Note: This article was published in April 2019 and has been updated in Mar 2021 to reflect the latest updates to the Hong Kong Tax Filing/Submission process. As of the publish date, Talenox now supports four Hong Kong tax forms: IR56B, IR56E, IR56F, and IR56G.Â
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who file taxes early and those who file their taxes as early as a day before the deadline. As tax season gets off to a start in Hong Kong, we know many SMEs and first-time business owners will be scrambling to get their accounts and numbers in order. We also know this is especially hard if you have to do it all by yourself.
So, we’ve put together everything you need to know about IR56B submission, and hopefully, whether you’re filing it for the first time or for the fifth consecutive season, you’ll find something useful in this little article of ours.
What is IR56B?
It is a form that helps the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to calculate the tax contribution for your employees. IR56B submission must be done every year in April, and IRD will calculate the taxes pertaining to the salary earned from 1st April of the previous year to 31st March of the current year.
(Example: When filling in April 2018, you are filling based on payroll records from 1st April 2017 to 31st March 2018.)
When is the submission period?
1st April – 30th April.
What are the requirements for filing IR56B?
According to the tax obligations stipulated by IRD, you’ll have to report the employee on your Employer’s Return (BIR56A and IR56B) for 2018/19 if she or he is:
- single and paid an annual income of $132,000 or more
- married (regardless of amount)
- a part-time staff (regardless of amount)
- a director (regardless of amount)
Additional information the form submission
| Form | Employment Condition | Statutory Period for Notification | Reference in Inland Revenue Ordinance (IRO) | Remarks |
| IR56B | Still under employment as at 31 March | 1 – 31 April 2019 | section 52(2) | Must be submitted together with BIR56A |
How to file IR56B for free on Talenox
As long as you’ve been running payroll on Talenox for the past financial year, you can easily print out IR56B forms from Talenox to mail to IRD. If you haven’t, you can sign up for a Talenox FREE account anytime and process payroll for the entire financial year first, and then generate the form immediately.
A Talenox FREE account will also allow you to fill out and print IR56E, IR56F, and IR56G forms.
To start filing with your Talenox FREE account, simply follow the steps in this visual guide. This will show you how to generate the form with the relevant values, as well as where and how to submit the form.
Additional reading on IRD and IR56B
Electronic filing of employer’s return
Notes and instructions for IR56B (PDF)
A Brief Guide to Employee Tax Submission in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Employer’s Return and IR56 – The Basics
Next week: Forms IR56E, F, and G, and how to fill them out electronically with your Talenox FREE account!
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