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Salary includes rental fee?

 
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Savant



Joined: 25 May 2007

PostPosted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:49 pm    Post subject: Salary includes rental fee? Reply with quote

So, I start a new contract on Monday and I am now a little wary in the way the financials of my salary are being worked out.

My monthly salary is given as 2.4 million and I am going to live in school provided housing that has a monthly rental fee of 450,000.

Now, in the contract it states my monthly salary as 2.85 million won [monthly salary + rental fee] and not 2.4 million. Bear in mind that this is not a Housing Allowance as I could not get one nor choose my own housing. The school is paying the rental fee but it is being added to my salary.

When I challenged my recruiter on this she said the school was asked to do this by the Government. Being the cynic that Korea has made me regarding contractual issues I am now starting to feel a little suspicious about this.

So, anyone else out there with a contract like this or is there anyone that can tell me that this contractual clause is on the up and up.
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lifeinkorea



Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China

PostPosted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I doubt any school would offer this with a teacher out of the country. You haven't mentioned anything about airfare either, which makes me think you are in Korea.

So, why not go visit the place? See for yourself where you will work and live.
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pangaea



Joined: 20 Dec 2007

PostPosted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It sounds to me like the 2.85 million is the total value of your salary including what the school will be paying for your housing. 2.4 million is the amount you will receive after the school pays for your housing, which sounds like a decent amount. Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not sure what the problem is.
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northway



Joined: 05 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You work for CDI, I'm guessing?
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fugitive chicken



Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Location: Bucheon

PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's because they want to tax you for the housing salary. Before it was an untaxed benefit, now it's taxed so they are reporting that amount of salary to the government
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Savant



Joined: 25 May 2007

PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

fugitive chicken wrote:
It's because they want to tax you for the housing salary. Before it was an untaxed benefit, now it's taxed so they are reporting that amount of salary to the government


That was starting to be my thought too.

So, it reads that the school will be reporting my salary to the Government as 2.85 million with me paying all the tax on it. Then, I guess I will be arguing to receive severance payment for that amount too Very Happy
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Savant



Joined: 25 May 2007

PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

lifeinkorea wrote:
I doubt any school would offer this with a teacher out of the country. You haven't mentioned anything about airfare either, which makes me think you are in Korea.

So, why not go visit the place? See for yourself where you will work and live.


The issue isn't the housing itself but the fact that I could be paying tax on a housing allowance that isn't one.
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CentralCali



Joined: 17 May 2007

PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:55 am    Post subject: Re: Salary includes rental fee? Reply with quote

Savant wrote:
When I challenged my recruiter on this she said the school was asked to do this by the Government.


Sounds like a load of hooey.
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lifeinkorea



Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China

PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 3:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Savant wrote:
lifeinkorea wrote:
I doubt any school would offer this with a teacher out of the country. You haven't mentioned anything about airfare either, which makes me think you are in Korea.

So, why not go visit the place? See for yourself where you will work and live.


The issue isn't the housing itself but the fact that I could be paying tax on a housing allowance that isn't one.


So you are willing to just sign a contract, in Korea, if you aren't going to be taxed without seeing the place first?

Sounds like you are spending too much time talking to the recruiter and working out formulas than actually checking out the situation first hand. Talk with the school and see the place as I previously suggested.
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Savant



Joined: 25 May 2007

PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

lifeinkorea wrote:
Savant wrote:
lifeinkorea wrote:
I doubt any school would offer this with a teacher out of the country. You haven't mentioned anything about airfare either, which makes me think you are in Korea.

So, why not go visit the place? See for yourself where you will work and live.


The issue isn't the housing itself but the fact that I could be paying tax on a housing allowance that isn't one.


So you are willing to just sign a contract, in Korea, if you aren't going to be taxed without seeing the place first?

Sounds like you are spending too much time talking to the recruiter and working out formulas than actually checking out the situation first hand. Talk with the school and see the place as I previously suggested.


I'm sorry I think you misunderstood the situation.

I know what the housing is and where it is.

It is the fact that upon further checking on the wording of my contract that I seem to be set-up to be paying tax on school provided-housing.

In that respect you can say I erred on the fact I trusted a recruiter.
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NYC_Gal 2.0



Joined: 10 Dec 2010

PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Make sure pension contributions and severance take that full salary into account Wink
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winterfall



Joined: 21 May 2009

PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No, nothing in the contract says that. Housing is covered by the school they don't take it out of your paycheck or add it into there. If you don't take the housing, you get a stipend, that's just extra money in your monthly paycheck. Even though your taxed on it, it DOES NOT count towards your pension. Pension and Severance is only your salary (Your pay grade)

Honestly if this comes from the government which I really doubt, it sounds like they're trying to tax you more. From the school's perspective they're trying to cover their liable costs and if they're putting a cap on it, they might be expecting rent to go up.

Email the district office and ask questions about the school. Are you sure it's part of the education office umbrella and isn't one of those independent public schools that use the regional contract? If it's later, I'd just pass no matter what the money is cause if there's ever a problem you can't go to the education office, they're not responsible for you so the school can screw you and you either take it or run