Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cindysmith]

HI...

I recently worked at a public school and was exempt, as a south african citizen, from paying taxes. Now I have employment through a hogwan to start beginning of January. My director says I will have to pay tax, and will have to keep my pay slips and reclaim from the Tax man here in SA. Does anyone have knowledge of this, how do I claim, what documents do I need?

any light on the matter would be useful. Thanks

[the ireland]

You shouldn't have to pay at all, I know the south african who worked with me didn't and neither do any of the others i know that work for other schools.

unless something has changed.

[cindysmith]

Yeah! that is what I thought, but apparently not according to my new director. Any suggestions?

[Adobe]

You are tax exempt for the first two years. However, only at Gov positions(public schools/uni) not at hakwons. So you may have been exempt last year(public school) but now eventhough you are in your second year in Korea you don't qualify as you are in a hakwon.

You are still exempt from pension payments as a South African regardless of where you work.

Adobe

[ttompatz]

[cindysmith]

thank you very much for the clarification!

[cindysmith]

Okay, so I have clarified that I do have to pay tax now that I am in a hogwan, however, do I get to claim any of this tax back from either the Korean government or the South African Government? Do excuse my ignorance, but I am not actually registered in South Africa for tax nor have I ever paid or claimed tax back before, so this is new to me.

Thanks

[ttompatz]