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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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 Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 12:50 am Post subject: Let's talk about TAXES |
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Hi,
I've gotten information from just about every available source. I know this has been talked about before, but I might have some new info and would rather start it in a new thread.
If you check NTS's website, you get the simplified withholding tax. On my salary, it's 39,800 Won (2.2 million/month).
The info that EFL law gets is 55,260 Won within this salary range.
Is EFL law's rate less the 30% deduction for foreigners? I'm assuming it must be.
Does the 30% reduction include all foreigners? I'm an English Teacher at a hagwon.
My boss deducts 81,400 Won (3.7% on 100% of my salary). I brought up to him that all my taxes are paid for the year (7 monthly pays). Now I just got my 8th pay and it's the same tax. He says that "they" say it's more. "They" is not the tax office but some advisors. I'm assuming (probably correctly) that they are including pension, employment insurance, residence tax, and medical. Of course they are.
Most of you know how difficult it is to get anything done around here. He didn't call the tax office to verify the correct amount. It's not like it's a difficult calculation: Income tax + residence tax. Duh. There are no other deductions because I already pay pension and refused medical. That would actually make my tax deduction 43,780 Won/month.
One thing that I'm aware of is that the boss can deduct whatever taxes and you get a return at the end of the year. I'm already covering my ass with this because I got him to sign pay sheets that I made up myself with all the deductions. Anyway, does anyone out there know if you are legally entitled to ask for you taxes to be deducted according to the correct amount? If I've already paid my share, can I ask for income/residence tax to no longer be dedcuted for the rest of the year?
I'm not sure if he's paying taxes to the tax office or not. I don't think he is.
Maybe I should let all this slide and just keep getting signed pay sheets/stubs and then go do my taxes at the proper time. He's already giving me between 16 and 18 hours/month OT untaxed.
There is, however, the pension, which I finally got him to deduct on my 6th month. So he's done so on my 6th, 7th and 8th pays. Had to bug him to make his and my contributions after the 7th month pay.  Called the pension office umpteen times and bugged him about it until he did it. Won't have anyone fucking around with my money.  There are still the first 5 months to think about. It'll mean I'll have to pay 5 months worth, but so will he. So it's a bonus in the long run.
You really have to pick your battles here. At least I get paid well and get decent OT.
Anyway, any thoughts on the above? |
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thaitom
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: Phopphra, Thailand
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 1:07 am Post subject: |
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| I made my boss call the NTS on my first day here and the tax office verified my claim that I should be taxed at 1.6% on 2.1 Mil. not 5% , Remember this is your base tax and 10% of this tax for you local regional tax. So my total deduction is 1.76% so I had them write this into my contract . Now I need to figure out how to calculate and explain to my boss about working overtime hours every month, for example this month i will be working 4 weeks and 3 days that is three days of overtime? or am I working 3 days for free?? I work a full load every week. And next month there are 2 extra days . I have checked the calendar for the whole year and I figure there is at least one month of free labor . Any help on this ?? |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 1:25 am Post subject: |
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| thaitom wrote: |
| I made my boss call the NTS on my first day here and the tax office verified my claim that I should be taxed at 1.6% on 2.1 Mil. not 5% , Remember this is your base tax and 10% of this tax for you local regional tax. So my total deduction is 1.76% so I had them write this into my contract . Now I need to figure out how to calculate and explain to my boss about working overtime hours every month, for example this month i will be working 4 weeks and 3 days that is three days of overtime? or am I working 3 days for free?? I work a full load every week. And next month there are 2 extra days . I have checked the calendar for the whole year and I figure there is at least one month of free labor . Any help on this ?? |
That's what I thought (that's what I know), but I'm already well into my contract. You were lucky enough to get him to change that from the get go. I can still, however, maybe work something out with him. Getting him to call the tax office will be a task. Maybe a task because maybe he's not paying taxes. I'm pissed right now because I asked him last week to not charge me anymore taxes because I was already a little bit over on what I would need to pay for the year. He just paid me and is deducting the same tax (81.400). It's like pulling teeth. Have to keep asking and confronting and asking and confronting and telling him.
I'll just have to call the tax office and hand the phone over to him. There you go.
As far as you OT goes, I think you're talking about a monthly salary where you have more than 20 working days. Forget about that. You're paid monthly. OT is beyond your contractual hours or over your weekly/daily hours. For example, your contract might state you work from 2 to 9. If you're contract is 120/hrs month (30 hours/wk) then any time you work over 6 hours in one day is OT. Anytime you work out of the scope of the 2 to 9 is also OT. That's it, I believe. |
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thaitom
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: Phopphra, Thailand
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:26 am Post subject: |
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| Here is the number at the NTS 02 397 1436 ask for Mr. Kim. He speaks English. I called and handed the phone to my boss. |
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thaitom
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: Phopphra, Thailand
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:31 am Post subject: |
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| Okay , that works for me, but in the back of my mind I still feel like I am working my 30 hours a week, 120 a month plus a extra 3 days (18 hours) |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:53 am Post subject: |
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| thaitom wrote: |
| Here is the number at the NTS 02 397 1436 ask for Mr. Kim. He speaks English. I called and handed the phone to my boss. |
Thanks. I'll use that.  |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:05 am Post subject: |
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| thaitom wrote: |
| Okay , that works for me, but in the back of my mind I still feel like I am working my 30 hours a week, 120 a month plus a extra 3 days (18 hours) |
The extra three days is fairly rare with holidays, etc. I'd say, on average, it would be a little less than 2 extra days/month.
Anyway, forget about that one. We're paid monthly. The OT kicks in when you work outside your contractual hours (other hours than your daily regular start hours to end hours and daily contractual hours that are more than 6 hours in one day). You are hired on a monthly salary from said hour to said hour every day. That's it, that's all. Your teaching hours within that are limited to 6 hours daily. Monday to Friday. That's Korean law.
We were hired at a monthly salary and given the daily hours we had to work. Anyway, I think you get the gist.
Thanks again for that name. Good thing I'm not being taxed that much anyway, but I might as well convince my boss to not tax me anymore if they're already paid. To quote him, "If you pay 5000 or 100,000 doesn't make a difference to me." Ok, well we'll see, won't we? Just glad I made up the pay stubs that he signed.
That's the thing I'm wondering about. They say the boss can set the tax, but I don't believe that. I went on ES's website and the lawyer said that the boss can set the tax. Read it somewhere else too. Then you can get a return. Basically what buddy was saying was I couldn't do anything about it and that in Canada I can't tell the boss to change what he's taxing me. That's BS. I have gotten my bosses or company accountants to change it. It really doesn't make a difference to them because, in the end, it's up to me. They can pay their end and I pay mine. This is all just a deal with the bosses wanting to not pay taxes to the tax office.
At least I'm not paying some ridiculous amount (and not paying taxes on OT). |
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thaitom
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: Phopphra, Thailand
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:18 am Post subject: |
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Hey JACL, Have you used the year end tax settlement calculator on NTS?
Do you know if we are suppose to check the 30% deduction for foreigner.
I thought we are considered residents since we stay here for 1 year or more. I will get a decent refund if I can check this. |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 4:24 am Post subject: |
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| thaitom wrote: |
Hey JACL, Have you used the year end tax settlement calculator on NTS?
Do you know if we are suppose to check the 30% deduction for foreigner.
I thought we are considered residents since we stay here for 1 year or more. I will get a decent refund if I can check this. |
Yes, I've checked NTS's simplified income tax thingy.
The amount you get there would include the 30% reduction. If you're a foreigner, then you should only be taxed on 70% of your salary. That's where their figure comes from.
If you were getting a 30% reduction on the figure they give you, that would just be ludicrous. But good.  |
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