My spouse and I suddenly discover we owe nearly $9,000 in tax debt

After reading that tax refunds would be processed automatically starting this year, my spouse and I were thrilled, hoping it would simplify and speed up the process. Curious, I downloaded the app to check how much I would receive. I was eligible for nearly VND30 million in refunds for 2022 and 2023.

I excitedly told my husband and urged him to download the app as well. However, to our surprise, instead of a refund, he was notified that he still owes VND184 million in personal income tax from 2021 and VND41 million from 2022. We were utterly stunned.

Back then, we dabbled into affiliate marketing when it was booming and occasionally earned very high incomes. Thanks to that, we were able to invest and build a house. We have been paying income tax each month since, so we never worried or even considered that we might have tax issues.

Recently, many people with multiple income sources have similarly discovered that they have tax debts amounting to hundreds of millions of dong, nearly half of which consists of unpaid taxes from previous years ago plus late payment penalties.

Among them, many individuals unknowingly failed to declare incomes as little as a few hundred thousand dong, only to accumulate tens of millions of dong in penalties as they were not notified in time about their outstanding taxes.

Looking at the amount of debt displayed on the screen, I was so anxious that I lost my appetite and could not sleep, unsure of how we would come up with such a large sum. My only option seemed to be taking out a bank loan to settle the debt.

I have since left affiliate marketing and now run a small coffee shop, which brings in just enough to make a living. My earlier land investments also resulted in losses. My husband continued working in affiliate marketing, but his monthly income is now only VND10-20 million.

With our businesses struggling, the tax debt felt like an unbearable burden, especially considering the potential penalties for late payment. We both came from poor backgrounds and our parents have passed away, so my husband has few dependents to help lower his tax obligations.

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.