Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Vietnamese artists living overseas recently said they were ready and willing to pay taxes for performing in Vietnam in accordance with the country’s new income tax regulations.
Singer Duy Quang said he had received a personal tax code from the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department recently and that he would pay his taxes by the end of the year.

Vocalist and composer Duc Huy said he was not aware of the new regulation. But, he said he already paid 10 per cent of his earnings each time he performed a show in Vietnam and was happy to pay taxes in his home country.

I will hire a local accounting company to handle my future income from home shows, said Huy.

Overseas Vietnamese singer Huong Lan, who frequently travels between Vietnam and the U.S., said she had still not received any tax forms from the Vietnamese authorities. But, I will collect all legal documents and tax receipts for the HCMC Tax Department by the end of the year, she said.

Quang said he hoped Vietnamese authorities would treat him with similar policies of domestic singers.

As defined by current laws, Vietnamese authorities will treat overseas artists the same as domestic artists. This means local and overseas artists will benefit from a 25 per cent exemption of their total income. For the remaining 75 per cent of an artist’s income, 10 per cent will be deducted.

Meanwhile in the U.S., overseas artists have to pay 30 per cent taxes for their total annual income. Single artists or those who do not own private homes pay half that amount while artists with their own private music production companies pay much higher taxes.

The U.S. also allows expenditures on make-up, wardrobe, accommodation, traveling and daily expenditure with legal receipts to be deducted from artists’ total incomes, said Mr. Quang.

However, artists complained it was very difficult to have legal receipts for these costs.

Reported by Da Ly – Translated by Quynh Nhu.
Story from Thanh Nien News
Published: 23 March, 2005, 23:55:58 (GMT+7)
Copyright Thanh Nien News