Save Personal Tax in Thailand from January 15, 2025

Sanet Legal & Accountancy, the accounting service in Thailand, gives you a tip on how to save personal taxes in 2025. In fact, the so-called “Easy E-Receipt 2.0” program is designed to encourage people to spend and increase consumption. The program is aimed at taxable individuals, enabling them to reduce their personal income tax through certain expenses. Taxpayers can save money because the amount of money spent on purchases under the program may be deducted from taxable income at the end of the year. This allows for potential savings of up to 17,500 baht in the highest tax bracket.

LEGAL

Dr. Gunter Denk

1/14/20252 min read

Save Personal Tax in Thailand
Save Personal Tax in Thailand

Taxpayers therefore should consider making high value purchases from the 16 of January until 28 of February to use the incentives of the “Easy E-Receipt 2.0” program.

The incentive offers a maximum expenditure limit of 50,000 baht. This amount must be spent in two different categories: 30,000 baht may be spent on the purchase of certain goods or services from a VAT-registered trader who is able to issue a full electronic tax invoice (e-tax invoice).

Another 20,000 baht are available for purchases in shops run by community or social enterprises. All shops must also provide a full electronic tax invoice (e-tax invoice) or an electronic receipt (e-receipt).

These are the conditions & terms

  • Services and Goods must be purchased only from businesses registered for Value-Added Tax and issuing electronic tax invoices (e-Tax Invoice).

  • The designated goods and services include books, newspapers, magazines (digital and analog) from businesses that are not registered for Value Added Tax (VAT) if receipts are electronically issued (e-receipts).

These goods are excluded from tax deduction

  • Alcoholic beverages, beer, wine and tobacco

  • Cars, motorcycles and boats

  • Utilities such as electricity and water bills

  • Fuel and gas for vehicles

  • Telephone and Internet charges

  • Insurance premiums

  • Tour service fees, hotel and homestay accommodation costs

  • Medical expenses and surgery

  • Gold & Gift vouchers

Formalities

All goods must also be purchased within the program period, i.e. between January 16 and February 28, 2025. The taxpayer must wait until 2026 to claim the tax deduction for the 2025 tax year.

When filling out the tax return, a field is provided to enter the amount of the deduction. One should enter the total value of the goods, including VAT or goods with a 7% tax. It is absolutely necessary to keep the electronic receipts until the tax return is filed in 2026.

Comments

The “Easy E-Receipt 2.0” was derived from the “Easy E-Receipt” system that was first introduced in 2023. Although minor changes have been made, the basic principle remains the same: you have to be well informed to understand the requirements.

Yet many consumers are likely to welcome this “tax gift” from the government.

Critics, however, point out that it will do little or no good for socially weaker people. That's because the advantage mainly favors higher tax brackets, which have sufficient capital to spend on consumption.

Critical voices also point out that while the program offers high-income segments significant benefits, it does not cushion the increased costs for lower-wage segments of Thai society.

In addition, the program would favor large companies and businesses, since small businesses are unlikely to be able to issue electronic receipts to their customers.

A fairer system, critics insist, could definitely be found if the will were there.