Residency
You are a Vietnamese tax resident if you meet any one of three tests [1]:
- physically present in Vietnam for 183 days or more in a calendar year or in any rolling 12-month period from first arrival,
- have a registered permanent residence in Vietnam, or
- rent accommodation in Vietnam for 183 days or more in a tax year (under most rental contracts).
The 12-month rolling rule traps people who arrive mid-year, so a stay of just over six months can make you resident from day one.
Income tax brackets, 2025 tax year
Tax residents pay progressive PIT on worldwide employment income [1]:
- 0 to 60 million VND/year (0 to 5 million/month): 5 percent
- 60 to 120 million: 10 percent
- 120 to 216 million: 15 percent
- 216 to 384 million: 20 percent
- 384 to 624 million: 25 percent
- 624 to 960 million: 30 percent
- above 960 million: 35 percent
A standard monthly personal deduction of 11 million VND (132 million per year, about 4,800 EUR) and 4.4 million VND per dependant apply before the brackets [1]. Non-residents pay a flat 20 percent on Vietnam-source employment income only.
Non-employment categories (business income, capital gains, royalties, prizes) have their own schedules: capital assignment 20 percent on net gain, securities transfers 0.1 percent of sale proceeds, real-estate sales 2 percent of proceeds, dividends and interest from non-bank sources 5 percent, inheritance and gifts above 10 million VND 10 percent [1].
Foreign-source income
Vietnam taxes residents on worldwide income, no remittance basis [1]. A foreign salary, foreign pension, foreign dividend or foreign rental of a Vietnamese resident must be reported on the annual finalisation regardless of whether the money is brought into Vietnam. Foreign tax paid is creditable up to the Vietnamese tax otherwise due on the same item, with documentary support [2]. There is no equivalent of Thailand's pre-2024 deferral or Malaysia's MM2H exemption.
Pension income
Vietnamese social-insurance pensions (from the Vietnam Social Insurance fund) are PIT-exempt by statute [1]. Foreign pensions paid to a Vietnamese resident are taxable as "other income" or under treaty-allocated articles; the relevant DTA usually decides whether Vietnam, the source country, or both have rights. For UK and German state pensions, treaty wording typically leaves taxation to the source state for civil-service pensions and to the residence state for private pensions. For the United States the saving clause complicates matters. A qualified adviser is essential.
Capital gains
Vietnam has no separate capital-gains tax. Securities are taxed at 0.1 percent of the sale price (a transaction tax that effectively replaces gains tax for listed shares). Unlisted-share or business-interest transfers are taxed at 20 percent on the net gain or 0.1 percent on proceeds at the seller's option for some structures. Real-estate disposals are taxed at 2 percent of contract price [1]. Gains on a primary residence held more than six months may be exempt under specific conditions.
Inheritance and gift tax
Inheritance and gifts received by an individual are subject to PIT at a flat 10 percent on the portion above 10 million VND per event, with exemptions for transfers between immediate family (spouses, parents and children) [1].
Worldwide investment income
Dividends, interest from non-bank sources, royalties and capital gains earned abroad are taxable in Vietnam as ordinary or schedular PIT depending on category, with foreign-tax credit relief under DTAs [2]. Interest on Vietnamese bank deposits paid to individuals is exempt.
Treaty status with IE, GB, US, DE, FR
Vietnam has more than 80 comprehensive tax treaties [2]. Confirmed for the five origin countries:
- Ireland: signed 10 March 2008, in force 2009 (Article on pensions allocates taxing rights to residence state).
- United Kingdom: signed 9 April 1994, in force 15 December 1994.
- Germany: signed 16 November 1995, in force 27 December 1996.
- France: signed 10 February 1993, in force 1 July 1994.
- United States: signed 7 July 2015 but not yet in force as of May 2026; awaiting US Senate ratification [3]. Until ratification, no treaty relief is available between Vietnam and the US, and double-tax relief depends on each side's domestic foreign-tax-credit rules.
Treaty texts are published on the General Department of Taxation portal [4,5]. Claiming benefits requires a Vietnamese tax code, residency certificate from the source-country authority, and a notification filed with the local tax office, ideally 15 days before the relevant payment [6].
Filing notes
The Vietnamese tax year is the calendar year. Annual PIT finalisation is due [6]:
- by the last day of the third month after year-end if your employer finalises for you (typically 31 March),
- by the last day of the fourth month after year-end if you self-file (30 April).
Foreign individuals departing Vietnam permanently must finalise within 45 days of departure. Forms are in Vietnamese; an English-language helper version exists for foreigners but the legal filing is Vietnamese. You need a Vietnamese tax code (MST). The district tax office issues it; expatriates are typically registered by their employer.
Not tax advice
This page is a relocator-level summary. Vietnamese practice can vary by province and circular interpretation. Engage a Vietnamese tax adviser before relocating, exercising stock options or remitting large sums [1].