Do expats/digital nomads need to pay taxes in Vietnam if they work remotely for a foreign employer?

Basic tax residency logic: living 183+ days a year alone doesn't create a tax obligation in Vietnam — you also need local-source income or a Vietnamese employer.

More tourists have been asking in expat chats whether they must pay taxes in Vietnam — some then insist it's mandatory, though in practice it isn't for those without a Vietnamese employer.

Even the argument "I work for an American company" didn't convince the tax office to register a foreigner as a taxpayer — a foreign-based employer doesn't create a local tax obligation.

A real case: a woman brought a translator to a tax office insisting on paying taxes, citing the 183-day rule and articles she found online — staff sent her from office to office for hours, confused, and explained that only people with actual employment in Vietnam pay tax.

For online payments tied to Vietnamese tax or government services, verification requires a Vietnamese phone number (local SIM card) — a foreign SIM may not work.

Some expats consider consulting a Vietnamese accountant about taxation, though the general consensus in the community is that without local employment there's no tax obligation.