An employee counts Vietnamese banknotes at a bank in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy
People who have unpaid taxes of VND10 million ($393.90) and above for 120 days may be banned from leaving Vietnam, according to a proposal by the Ministry of Finance.
The proposed ban would also apply to business representatives who owe VND100 million or more.
Under current regulations, people with unpaid taxes can be temporarily restricted from leaving Vietnam, but there is no clear threshold for tax debt that triggers this restriction.
This year, over 6,500 individuals have been temporarily banned from leaving Vietnam due to tax arrears, a threefold increase from the previous year, according to the General Department of Taxation. The department has collected VND1.341 trillion from 2,116 individuals subject to the travel ban.
The ministry estimates that, with the new debt threshold, around 380,000 people could face temporary travel restrictions for outstanding tax debts.