Thread: No more Brit Embassy income certification letters!

For Americans, the Federal form 1099 is actually a good document to report your income to Thai immigration authorities

and even a W-9 if you work freelance,

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

Federal form 1099

Is indeed.

Originally Posted by headhunter

I don't understand when you say,NOT ONE SINGLE IMM.OFFICE WOULD EXCEPT MONTHLY TRANS.FROM ABROAD AS PROOF.

hmm... Just another one of them "sweeping generalizations"

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

For Americans, the Federal form 1099 is actually a good document to report your income to Thai immigration authorities

It appears to be a declaration from the funds provider to the recipient. Does one receive multiple 1099s from each income source?

Originally Posted by OhOh

Does one receive multiple 1099s from each income source?

Yes..

Thanks, which presumably the tax officials receive a copy? Do the tax authorities issue an annual income statement to the recipient, showing gross income (from all sources), taxes deducted and allowances to arrive at a net annual sum?

Originally Posted by OhOh

which presumably the tax officials receive a copy?

They do.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Do the tax authorities issue an annual income statement to the recipient, showing gross income, taxes deducted and allowances to arrive at a net annual sum?

No. Individual fills out and submits a tax form (1040) to the IRS which uses the 1099s as a base for their income.

This really is a clusterfeck isn't it?

Embassys want to save money (getting rid of people and having less visitors basically so they can get on with their real purpose - corruption) so they point out to the Thais that the Income cert is really no such thing. Thais can't really be bothered to work out what to do instead and probably think "well let the old duffers stick cash in the bank and sit it there - rich farangs no problem for them" and the embassy which doesn't care 2 figs about people carry on regardless, no doubt chuckling over their lunch time Singapore Slings and caviar blinis that the hoards of sweaty duffers will not descend on them.

There will be a way round it though eventually - the UK Embassy stopped certifying wedding certificates a while ago which caused havoc for anyone wanting to move to another country like Spain, France, Italy etc. but a work around was found, with the world again saying "British twats - those shits in the embassy do not give a flying fuck about the Brits abroad.".

Originally Posted by Norton

the IRS which uses the 1099s as a base for their income

Does the IRS send out an annual account document then, to the taxpayer?

No...

Actually the IRS will provide a transcript of filed taxes, but it is only line numbers and amounts so it would be of limited use to immigration which after all is more concerned with money coming into Thailand.

Problems with the American tax documents is they do not designate where or what the funds are used for. The, uhm... "in a Thai Bank" requirement?, as supporting documentation from a formal source, yes. Another point is USA taxpayer stuff is for the prior year Dec 31 tax year closes, reports are due Apr 15.

Jury's still out on the Thai's definition of "evidence" or "acceptable evidence" and/or "in a Thai Bank", etc., etc. Lots of "questions"

Discussion a few years ago with a Thai Attorney concerning the regulatory requirement(s), my question(s) and his concentration was based on the definition of a "pension" (401k/IRA's) in his professional opinion did not satisfy the Thai definition of a "pension".

Prag had an immigration runaround based on the difference between a "Credit Union" or a "Bank". Really quite subjective stuff. The regulations are written in Thai. The IO's interpret the regulations, where does that leave foreigners? At the mercy of the IO sitting behind the desk when your number is called.

Even when a new set of requirements/regulations/guidelines, or a handbook, or FAQ's on the website are provided, it will still be up to the IO to administer and/or enforce the regulation(s) as he/she sees fit. Good luck trying to argue your interpretation over theirs. They'll win.

Originally Posted by headhunter

my retirement ext.amount has been in a fixed acc.for over 8yrs.never been a problem

The way you're meeting the financial requirements ISN'T by transferring money into the country every month but by having the 800K baht in a fixed deposit account.

Seeing as there is NO requirement to show HOW you live here, you showing your other bank account with transfers in means nothing as far as meeting the requirements to get a yearly extension.

One last time, RIGHT NOW, <-(as of last thursday at the head immigration office in Bangkok), IF you're not using banked money for the proof of funds for your extensions the ONLY way to prove income from abroad is the consulate notary letter. They will accept NO other documentation, period, end of story.

NO NEW POLICY HAS BEEN WRITTEN and all the speculation on what they might or might not accept for proof is just that, neither you nor the goof-ball immigration officer you talked to at the office you use has the slightest clue what the new policy will be OR when it will be implemented.

People have already been denied extensions showing their monthly transfers into the country, showing their year end tax statements, showing their yearly pension pay out statement <- ALL those people were told to go to their consulate and get an affidavit of income from abroad notary letter. Once they had the letter they had their extensions approved.

I can find NOT ONE SINGLE case in the entire country where someone posted they got a yearly extension by ONLY showing monthly transfers into their thai bank account from overseas.. You would imagine, as much of a kerfuffle as this has caused, someone who did it would actually write about it. All I can find is denial after denial when people TRIED to show deposits and were knocked back without the affidavit from their consulate.

...so, to summarize: Immigration isn't happy with its own retirement extension rules and has yet to issue guidance on what will satisfy their bureaucratic needs...advice: stay tuned...

Originally Posted by toddaniels

you showing your other bank account with transfers in means nothing as far as meeting the requirements to get a yearly extension.

To immigration it shows you are not working. That is what they told me when they wanted to see a bank account with movement in it, on top of my 'fixed term' account. Nothing really to say that you are not financially supported by your wife.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

That is what they told me

...someone needs to take "they" by the ears and shake its little head...

Originally Posted by tomcat

...someone needs to take "they" by the ears and shake its little head...

Unfortunately nobody really wants to be the 'hero' and upset the apple cart. I did know a farang, now dead, that upset the apple cart in Korat. They wouldn't let him in their office and made his wife do all his reporting/extensions.

Originally Posted by tomcat

...so, to summarize: Immigration isn't happy with its own retirement extension rules and has yet to issue guidance on what will satisfy their bureaucratic needs...advice: stay tuned...

I VOTE THIS BEST ANSWER ON THE WHOLE THREAD

^
I see no reason to believe that immigration aren't happy with their own rules, what they weren't happy with was the non-check by embassies when issuing the letter. There are more countries in Europe than UK and Denmark, none of the others has announced that they will stop issuing the letter.

What make you think immigration are the one to change the rules? It's not their problem..

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

They wouldn't let him in their office and made his wife do all his reporting/extensions.

...we have a winner!...

Originally Posted by toddaniels

One last time, RIGHT NOW, <-(as of last thursday at the head immigration office in Bangkok), IF you're not using banked money for the proof of funds for your extensions the ONLY way to prove income from abroad is the consulate notary letter. They will accept NO other documentation, period, end of story.
NO NEW POLICY HAS BEEN WRITTEN and all the speculation on what they might or might not accept for proof is just that, neither you nor the goof-ball immigration officer you talked to at the office you use has the slightest clue what the new policy will be OR when it will be implemented.

Originally Posted by toddaniels

I can find NOT ONE SINGLE case in the entire country where someone posted they got a yearly extension by ONLY showing monthly transfers into their thai bank account from overseas.

No disrespect intended but if you are so knowledgable and well connected why don't you contact some of the mucky mucks in Thai Immigration and ask them for a timetable concerning how and when they are going to deal with this.

they are not going to deal with this, it's the farangs fault, let them deal with it

as suspected, some overzealous anti-Trump DoS officer put a wrench in the whole thing, and now it blew up to their face, and Thai immigration can't ignore it

Jomtien IO yesterday, will only accept 800k in bank for the required period, or embassy letter until mid-2019, IF it becomes official whatever that means.

One foot gone and they're aiming at the other.

^

Was that an official TI document being handed out/pinned to the wall or an officers verbal opinion as of yesterday?