Korean Job Discussion Forums

lindihop · Joined: 29 May 2008 Location: South Korea

I am just coming up to the end of my first year in a public school. I am aware that people from the States can claim their tax back but was wondering if anyone knew if you can claim it back if you're from the UK. Any information would be appreciated.

stevelad_83 · Joined: 13 Oct 2008

Good question - I've seen on some websites that EVERYONE qualifies apart from Canadians but everyone I've asked seems to be clueless about us Brits.

withnail · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul, South Korea.

is this even possible for Brits? Love to know. Anyone?

lindihop · Joined: 29 May 2008 Location: South Korea

Just bumping this to try and find out, so if anyone could give me the definitive guide that would be great. I've been paying into the pension all year too so what's the score with that? Is that refunded too or not?
It's a fair amount of money to just let go. The info is there re Canadians and Americans but I can't see anything re Brits.
Please...somebody...HELP ME!!!!

fromtheuk · Joined: 31 Mar 2007

For Brits, you are not meant to pay tax for the first 2 years.

lindihop · Joined: 29 May 2008 Location: South Korea

From the Uk can you tell me where you got that info, also what's the score re the pension I've paid, can I get that back?
Thanks.

valkerie · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Location: Busan

For UK citizens you have to transfer the pension into your UK pension fund...not actually found anyone who has tried this yet, not many of us Brits here (or I don't meet em).

As for tax, YES, you get it back at the end of the tax year BUT some schools tend to avoid doing it for you, so be prepared to ask ahead of time.

I have the number for the English speakers tax hepline..if u need it remind me here and I will post it tmrw. They can advise you on the procedure if u have a difficult boss.

(Not entirely sure what happens to the cash if your job ends mid tax year, but the guy at the tax office told me you should get it refunded with final pay. Again, the onus seems to be ob you to make your employer aware of this.)

lindihop · Joined: 29 May 2008 Location: South Korea

Thanks very much for the replies.

Valkerie could you pass on that number for the english speakers tax helpline. Also, could you please PM me re the information on transferring my pension payments back over to the U.K. as it's actually the pension payments that are the thing.

My public school liason teacher (who's worse than useless) simply points to the EPIK contract and states that, as it does not mention Brits re pension refunds (just Americans and Canadians) that I will simply lose it.

It will be over a grand in sterling so I'll be buggered if I'm just leaving that!

There must be something I can do and somewhere some procedure set down to follow so if I can't get it back in my hand, it can be added, as you say, to my pension pot in the U.K.

Again any advice or route to take would be appreciated.

Thanks.

withnail · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul, South Korea.

are you guys talking about claiming back the income tax or rather the pension payments? to my mind two different issues are being mixed up here.

1. there is a gas/oil refund due to all of us although you won't get it unless your school give you the forms to complete.
2.pension payments are refundable to US/Can citizens but it's not yet clear whether Brits get that.

Actual income tax------- can't be refundable can it?

nizpaz · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Hey my undestanding now is that as a public school employee from the UK you should never have paid tax. Not for the first 2 years. I do believe you can claim it back but how to do so I've no idea. Valkerie is the tax woman Wink

As for pension, I'm afraid it's a write off! Bummer I know. We cannot claim it back, nor transfer it to a pension fund. As you know UK pension is based on NI contributions paid for a full 52 weeks of the tax year running April to April. In theory a reciprical agreement exists between UK and Korea whereby you dont need to pay into both systems and you can transfer credits to the NI account if you have paid in Korea for a full 52 weeks of the UK tax year ie April to APril. Part years don't count, so for those arriving for sept PS intake and only staying a year, we straddle 2 part years therefore all pension payments are a waste of time. March intake might fare better.

I was trying to get an answer as to if I pay voluntary NI contributions in the UK system I am exempt from the Korean payment (far more beneficial to us) but I forgot to follow it up!

However when I called Newcastle back home about transfering credits from Spain last year, they said you can't claim the NI credit transfer until 6 months prior to your retirement which is when they calculate the number of years you've paid in. ANd the chances of ROK having our records in 30+ years is minimal.

Check out the UK NI website to see if you can make better sense of the credit transfer.

But whatever the case, I know are given a cash lump sum refund as is the case with other nationalities.

valkerie · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Location: Busan

Hey Nizpaz, that daft 52 exact tax weeks is a bummer ey.

Good to pursue the option of paying the NI ourselves.

ROFL at the thought of Korea keeping the payment records so long.

I am gonna pursue this as I have never met a Brit who left and tried to transfer. Mysterious.

lindihop · Joined: 29 May 2008 Location: South Korea

Yeah sorry about the confusion Withnail, I went off a bit half cocked as it's coming to the end of my years contract so I wanted to try and claw everything back.

The tax payments, as other posters have pointed out, seems sorted.... er?!....on account of I haven't been paying them but never bothered to check properly. Embarassed

However the pension I definately have been paying, though from what Nizpaz says it seems like that's a right off as my contract ran from December to December.

BOLLOCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!