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E2 visa status changed from "teacher" to "bus

 
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Kiwigoddess



Joined: 07 Feb 2013

PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 4:17 am    Post subject: E2 visa status changed from "teacher" to "bus Reply with quote

My boss has not been paying my taxes, pension, or health insurance. A couple of weeks ago I went to the tax office as I am in my 11th month and was worried that without paying my tax I may be stopped from leaving the country in about 3wks time. The guy there filed a complaint on my behalf and contacted my employer telling him he needed to pay me back my taxes. My employer requested my bankbook to "work out" my taxes based upon how much he has paid me each month. My wages vary every month for whatever reason but the biggest problem was the fact that he pays me from different bank accounts. So I might get X amount from one account and X amount from one or two other bank accounts. After giving him copies of my bankbook today, he said that if I want to claim my taxes back I need to have a status of "business/company" and that he went and changed my status to that. I'm not sure if he did it last Friday or today. I don't see how I can have a status of being a business but still be on an E2 visa. Because of the discrepancy in my status would this mean immigration could turn up on my doorstep and deport me? I am unsure of what to do at this point. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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ontheway



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...

PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 7:35 am    Post subject: Re: E2 visa status changed from "teacher" to " Reply with quote

Kiwigoddess wrote:
My boss has not been paying my taxes, pension, or health insurance. A couple of weeks ago I went to the tax office as I am in my 11th month and was worried that without paying my tax I may be stopped from leaving the country in about 3wks time. The guy there filed a complaint on my behalf and contacted my employer telling him he needed to pay me back my taxes. My employer requested my bankbook to "work out" my taxes based upon how much he has paid me each month. My wages vary every month for whatever reason but the biggest problem was the fact that he pays me from different bank accounts. So I might get X amount from one account and X amount from one or two other bank accounts. After giving him copies of my bankbook today, he said that if I want to claim my taxes back I need to have a status of "business/company" and that he went and changed my status to that. I'm not sure if he did it last Friday or today. I don't see how I can have a status of being a business but still be on an E2 visa. Because of the discrepancy in my status would this mean immigration could turn up on my doorstep and deport me? I am unsure of what to do at this point. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.



Your E2 visa status is unrelated to your "tax" filing status. These are separate offices with separate jurisdictions. You will have no problems with Immigration.

You may have a problem with the Tax, Pension and Health Insurance Offices, however, depending on what has been withheld from you and what you have paid. Have you been registered for and paying into the National Pension and National Health Insurance? There's virtually no chance that you'll hear from them at all, let alone being stopped from leaving, within 3 weeks, and if you leave Korea for good they won't pursue you. But there could be problems if you come back to work here in the future.

As to the multiple account thing, this sounds like one of those shady and sometimes illegal after school programs where students' parents pay into one or more accounts that are in your name and your boss has access to or controls the account(s). What's your situation?
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Kiwigoddess



Joined: 07 Feb 2013

PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 7:55 am    Post subject: Re: E2 visa status changed from "teacher" to " Reply with quote

Phew, thats a relief about my visa.

I have been registered with NHI and the pension but there have been absolutely no contributions made. My boss takes it out of my wages every month but obviously keeps it. I am waiting to hear back about a job in another country but if that falls through then I am looking at coming back to Korea.

Parents generally pay cash into a an envelope provided by the school which the child brings with them. Alternatively I think some come in and pay by eft-pos. I think the reason the boss pays me from different accounts is due to tax evasion. A recent visit to the tax office revealed that I supposedly only worked for the school from June to November last year and that during that time I earned 3.7mil won for the entire period so needless to say the amount of tax which was paid was very low. There as been no tax paid since November because "I don't work there anymore". However I was able to provide the tax department with my contract showing that I am indeed still working there and am completing my 12mth contract on June 19th.
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ibeattheborg



Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: the deep blue sea

PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Please state the the name and location of your school. This will help somebody else to avoid what happened to you;)
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Troglodyte



Joined: 06 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ibeattheborg wrote:
Please state the the name and location of your school. This will help somebody else to avoid what happened to you;)


Don't do that until after you leave. Korea has some nasty defamation laws.
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Troglodyte



Joined: 06 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:00 am    Post subject: Re: E2 visa status changed from "teacher" to " Reply with quote

Kiwigoddess wrote:
Phew, thats a relief about my visa.

I have been registered with NHI and the pension but there have been absolutely no contributions made. My boss takes it out of my wages every month but obviously keeps it. I am waiting to hear back about a job in another country but if that falls through then I am looking at coming back to Korea.

Parents generally pay cash into a an envelope provided by the school which the child brings with them. Alternatively I think some come in and pay by eft-pos. I think the reason the boss pays me from different accounts is due to tax evasion. A recent visit to the tax office revealed that I supposedly only worked for the school from June to November last year and that during that time I earned 3.7mil won for the entire period so needless to say the amount of tax which was paid was very low. There as been no tax paid since November because "I don't work there anymore". However I was able to provide the tax department with my contract showing that I am indeed still working there and am completing my 12mth contract on June 19th.


If he's taken money out of your salary for pension and HI then go to the relevant offices and report the guy. Otherwise, if you come back in the future then those offices will come after YOU for the money. And not just your half of it but the school's half. They might also do the same if they figure out that you were making more than was claimed at the tax office (then you are also potentially involved in tax evasion even though you didn't know about it).


Also, are you sure that he's going to pay your severance when you leave? This guy sounds really shady.
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Wildbore



Joined: 17 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Go to your nearest health insurance office and complain. Health insurance office is also responsible for collecting pension payments, so they can help you with that too. They have a translation service, just say they deducted it and never paid it. Bring a Korean to the office if you can.

Also, its possible to amend a tax return in Korea. My employer did the same thing, reported my income as barely anything. I caught him on it and demanded he amend it or I'll complain. He did so.

Under-reporting, failure to report is abundant in Korea, push him hard so this doesn't happen to the next guy.
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Sesame



Joined: 16 Mar 2014

PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yes, name and shame them. screw the defamation, you're leaving anyway. on your last day do be sure to tell him you named and shamed him, too.
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drcrazy



Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Location: Pusan. Yes, that's right. Pusan NOT Busan. I ain't never been to no place called Busan

PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 5:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

from "teacher" to "bus

I would hope at least taxi.
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Troglodyte



Joined: 06 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

drcrazy wrote:
from "teacher" to "bus

I would hope at least taxi.


Don't be absurd. His E2 visa would not qualify him to work as a bus (or a taxi). Obviously the OP didn't finish typing the title before hitting send. He probably meant that he is now a "bus driver". The school probably couldn't afford to pay for a designated bus driver so they have a teachers (the OP) doing this job. Either that or they have him working on the sidewalk as a "busker" teaching English lessons to passing children in the hope that some generous parents will throw a few coins in his pencil case.
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drcrazy



Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Location: Pusan. Yes, that's right. Pusan NOT Busan. I ain't never been to no place called Busan

PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Troglodyte wrote:
drcrazy wrote:
from "teacher" to "bus

I would hope at least taxi.


Don't be absurd. His E2 visa would not qualify him to work as a bus (or a taxi). Obviously the OP didn't finish typing the title before hitting send. He probably meant that he is now a "bus driver". The school probably couldn't afford to pay for a designated bus driver so they have a teachers (the OP) doing this job. Either that or they have him working on the sidewalk as a "busker" teaching English lessons to passing children in the hope that some generous parents will throw a few coins in his pencil case.


I want a limo with a chauffeur. I will call him James no matter what his real name is. "Home, James!
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