Thailand warns influencers to file taxes by month's end

The Revenue Department (RD) has issued a warning to social media influencers and online sellers. They must file their income tax documents by the end of this month to avoid severe fines. The RD estimates that about 9 million influencers make billions of baht each year. Pinsai Suraswadi, the RD Director-General, expressed concern about young workers who have never filed taxes. Many of these individuals are e-commerce vendors, influencers, and product reviewers. Reports indicate that this group, primarily younger earners, often neglect to report their income or pay taxes. Mr. Pinsai urged everyone to file their income taxes. He explained that mistakes in filing can be corrected, but not filing at all will lead to penalties. He noted that electronic transactions create digital records that the department can use to track unreported income. The RD is pushing digital business individuals to comply, as back taxes can lead to substantial penalties. The department can audit records for up to five years. Those who have avoided taxes may have to pay the owed amount plus penalties and interest, which can increase their total liability five times. Fines can range from none to twice the amount owed, along with monthly interest of 1.5%. Severe violations could also result in criminal charges. A recent study found that Thailand's content creator industry contributes at least 45 billion baht to the economy. With over 9 million content creators, they are an important part of the workforce in the country.