Basics
VAT: what you really need to know
Thai VAT is 7 %. Take the VAT you paid on purchases from the VAT you charged on sales, and file the rest every month.
In short
VAT is collected from customers and passed on to the state. It is not your cost: you pay only the difference between the VAT you charged and the VAT you paid.
- Above ฿1.8 million of sales a year you must register for VAT, within a set time after passing it, so prepare early.
- File ภ.พ.30 every month: on paper by the 15th of the next month, e-filing usually a few days later. File even in a month without sales.
- If you paid more VAT than you charged, carry it to next month or ask for it back in cash.
For example
A café's month
Sales ฿300,000 including VAT → VAT charged ฿19,626.17 (300,000 × 7 ÷ 107) Purchases with full tax invoices ฿100,000 + VAT ฿7,000 → VAT paid ฿7,000 VAT to pay this month = 19,626.17 − 7,000 = ฿12,626.17
Common mistakes
- Putting off registration after sales pass ฿1.8 million.
- Mixing up prices with and without VAT and getting sales wrong.
- Skipping a month with no sales. Late filing brings a surcharge (1.5 % a month) and a penalty.
- Claiming the VAT on purchases without a full tax invoice.
In Sawadee TAX
- The VAT helper fills the 16 lines of ภ.พ.30 in the form's order, with a copy button on every figure.
- Sales from the sales screen or your issued tax invoices, and claimable purchases, are gathered for you.
- The tax calendar and LINE remind you before the deadline, and saving the return as filed carries it into next month.
Read next
General Thai tax rules, explained simply. Your business and situation may differ, so check with an accountant before you file.