The 2025 Deadline For Personal Income Tax Finalization: What Businesses Need To Know

Key Takeaways

• Final deadlines for PIT finalization in 2025 are March 31 for companies and May 5 for individual self-filers
• Late filing results in two penalty types: administrative fines for late tax returns ranging from 2-25 million VND and daily interest charges of 0.03%
• PIT filing schedules vary by monthly filing (revenue over 50 billion VND) or quarterly filing (revenue up to 50 billion VND)
• Eligible businesses can extend PIT filing deadlines under Decree 82/2025/ND-CP if applications are submitted before May 30, 2025

Personal income tax represents a mandatory obligation for all individuals with taxable income. PIT finalization is the process of declaring and determining total annual tax liability, comparing it with amounts already paid provisionally to establish whether additional tax is owed or refunds are due. Understanding PIT filing deadlines enables businesses to proactively manage finances and avoid legal risks.

When must PIT finalization be completed?

Tax filing deadlines represent the final date for submitting tax declarations or finalizations, as regulated by the Tax Administration Law and guiding circulars.

For organizations and enterprises finalizing on behalf of employees: Must complete and submit PIT finalization documents no later than the last day of the third month following the end of the calendar year or fiscal year. If this date falls on a holiday or weekend, the deadline extends to the next working day.

• For fiscal years coinciding with calendar years (most Vietnamese enterprises): The finalization deadline is March 31 of every year
• For fiscal years differing from calendar years: Submit no later than the last day of the third month following the end of the corresponding fiscal year
• For organizations dissolving/ceasing operations: Submit finalization within 45 days from when the event occurs

For individual self-filers: The finalization deadline is the last day of the fourth month following the end of the calendar year. If this falls on a holiday, the deadline shifts to the next working day. For the 2025 tax period, the finalization deadline is May 5, 2026, since April 30 and May 1, 2025 are holidays.

Businesses and individuals can leverage electronic submission of finalization documents and tax payments, available 24/7 including weekends and holidays. This provides leaders greater flexibility in ensuring compliance with tax return filing deadlines, particularly important when deadlines fall on weekends or holidays.

When should businesses handle periodic PIT filing?

Beyond annual tax settlements, businesses must fulfill periodic PIT declaration and payment obligations according to established PIT filing schedules. This frequency depends directly on the business’s operational scale.

Monthly filing 

Applies to businesses with previous year revenue exceeding 50 billion VND

Deadline: The 20th of the month following the month when tax obligations arise

This regulation targets large enterprises to ensure stable tax revenue and reduce concentrated tax debt risks. Monthly filing not only enables close tax authority monitoring but also supports businesses in proactive cash flow management and establishing effective payroll processes.

Quarterly filing – Flexible option for small and medium enterprises

Applies to businesses with previous year revenue up to 50 billion VND

Filing deadlines per PIT filing schedule:

• Quarter I (months 1-3): No later than April 30
• Quarter II (months 4-6): No later than July 31
• Quarter III (months 7-9): No later than October 31
• Quarter IV (months 10-12): No later than January 31 of the following year

This approach particularly suits small and medium enterprises, reducing administrative pressure and optimizing cash flow. CEOs can leverage this timeframe to focus on core business activities rather than handling monthly administrative procedures.

Can extensions be requested when unable to file taxes on time?

In special circumstances, Vietnamese law permits businesses and individuals to extend PIT filing deadlines under specific conditions.

Extensions under government support policies:

Businesses eligible for support under Decree 82/2025/ND-CP may receive consideration for PIT filing deadline extensions. However, prerequisites include belonging to specifically defined industry groups and submitting extension requests within the stipulated timeframe.

Critical deadline to remember: Extension requests must be submitted no later than May 30 for tax periods eligible for extensions. Submissions after this date will not be considered, and businesses must bear all penalties according to regulations.

Extensions due to force majeure events:

For force majeure circumstances such as natural disasters, fires, epidemics, or accidents, businesses may request extensions for tax return submissions. Mandatory conditions include confirmation of reasons from local authorities, with extension periods of:

• Maximum 30 days for monthly/quarterly/annual declarations
• Maximum 60 days for settlements

Businesses should also consider professional PIT declaration and consulting services to ensure compliance in complex situations.

How do late filing penalties impact businesses?

Late PIT filing affects not only corporate reputation but also creates significant financial burdens through administrative fines for late tax returns in two different forms.

Administrative penalties

Late filing period	Penalty amount (VND)
1-5 days	Warning or 2-5 million
6-30 days	2-5 million
31-60 days	5-8 million
61-90 days	8-15 million
Over 90 days	15-25 million

Late payment interest

Calculation formula: Late tax amount × 0.03% × Number of late days

This interest accumulates continuously, including holidays and weekends, from the day after the final deadline until full payment. For a 100 million VND tax amount filed 30 days late, businesses pay an additional 900,000 VND in interest – clear evidence that administrative fines for late tax returns can severely impact business finances.

When filing is delayed beyond 90 days, this behavior may constitute tax evasion with penalties 1-3 times the evaded tax amount. Tax authorities may also apply enforcement measures, collection actions, and even affect other business operations. This is particularly important for foreign employees where tax regulations may be more complex.

Frequently asked questions CEOs need answered

What are the differences between monthly, quarterly, and annual tax filing?

Annual settlement is mandatory for all individuals and income-paying organizations. This represents the final check to adjust actual tax obligations against amounts provisionally paid during the year, ensuring proper compliance with PIT filing schedules.

Regarding periodic declaration frequency, small businesses typically choose quarterly filing to reduce administrative pressure and optimize cash flow. Conversely, large enterprises with professional accounting departments should file monthly to ensure strict compliance and avoid risks of accumulated large tax obligations. 

When does the late filing period begin?

Late filing calculations begin the day after:

• The end of tax return filing deadlines
• The end of extension periods (if applicable)
• Dates specified in tax authority notifications/decisions

Practical example: If the filing deadline is March 31 and submission occurs on April 3, the late filing period is 2 days (from April 1 to April 2). Note that this calculation is continuous, including holidays and weekends.

Does tax filing extension eliminate late payment interest?

Throughout periods specified in valid extension decisions, businesses pay no late payment interest. This important benefit reduces financial pressure during difficult periods when PIT filing deadline extensions are granted.

If filing remains late after extension periods end, penalties only calculate from the extension end date rather than the original deadline. This policy demonstrates substantive government support.

When do supplementary filings increasing tax obligations trigger penalty calculations?

When supplementary filings increase tax obligations, late payment interest calculates from the day after the original deadline for the period when obligations arose. This applies regardless of whether supplements occur before or after tax authority discovery.

This regulation encourages businesses to proactively declare accurately and completely from the beginning while ensuring fairness in violation handling.

Are penalties applied for timely submissions rejected due to technical errors, missing information, or invalid documents?

If businesses submit documents by the tax return filing deadline initially, rejections due to technical errors or missing information will not constitute late filing and incur no penalties. This regulation reasonably protects rights of those with compliance intentions.

However, important considerations include:

• Initial submissions after deadlines that are returned: Still subject to late filing penalties
• Failure to correct/resubmit within specified timeframes after returns: Subject to penalties per regulations
• Failure to self-correct after 90 days: Subject to administrative violation decree handling

Adhering to PIT filing deadlines represents not only legal obligation but also a critical factor demonstrating professionalism and transparency in corporate governance. With regulatory changes in 2025, leaders must proactively establish rigorous tax management processes, from monitoring final deadlines for PIT settlement to preparing documentation, avoiding unnecessary financial and legal risks. For large or complex enterprises, leveraging professional payroll services can ensure optimal compliance and minimize risks.