Leaving, tax done, secretly.

Griffin3 · 15-02-2016, 10:50 AM

If I want to leave HK in a few months without telling my employer... (yes, I'll lose a few days pay for the then-current month; that's acceptable to me: why do this? There's another thread on that topic, thus thead, please, is about HOW re., tax)...

... Is it possible to take my payslips into a tax office, say the day before I leave and pay tax, so I have no obligations there that the government might put on file and grab me for if I ever re-visit HK?
And, is it possible to do this without my employer knowing?

drumbrake · 15-02-2016, 10:54 AM

Yes, you pay any outstanding tax to the Inland Revenue. They won't contact your employer - Inland Revenue won't even stop you leaving HK, although you are correct, if you have debts to the government and you re-enter HK it might be a problem.

MandM! · 15-02-2016, 01:32 PM

Yes, you can just leave. However, if you come back to Hong Kong, you might have a lawsuit against you, and without a reference letter / termination letter from your employer, it could be difficult to get another employment visa.

To make it easier, set up an e-Tax online account, and you can do your taxes online and pay by using your online banking bill payment.

HK_Katherine · 15-02-2016, 02:24 PM

Your employer is obliged to withhold your final months salary when you leave. The point of this is that they use it to pay your tax bill if you don't do it yourself. If you don't tell them, they won't know to submit the form. You indicated that you will "lose a few days money". So, my question is, will the money you lose by leaving without giving notice be sufficient to cover your tax bill? If so, you can just leave, knowing that the money your employer owes you will be used for this purpose.

If not, settle it directly. As someone else said, e-tax and e-certificates are a good way to do this. You can buy just enough e-certificates while here to cover the bill and then leave knowing it will be paid.

Griffin3 · 15-02-2016, 02:41 PM

OK, both good points.
Where do I find out how much tax I'd owe, or where can I calculate a prediction?

Doing it online? It that all doable on HK IRD's website, or is there software to get.....

I guess their website will explain e-certificates?

HK_Katherine · 15-02-2016, 02:42 PM

Yes there are tax calculators on the IRD website. If you are low paid, it will be a very small amount. Even if you are paid a fortune it caps out at 16%.

Calculator here: http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/taxes...omputation.htm

MandM! · 15-02-2016, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:

Your employer is obliged to withhold your final months salary when you leave. The point of this is that they use it to pay your tax bill if you don't do it yourself. If you don't tell them, they won't know to submit the form. You indicated that you will "lose a few days money". So, my question is, will the money you lose by leaving without giving notice be sufficient to cover your tax bill? If so, you can just leave, knowing that the money your employer owes you will be used for this purpose.

If not, settle it directly. As someone else said, e-tax and e-certificates are a good way to do this. You can buy just enough e-certificates while here to cover the bill and then leave knowing it will be paid.

Do you withhold everyone's salary when they resign to go to another company? I've always been paid in full when I moved companies.

HK_Katherine · 16-02-2016, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by MandM!:

Do you withhold everyone's salary when they resign to go to another company? I've always been paid in full when I moved companies.

Anyone who is on a visa yes. We have been caught out in the past by an employee who said he was staying in HK and then left without paying tax and the tax office tried to charge us for it, but we did not have the money. It was a bit dicey for a while (it was a lot of money as he was senior and we were a new company with no money at all to spare). Thus we are very vigilant these days.

Griffin3 · 16-02-2016, 09:31 AM

And HK is the only country I've worked in where people themselves are supposed to put money aside to pay taxes later. Why can't employers eithold rax at payment each month? Is it illegal, or just not convention?

HK_Katherine · 16-02-2016, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Griffin3:

And HK is the only country I've worked in where people themselves are supposed to put money aside to pay taxes later. Why can't employers eithold rax at payment each month? Is it illegal, or just not convention?

Why should your personal tax be the responsibility of your employer? I think hk has it right personally and the others are wrong!