have US-based income, rental property or other US revenue then it's more complicated.

All IRS forms and publications are availible in .pdf.

[sojourner1]

I found out it's not necessary to do all that complicated shite I'm talking about in my post earlier.

My accountant called the Korean NTS office and found out it only requires a copy of my passport, contract, ARC, and letter of appointment. It's now as simply as 1, 2, 3. That's it.

[sakim]

hey sojourner1, I am confused too. I was told by the employer that I need to request a residency certificate from the IRS. I agree that a passport, maybe even a driver's license should be sufficient enough-I mean foreign employees are dealing with reckless paperwork, criminal record checks, visas, etc and YET they want a residency certificate to prove that you are a resident somewhere in order to give you a tax break. SHEESH

DUDE!! I am so frustrated, after waiting for 30 minutes to actually speak to someone on the phone and then getting transferred to another department because that representative claims that he doesn't deal with that problem, I have wait on the phone even longer until some idiot representative repeats the same crap that is posted on the website

And to make matters worse I calling the IRS doesn't go anywhere, they don't know SHIT. Each answer is dumb down with uhhhh and hmmmm, and repeatedly stating that I need to send in the form 8808 to the IRS to Phili with a payment in order to get the 6166

Furthermore, the IRS states that it would take at least 45 days until the recipient receives it. DAMN!!! I was going to do that thing now right before I go to KOREA but due to the limited days here in the states, apparently I have to wait until I get to Korea to send that damn application/form in.

SO THANKS sojourner for posting this, because I need some answerS!!!! and maybe even some peep's experience over this.

[sojourner1]

Ask if your accountant submit a copy of your passport, ARC, contract, and letter of appointment. My accountant called the national tax service and found out that's it.

[spliff]

Cool!

[Tobias]

Thanks, Sojourner. My school is taking taxes out of my pay and requiring I present a certificate of residency before they'll quit doing that. Even though I have a US passport and a driver's license from a US state, that's not good enough at my digs.

Looks like I have to make a phone call to this NTS office you're talking about and have those folks call my local tax office to set it straight. Knowing how these guys are, if I leave before finishing my renewal, I won't get a refund on the taxes I've paid, although this is only my second year. Hell, my school has even deducted taxes from the last two months of my first year.

[Dr.Floyd]

Is this still valid?

I just called the NTS today and asked, they said a Passport was not valid.
where did you call?

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

Can't do it that way...u need to do the 8802, dude.

[TBirdMG]

So, assuming that you are not Canadian, you qualify for the tax exemption.
I am assuming that there are two options, but please set me straight on this, as I am amidst gathering my documents for the recruiter anticipating an April drop-in to Korea.

1) Submit appropriate forms to US IRS, receive certificate, sumbit certificate to school (or POE), and have ZERO taxes withdrawn on my income for the first 2 years.

2) Do not get appropriate form from IRS, do not submit to school (or POE), and thus, have Korean national tax withheld from my salary. So how much is the Korean national tax, in terms of percentage (or tiered average) on 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 million won per month?

Just trying to figure out what the difference is over the course of a year.....

Thanks,

TB

[japancube]

I just filed my 8802 which apparently gets you the 6166 which you get to send $35 for. You would think that the passport, background check, and all of the other paperwork would prove the fact that I am an American. What the F is with that..

The IRS at its best. cube

[Tobias]

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

Just got mine today.

[waseige1]

I am coming to Korea later this month. In preparation, I filed my 8802 about a month ago. I just got a letter yesterday that they would let me know if I qualify for the residency certificate within a month. WOW 2 months to pull up a computer screen and go "yep". My government at it's finest.

[Tobias]

Jesus. That's what that letter was? Maybe that's what my incoming says as well. And here I am...three weeks go to before flying outta here.