Three recurring tax filings
Tax compliance means preparing, filing, and paying corporate income tax (CIT), value-added tax (VAT), and foreign contractor tax (FCT) by the applicable deadlines.
| Tax | Frequency | Typical deadline |
|---|---|---|
| VAT | Monthly | 20th day of the following month |
| VAT | Quarterly | Last day of the first month of the following quarter |
| Provisional CIT | Quarterly payment | Within 30 days after the end of the quarter |
| Annual CIT finalization | Annual | Last day of the third month after the fiscal year-end — normally 31 March for a calendar-year company |
| FCT | Per payment or contract, depending on filing method | Commonly within 10 days from payment to the foreign contractor under the withholding method |
VAT filing is generally monthly where the company's prior-year revenue exceeds VND 50 billion and quarterly where the company qualifies for quarterly filing; newly established businesses may also qualify for quarterly filing under the applicable rules.
Vietnam generally requires quarterly CIT payments, but not a separate quarterly CIT return. The quarterly provisional payments must be calculated so that the cumulative amount paid by the fourth quarter is not materially short of the annual finalized CIT liability. Annual CIT finalization is normally due by 31 March of the following year.
Foreign contractor tax
For payments to a foreign contractor, determine first whether the payment is subject to FCT and whether the Vietnamese payer or foreign contractor is responsible for filing. Under the common withholding method, the Vietnamese payer withholds and declares the tax, generally within 10 days after paying the foreign contractor. A Vietnamese enterprise may also need to notify the tax authority and obtain a tax code for an unregistered foreign contractor.
Compliance wording
Tax: Prepare, file, and pay VAT, provisional and annual CIT, and FCT on time; monitor filing method, tax codes, withholding obligations, invoices, and supporting records.
The company should maintain contracts, invoices, accounting records, payment evidence, VAT input records, CIT calculations, FCT withholding certificates, and tax-authority submission receipts. If a deadline falls on a public holiday or weekend, check the applicable tax-administration rule and the e-Tax portal's acceptance date before filing.