Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Meggiebea]

What can we do?
There are 10 teachers on the staff that are still owed tax refunds from the 2008 working year.
Our hogwan boss keeps saying he'll pay us next week, next month, soon....etc.
I've gone to the tax office and they said that the school should have paid us last February. The tax office says that they don't have our money and that they can't help us.

Is there a number we can call to report our boss?
Do we need a lawyer?
Seriously nothing seems to scare this guy and we're past the point of negotiating, we need to do something to take action. But if the tax office won't help us then what are our options?

[cubanlord]

[Meggiebea]

The problem is that there are teachers leaving soon and they don't want to risk losing severance or airfare. Is there anything we can do without taking the law into our own hands?

[bobbybigfoot]

Labor board possibly.

More likely a lawyer. And hardly worth it.

I called the tax department with a tax related issue last month. They told me to call the labor board. The labor board told me to contact immigration. Immigration told me to contact the tax department.

Welcome to Korea.

[Meggiebea]

Yeah I got the same thing, go to the labor board, labor board says it's not their department, go back to the tax office. Seriously, isn't this tax fraud? Shouldn't i just be able to report him to some authority?

[Tobias]

[Meggiebea]

What about plane tickets for the teachers who get extensions? I don't think the tax refunds will be more then the cost of a plane ticket and wouldn't those who stay behind loose their airfare?

It amazes me that there is nothing to be done other then going on strike. You'd think that the tax office would be all over this but they just want to pass it off to someone else!

Is it really THAT commom that an employer steals your tax refund that the people at the tax office aren't outraged?

[losing_touch]

Call 02-2076-5711 and talk to Won Sung Lee. He should be able to help sort it out.

[Tobias]

Agree with Losing. I've dealt with Mr. Lee myself. I found him to be very helpful.

Two people who should be on everybody's speed dial:

1. This Mr. Lee at tax
2. Mr. Moon at pension

Mr. Moon is at the Masan pension office.

[Meggiebea]

I called him and he said he would look into it and call me back. After I didn't hear from him I called again and left a message with someone else that I had called and was waiting to hear from him. Still waiting......