Selling through Shopee, Lazada or TikTok Shop can bring in good income, but sellers in Thailand still need proper accounting and tax compliance. This guide explains how to keep your books, what tax applies to individuals and companies, and which deadlines matter.
Getting started with accounting for an online store
1. Separate personal and business money
- Open a dedicated business bank account.
- Keep personal and business expenses clearly apart.
- Record income and expenses by sales channel.
Separating accounts also matters for tax: for a company, personal expenses are not deductible (Revenue Code, Section 65 ter).
2. Keep key documents
- Marketplace payout statements
- Receipts and tax invoices for stock purchases and expenses (to claim input VAT, a tax invoice must contain the details required by Revenue Code, Sections 86 and 86/4)
- Business and VAT registration documents, if any
- Sales summary reports from each platform
Businesses that must keep accounts should keep books and supporting documents for at least five years (Accounting Act B.E. 2543 (2000), Section 14).
3. Record transactions regularly
- Daily sales from every channel
- Platform commissions and fees
- Shipping and packaging
- Cost of goods and inventory
- Other operating expenses
Companies calculate net profit on an accrual basis, meaning income and expenses are recognised when earned or incurred rather than when cash moves (Revenue Code, Section 65). For more on this, see our bookkeeping service.
Accounting for marketplaces
1. Record marketplace income by type
- Product sales
- Discounts and promotions
- Shipping charged to customers
- Platform rebates and vouchers
Record gross sales first, then show commissions and fees as separate expenses. Do not book only the net payout, or your revenue will be understated. Turnover is also what decides whether you must register for VAT (see below).
2. Calculate costs and expenses
- Cost of goods (purchase price plus inbound freight)
- Platform commission (% of sales)
- Delivery to customers
- Packaging and consumables
- Advertising and marketing
Advertising bought from foreign platforms (for example Meta or Google) may involve VAT. Foreign e-service providers must charge VAT on sales to non-VAT-registered customers in Thailand (Revenue Code Amendment Act (No. 53) B.E. 2564). A VAT-registered seller who does not receive a Thai tax invoice must self-assess VAT on Form PP.36 by the 7th of the following month (Revenue Code, Section 83/6).
“Where the payment of goods or services is made to the following business persons, the payer for goods or services shall be required to remit value added tax […] (2) business person providing services abroad and such service is used in Thailand”
Revenue Code, Section 83/6 — Revenue Department unofficial English translation
3. Be aware of e-Payment reporting
Under the Revenue Code Amendment Act (No. 48) B.E. 2562 (2019), banks and e-payment providers report an account to the Revenue Department if it receives 3,000 or more deposits or transfers in a year, or 400 or more deposits totalling THB 2 million or more. Busy online sellers can easily reach these thresholds, so keep clean records that reconcile to your bank statements.
Tax planning for online sellers
1. Individual or company?
An individual seller’s online trading profit is assessable income under Section 40(8) of the Revenue Code. A company pays corporate income tax on its net profit (Revenue Code, Sections 65 and 67).
| Item | Individual | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | Progressive 0–35%, with the first THB 150,000 of taxable income exempt (Revenue Code, Section 48) | 20% standard rate (Revenue Code, Section 67); SME rates of 0%, 15% and 20% may apply if paid-up capital is at most THB 5 million at period end and income from sales of goods and services is at most THB 30 million (Royal Decree No. 530 (B.E. 2554), as amended) |
| Income tax filing | Twice a year: half-year PND.94 and annual PND.90 (Revenue Code, Sections 56 and 56 bis) | Half-year PND.51 and annual PND.50 (Revenue Code, Sections 67 bis and 68) |
| Credibility with banks and partners | Medium | High |
| Administration cost | Low | Higher (audited financial statements are required) |
Individuals may claim either actual expenses with evidence or a standard percentage deduction, typically 60% for trading income (Royal Decree No. 11 (B.E. 2502), as amended). A limited company’s financial statements must be audited by a Thai CPA (Civil and Commercial Code, Section 1197). See our audit service and company registration service.
2. When VAT applies
If your turnover exceeds THB 1.8 million per year, you must register for VAT within 30 days (Revenue Code, Sections 81/1 and 85/1). You then file monthly VAT returns (PP.30) in addition to income tax returns (PND.90 and PND.94 for individuals, or PND.50 and PND.51 for companies). The VAT rate is 10% in the law but has been reduced to 7% by a Royal Decree renewed each year (Revenue Code, Section 80 and Royal Decree (No. 807), which extends the 7% rate until 30 September 2027).
VAT-registered sellers must issue tax invoices (Revenue Code, Section 86). Input VAT can generally be credited, but not for items such as entertainment, passenger cars or invalid tax invoices (Revenue Code, Section 82/5).
3. Tax-deductible expenses
If you claim actual expenses, typical business costs include:
- Warehouse or storage rent
- Office equipment and other assets (depreciated over time under Royal Decree No. 145 (B.E. 2527), for example 20% a year for machinery and equipment)
- Advertising and marketing
- Shipping and packaging
- Staff salaries, if any
For companies, the rules on deductible expenses are in Revenue Code, Section 65 bis, and non-deductible expenses are listed in Section 65 ter. For help with structuring, see our tax planning service.
4. Key tax deadlines
- Monthly, by the 15th of the following month: VAT return PP.30, if VAT-registered (Revenue Code, Section 83). Electronic filing gets an extra 8 days, currently extended until 31 January 2027 (Ministry of Finance notification).
- Monthly, by the 7th of the following month: withholding tax returns (PND.3 or PND.53) and PP.36 for VAT on services bought from abroad (Revenue Code, Section 83/6).
- By 30 September: individuals’ half-year income tax return PND.94 (Revenue Code, Section 56 bis).
- By 31 March: individuals’ annual income tax return PND.90 (Revenue Code, Section 56).
- Companies: half-year estimate PND.51 within two months after the first six months of the accounting period (Section 67 bis); annual return PND.50 within 150 days after the period ends (Section 68).
“within the month of September of every tax year, reporting only the income under Section 40 (5), (6), (7) or (8) derived during the period from January to June.”
Revenue Code, Section 56 bis — Revenue Department unofficial English translation
Late payment carries a surcharge of 1.5% per month (Revenue Code, Section 27).
Tips for efficient accounting management
1. Use technology
- Use online accounting software.
- Connect it to your marketplaces through API or export files.
- Use an expense-tracking app.
- Store documents in the cloud.
2. Monitor and analyse
- Review financial reports regularly.
- Analyse margins by channel.
- Track costs and expenses.
- Plan business growth.
How our consultation works
- Book a free initial consultation.
- We assess your needs and business size.
- We propose a suitable service package.
- Sign the agreement and start the service.
- Ongoing monitoring and reporting.
FAQ
Do I need to register a business to sell online in Thailand?
If online selling is a regular source of income, you should register and comply with tax rules. Trading income is taxable under Section 40(8) of the Revenue Code, and you must register for VAT once turnover exceeds THB 1.8 million a year (Revenue Code, Sections 81/1 and 85/1).
Should I start as an individual or a company?
Many sellers start as individuals because the administration is lighter. As profit grows, a company may be worth considering: it pays a flat 20% rate, or SME rates with a 0% band on the first THB 300,000 if it qualifies (Revenue Code, Section 67; Royal Decree No. 530 (B.E. 2554)), while individual rates rise to 35% (Section 48). A company also needs audited accounts, so work out the numbers for your own case first.
How long must I keep online sales records?
Accounting records and supporting documents must be kept for at least five years (Accounting Act B.E. 2543 (2000), Section 14).
Will the Revenue Department know about my marketplace income?
Banks and e-payment providers must report accounts with 3,000 or more deposits in a year, or 400 or more deposits totalling THB 2 million or more (Revenue Code Amendment Act (No. 48) B.E. 2562 (2019)). Marketplace income should therefore be declared and recorded properly.
Legal references
- Revenue Code, Section 27 – surcharge on late tax payment
- Revenue Code, Section 40(8) – assessable income from business and trading
- Revenue Code, Section 48 – progressive personal income tax rates
- Revenue Code, Sections 56 and 56 bis – annual and half-year individual returns (PND.90, PND.94)
- Revenue Code, Sections 65, 65 bis and 65 ter – net profit, deductible and non-deductible expenses for companies
- Revenue Code, Sections 67, 67 bis and 68 – corporate income tax rate and company returns (PND.51, PND.50)
- Revenue Code, Section 80 and Royal Decree (No. 807) – VAT rate (7% reduced rate extended until 30 September 2027)
- Revenue Code, Sections 81/1 and 85/1 – VAT registration threshold and deadline
- Revenue Code, Section 82/5 – non-creditable input VAT
- Revenue Code, Section 83 – monthly VAT return (PP.30)
- Revenue Code, Section 83/6 – VAT on services from abroad (PP.36)
- Revenue Code, Sections 86 and 86/4 – tax invoices
- Revenue Code Amendment Act (No. 48) B.E. 2562 (2019) – e-Payment reporting
- Revenue Code Amendment Act (No. 53) B.E. 2564 – VAT on foreign e-service providers
- Royal Decree No. 530 (B.E. 2554), as amended – SME corporate income tax rates
- Royal Decree No. 11 (B.E. 2502), as amended – standard expense deductions
- Royal Decree No. 145 (B.E. 2527) – depreciation rates
- Accounting Act B.E. 2543 (2000), Section 14 – record retention
- Civil and Commercial Code, Section 1197 – audit of company accounts
- www.rd.go.th
Official sources (Thai government websites, mostly in Thai)
- Royal Decree No. 807 (B.E. 2569) – VAT 7% extended to 30 September 2027 (Royal Gazette, 23 Aug 2026)
- Ministry of Finance Notification on extending e-filing deadlines by 8 days (No. 7, as amended) – filings due up to 31 January 2027
- Royal Decree No. 530 (B.E. 2554) – SME corporate income tax rates
- Revenue Department CIT guide for SMEs (paid-up capital ≤ 5M, income ≤ 30M THB)
- Royal Decree No. 11 (B.E. 2502) – deemed expense rates for individuals
- Revenue Department Q&A – e-Payment law (Revenue Code Amendment Act No. 48)
- Revenue Department guide – VAT on foreign e-services; VAT-registered buyers still file PP.36
- Accounting Act B.E. 2543 (Department of Business Development)
- All documents above are published on the Revenue Department of Thailand website (search by document name or number).
Need help? Talk to an English-speaking accountant — call +66 96 969 8592 or message us on LINE.
This article is general information as of September 2026, not tax advice. Thai-language law prevails.
