Expat Tax: Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for visiting our Thailand Expat Tax FAQ page. We answer questions received from expats, anonymised for privacy, to help others navigate the new tax rules.
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Here is the US-Thai Double Taxation agreement. It sets out how certain assets are taxed and the articles in the DTA take precedent over local domestic Thai tax rules. We will host a webinar specifically on the US DTA next month, which I will invite you to join, as many people have had similar questions.
Social Security is mentioned in the DTA and is not taxable in Thailand. Here is the extract from the DTA from article 20 part 2 which mentions that social security shall be taxable only in the USA.
Article 20 (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1, social security benefits and other similar public pensions paid by a Contracting State to a resident of the other Contracting State or a citizen of the United States shall be taxable only in the first- mentioned State.
For 401k’s there is no such article in the DTA. This means that if you remit your 401k into Thailand, then it is an assessable income in Thailand if you are a Thai tax resident.
Learn more about Double Tax Agreements for expats in Thailand by watching our video here.
You can find out more about Thailand’s tax rates, allowances and deductions here or if you prefer to listen to a short podcast here
Social Security is not an assessable income source in Thailand due to the US & Thai Double Taxation agreement. This means Thailand has no right to tax this.
401k is an assessable income in Thailand if remitted. If you do remit your 401k to Thailand, then this is assessable as income. You can offset any taxes with the taxes paid on this money in the US as a tax credit.
Learn more about Double Tax Agreements for expats in Thailand by watching our video here.