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chaz47
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
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 Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 12:53 am Post subject: Still not receiving pay stubs, how to check on tax/pension? |
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This has been an ongoing issue with my school. Although everything else is peachy-keen and I just signed another contract with them they are for some reason incapable of giving me pay statements. So, I'm consistently left scratching my head wondering if they are just screwing me over.
Anyway, a few things have me concerned now.
1.) I'm pretty sure I didn't get a tax return although I can't be certain because I don't get pay stubs. It definitely seems like that lump of cash never materialized in my account although on the one pay stub I was issued they seemed to be deducting for it.
2.) I just finished a year contract and began another and my first contract states that I am entitled to a ticket home and a 13th month of pay. But, they let me take a month off un-paid to see family (a common adult hagwon practice). Now I'm looking at the 4 million that was deposited and wondering what the heck it is for. If it is two months of pay it seems pretty light as my base is 2.3 and they shouldn't be taking utilities out of my year end bonus?
In general though, things are great. It's just this one thing and I don't want to make waves. So, is there a number I can call to check that they are paying my tax and pension contribution?
I just sent a firm but polite email to the manager (whom I never see). This isn't the first time I've had an issue like this though.
Last thing, if they didn't actually give me pay for the flight, would you push for the flight money? I mean, technically I did finish my first contract so they should have provided me airfare. Right? |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:06 am Post subject: Re: Still not receiving pay stubs, how to check on tax/pensi |
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| chaz47 wrote: |
This has been an ongoing issue with my school. Although everything else is peachy-keen and I just signed another contract with them they are for some reason incapable of giving me pay statements. So, I'm consistently left scratching my head wondering if they are just screwing me over.
Anyway, a few things have me concerned now.
1.) I'm pretty sure I didn't get a tax return although I can't be certain because I don't get pay stubs. It definitely seems like that lump of cash never materialized in my account although on the one pay stub I was issued they seemed to be deducting for it.
2.) I just finished a year contract and began another and my first contract states that I am entitled to a ticket home and a 13th month of pay. But, they let me take a month off un-paid to see family (a common adult hagwon practice). Now I'm looking at the 4 million that was deposited and wondering what the heck it is for. If it is two months of pay it seems pretty light as my base is 2.3 and they shouldn't be taking utilities out of my year end bonus?
Last thing, if they didn't actually give me pay for the flight, would you push for the flight money? I mean, technically I did finish my first contract so they should have provided me airfare. Right? |
To answer your first point, you probably didn't receive any money back. Is your bank account registered with the National Tax Service? Mine wasn't and I didn't even know you had to do that in order to get a tax return. I thought I was entitled to such and such money back only to be told that I owed money because I didn't register my account. So, first, register your account at the tax office, they will give you a number that you must type into the device that you sign for your debit card with. This is for cash and card purchases. Make sure you tell the clerk that you want to provide the number first.
Part 2: You are entitled to that ticket home and bonus money once you quit working at that company. Since you signed on for another year, that airplane money will come at the finish of this new contract since you didn't quit the company. However, you did get lucky and received your bonus money. That bonus money of 4mil is about right after you take pension, tax, and insurance out of 4.6 million won. |
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Wildbore
Joined: 17 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:00 am Post subject: |
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Whether the pay was "about right" wasn't the question (monthly income/pension/health deduction should be about 200,000 for your income). The question was essentially about how to check that his deductions aren't being pocketed by his employer.
First, you need to find out what your employer is remitting to the National Health Insurance Service. The national health insurance service COLLECTS pension payments and health insurance payments. Go to your local National Health Insurance Service branch and request a record of contributions for pension and health insurance. They will print you off a month-by-month list of your contributions for BOTH. Cross-check that with your deposited pay and look for variances.
Secondly, if you are a contractor, your monthly income tax deduction should be 3.3%. If you are an employee, your monthly income tax deduction should be about 30,000 won, according to the NTS calculator http://www.nts.go.kr/eng/help/help_56.asp?top_code=H001&sub_code=HS05&ssub_code=HSE4 (use internet explorer) If you are registered for health/pension, you are most likely classed as an employee. Also, I advise going to the National Tax Office and request a "certificate of tax" for your most recent tax year (probably 2012) to confirm this salary has been reported and remitted.
You could also call the National Pension Office (032-743-5005 or 032-743-5006) to ask about your pension balance (which includes the employer match), but that doesn't tell you your "reported" income (often employers under-report to lower their matching contribution), your health insurance contributions, or whether your employer is defaulting on payments. The only way to find out everything is to go to the offices in person.
Don't be surprised if those big monthly deductions are just going into your employers pocket. Happens all the time and to the best of us (but can be fixed anyways). |
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Nolos
Joined: 23 Oct 2011
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:34 am Post subject: |
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| DEMAND the pay stub you pansy |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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| If you have an ARC you can visit the NTS and pension offices and check on your status. |
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littlelisa
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 11:59 pm Post subject: |
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If you ask for a pay stub, they are legally required to give you one. To check if they've been paying pension, call the pension office. To check if you've been paying taxes, go to the tax office.
For the flight, you should try to negotiate. Technically, they only owe you a plane ticket home, but you can try to negotiate for a lower amount in cash instead. Or, if they let you buy the ticket and then reimburse you, buy one and refund it after. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:38 am Post subject: |
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| I just finished a year contract and began another and my first contract states that I am entitled to a ticket home and a 13th month of pay. |
The 13th month is your severance if you signed a 12 month contract. If different clarify. The ticket home is relative to the contract. They aren't assuming you will sign a second contract and that means things will be dealt with differently. I'll explain.
| Quote: |
| But, they let me take a month off un-paid to see family (a common adult hagwon practice). Now I'm looking at the 4 million that was deposited and wondering what the heck it is for. |
Did you get 11 months plus this "13th month" which is probably severance? Was that 12th month not paid during your contract period because of your family trip? If so, there is 600,000 deducted. Why do you think this is wrong? Details please. Too many unanswered questions to understand the situation.
| Quote: |
| they shouldn't be taking utilities out of my year end bonus? |
They would take it out of your security deposit if you have one or last pay. A year end bonus depends on what it is for. Some give bonuses for no sick leave or use severance as a bonus for completing a year. Is this what you are talking about? I have never had money taken out of severance. Money deducted usually came out of my monthly pay. If they pay one time, then it doesn't matter.
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| if they didn't actually give me pay for the flight, would you push for the flight money? I mean, technically I did finish my first contract so they should have provided me airfare. Right? |
Well, since you are continuing into a second year you will probably purchase a round trip. They will not want to pay for the round trip until you return. After that, the general rule applies, you need to complete 6 months to keep the airfare money which would hopefully be reimbursed when you return.
It's up to you and your school to agree on flight issues. Since you are not ending employment with them, you will need to discuss this matter with them. None of us can tell you how much you are owed. I suggest getting the cheapest round trip you can and ask them to reimburse you when you return. |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 2:05 am Post subject: |
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| Wildbore wrote: |
| Whether the pay was "about right" wasn't the question (monthly income/pension/health deduction should be about 200,000 for your income). The question was essentially about how to check that his deductions aren't being pocketed by his employer. |
It is "about right" if you factor in what I said. I was giving him an account of my situation, that even if he was expecting a tax refund he probably wouldn't get it anyway. Then I was giving him a heads up that you need to register your bank account first with the tax office that most foreigners don't even know about.
Another tidbit of information is, most small hagwons don't have pay stubs. There is no payroll office and most of the pay just comes directly from the employers bank account via bank transfer. In all honesty, there may not be any pay stubs to give. I've asked several times at my hagwon that I work at with my wife and she doesn't receive one either. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 2:35 am Post subject: |
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| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| ...Another tidbit of information is, most small hagwons don't have pay stubs. There is no payroll office and most of the pay just comes directly from the employers bank account via bank transfer. In all honesty, there may not be any pay stubs to give. I've asked several times at my hagwon that I work at with my wife and she doesn't receive one either. |
Blank paystubs dont magically appear for employers to fill in & hand out. They have to create them. They know how to do that & they know they're supposed to. But many cant be bothered & others might well be trying to hide something. |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| ...Another tidbit of information is, most small hagwons don't have pay stubs. There is no payroll office and most of the pay just comes directly from the employers bank account via bank transfer. In all honesty, there may not be any pay stubs to give. I've asked several times at my hagwon that I work at with my wife and she doesn't receive one either. |
Blank paystubs dont magically appear for employers to fill in & hand out. They have to create them. They know how to do that & they know they're supposed to. But many cant be bothered & others might well be trying to hide something. |
That's my point exactly. Between problems with parents, recruiting other students, trying to fix things and what not there isn't time for that I guess. The school I work for is the only school, run by a married Korean couple. I trust my wife and if she says she doesn't receive one and isn't bothered by it, then I'm not either. Just make sure you contact the pension office to make sure they are contributing. That's about the only thing anyone can do. |
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Waygeek
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:07 am Post subject: Re: Still not receiving pay stubs, how to check on tax/pensi |
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| chaz47 wrote: |
| This has been an ongoing issue with my school. Although everything else is peachy-keen and I just signed another contract with them they are for some reason incapable of giving me pay statements. So, I'm consistently left scratching my head wondering if they are just screwing me over. |
I've had the same issue. Is this not illegal? Surely they could get into trouble with the Labor board over this? |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:47 am Post subject: |
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It's not just hagwons that pull this garbage. The last PS I worked at did the same. In that case however, they were not hiding anything, they just had one woman doing the books and she never got around to my paystubs.
When I asked he about it she just about broke down in tears. I assumed she
was so over-worked with administrative stuff that my paystub was not very high in the list of priorities. |
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Wildbore
Joined: 17 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:48 am Post subject: Re: Still not receiving pay stubs, how to check on tax/pensi |
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| Waygeek wrote: |
| chaz47 wrote: |
| This has been an ongoing issue with my school. Although everything else is peachy-keen and I just signed another contract with them they are for some reason incapable of giving me pay statements. So, I'm consistently left scratching my head wondering if they are just screwing me over. |
I've had the same issue. Is this not illegal? Surely they could get into trouble with the Labor board over this? |
It's not a legal requirement to provide pay-stubs in Korea. It is a legal requirement to have a written agreement about the pay and deductions. |
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Wildbore
Joined: 17 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:52 am Post subject: |
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| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| Wildbore wrote: |
| Whether the pay was "about right" wasn't the question (monthly income/pension/health deduction should be about 200,000 for your income). The question was essentially about how to check that his deductions aren't being pocketed by his employer. |
It is "about right" if you factor in what I said. I was giving him an account of my situation, that even if he was expecting a tax refund he probably wouldn't get it anyway. Then I was giving him a heads up that you need to register your bank account first with the tax office that most foreigners don't even know about. |
The process varies for different types of workers.
An "independent contractor" needs to do a tax return in May, and submit a copy of his bankbook, to get said tax return.
An "employee" will get a tax return through the employer, shortly after the employer submits the year-end tax settlement in February. If the employer fails to pay the tax return to the employee, its treated as unpaid wages (a labor matter). |
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Waygeek
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 7:05 am Post subject: Re: Still not receiving pay stubs, how to check on tax/pensi |
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| Wildbore wrote: |
It's not a legal requirement to provide pay-stubs in Korea. It is a legal requirement to have a written agreement about the pay and deductions. |
Jesus what a joke. Have all the agreements you want, if they aren't providing you with pay-stubs it is just too easy for them to screw you. |
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