Bookkeeping & accounts
Monthly bookkeeping under Vietnamese Accounting Standards (VAS), producing the P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow you need to file and audit.
Accounting & Tax in Vietnam.
Vietnam's tax system runs on a monthly clock and punishes late or incorrect filings. Forra runs your whole accounting and tax function — from monthly VAT through to the annual corporate-tax return — so you stay clean with the authorities.
The Service at a Glance
Monthly
VAT and PIT filings every month — the rhythm of every Vietnam entity
Fixed
fee
One monthly fee — no hourly billing for routine filings
E-invoice
Mandatory for every taxable sale in Vietnam
What We Manage
Monthly filings, annual returns, and everything in between.
Every Vietnam entity — company, branch, or representative office — has tax to file every month, every quarter, and every year. VAT by the 20th. Provisional CIT each quarter. The annual corporate-tax return by 31 March. PIT settlement by 30 April. Miss one and the penalties stack up.
Forra handles the whole job: bookkeeping, financial statements, tax filing, e-invoices, and dealing with the Tax Authority — all on a fixed monthly fee, with no charge per filing.
Four pillars of every engagement
Tax declarations & filings
Every monthly VAT and PIT filing, quarterly provisional CIT, and the annual CIT and PIT returns — filed on time, every time.
E-invoice management
We set up and run your e-invoice system and make sure every sale is invoiced correctly. E-invoices have been mandatory in Vietnam since 2022.
Tax authority liaison
We handle all contact with the Tax Authority — queries, inspections, and corrections — in Vietnamese, so your team never has to be involved.
Scope of Service
Eight areas covered in every engagement.
The scope is fixed — every client gets the complete function. There are no abbreviated versions.
01
Accounting
Bookkeeping & Accounts
Monthly bookkeeping under VAS using the statutory chart of accounts: journal entries, bank reconciliations, and AP/AR. All records kept in Vietnamese dong, as the law requires.
02
Tax
VAT Management
Monthly VAT declaration by the 20th — output VAT on sales, input VAT on purchases, and the net payable or refund. We validate invoices and handle refund claims where you qualify.
03
Tax
Corporate Income Tax (CIT)
Quarterly provisional CIT payments and the annual CIT return by 31 March, reconciled to your audited accounts. Advice on what's deductible and any tax incentives you're entitled to.
04
Tax
Personal Income Tax (PIT)
Monthly PIT withholding for staff and the annual PIT settlement by 30 April — dependants, deductions, and residency status for foreign employees all included.
05
Accounting
E-Invoice System
Setup and day-to-day running of your e-invoice system: issuing invoices for every sale, handling cancellations and adjustments, and filing the periodic summary reports.
06
Accounting
Financial Statements
Annual financial statements under VAS — balance sheet, income statement, cash flow, and notes — plus coordination with your auditor and filing with the authorities.
07
Tax
Tax Inspection Support
We manage Tax Authority queries and inspections end to end: reviewing the scope, preparing documents, attending on your behalf, and handling any penalty response.
08
Tax
Related-Party Transactions
For entities with related-party dealings, we prepare the annual transfer-pricing disclosure and advise whether a full transfer-pricing report is required.
Filing Calendar
Every deadline, tracked by Forra.
The full filing calendar for a standard Vietnam-registered trading company. Forra tracks every deadline and files without prompting — you get confirmation after each submission.
Monthly
-
By the 20thVAT DeclarationOutput minus input VAT — payment or refund claim
-
By the 20thPIT WithholdingFor monthly declarants
-
OngoingE-Invoice IssuanceRequired for every taxable sale
-
OngoingBookkeeping & ReconciliationMonthly close, bank recs, AP/AR
Quarterly
-
30 days after quarter-endProvisional CIT PaymentEstimated corporate-tax prepayment
-
Quarter followingPIT Declaration (quarterly)For smaller-turnover entities
Annual
-
31 MarchAnnual CIT ReturnFull return with audited accounts
-
30 AprilPIT Annual SettlementEmployee income-tax settlement
-
Within 90 days of year-endAnnual Financial StatementsFiled with the tax & licensing authorities
-
30 JanuaryAnnual Activity ReportROs and branch offices only
Event-triggered
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Within 10 days of licenceTax Code RegistrationFirst filing after setup
-
Within 5 daysE-Invoice ActivationBefore your first taxable sale
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Before departureForeign Employee PIT SettlementBefore they leave Vietnam for good
-
On changeTax Registration UpdateAddress, legal rep, or capital changes
How It Works
A monthly cycle with no missed deadlines.
Forra runs your full accounting and tax function on a fixed monthly cycle. You provide the source documents; we handle everything from bookkeeping through to filing confirmation — with a monthly report so you always know where your entity stands.
Stage 01
Document Collection
You send sales and purchase invoices, bank statements, and expense records. Any format works.
1st–10thStage 02
Bookkeeping & Reconciliation
We enter and classify every transaction under VAS, reconcile your bank, and check VAT against the e-invoice system. Anything unclear gets flagged.
10th–15thStage 03
Tax Calculation & Review
We calculate VAT payable and confirm PIT withholding, then raise any unusual or borderline items with you before filing.
15th–18thStage 04
Filing & Payment
We file VAT and PIT through the Tax Authority portal and send you the payment instruction. Confirmation receipts go straight into your records.
By the 20thStage 05
Periodic Report
You get a management report: P&L, balance sheet, tax summary, and any deadlines coming up.
End of monthNo year-end surprises. Because we keep your books every month, the annual CIT and PIT finalisation is just a reconciliation of work already done — not a scramble. Most clients are filed well before 31 March.
New entity? We also handle the initial tax code registration, accounting setup, and e-invoice activation — so you start clean before the first transaction.
Why Forra
Accounting that connects to your whole operation.
Forra also runs HR, payroll, global mobility, and governance for the same clients. So our accounting team already knows your staff structure, foreign-employee obligations, and corporate setup.
That means far less back-and-forth between providers, and fewer things falling through the cracks when year-end comes around.
01
Fixed fee, no per-filing billing
Monthly VAT, PIT, and quarterly CIT — all in one fixed monthly fee. You never get an invoice for a routine filing or a quick question.
02
Joined up with payroll & HR
PIT withholding uses the same salary data as payroll, and social insurance feeds straight into your accounts. No reconciling between separate providers at year-end.
03
Inspections handled in-house
When the Tax Authority queries a filing or calls an inspection, we respond and attend for you — in Vietnamese, with your full filing history to hand.
Pricing
Fixed monthly fee. Scope never shrinks.
Every engagement is a fixed monthly fee based on entity type and transaction volume. Audit coordination and inspection support are included; your auditor's statutory audit fee is separate.
Entry
Representative Office
For ROs with limited activity: no revenue, minimal expenses, and a small team.
- Monthly bookkeeping & bank reconciliation
- Monthly PIT withholding declaration
- Annual PIT finalisation
- Annual financial statements
- Annual activity report filing
- Monthly summary report
Standard
Trading Company or Branch
For entities with VAT, CIT, and payroll obligations. The full monthly cycle — and the right fit for most foreign-invested companies.
- Full monthly bookkeeping under VAS
- Monthly VAT declaration & remittance
- Monthly PIT withholding declaration
- Quarterly provisional CIT payment
- E-invoice system management
- Annual CIT & PIT finalisation
- Annual financial statements & audit coordination
- Tax inspection support (if needed)
- Monthly management report
Extended
Group or High-Volume
For high transaction volumes, related-party transactions, or multiple cost centres needing consolidated reporting.
- Everything in Standard
- Multi-cost-centre bookkeeping
- Transfer-pricing documentation
- Related-party transaction analysis
- Consolidated entity reporting
- Scoped quote provided on request
Common Questions
Questions about accounting & tax in Vietnam.
Does Forra also provide the statutory audit?
Forra prepares the financial statements and coordinates the audit process, but the statutory audit itself is performed by a licensed independent auditor. This is required by Vietnamese accounting law — the same firm cannot both prepare and audit the financial statements. Forra manages the auditor relationship, prepares the supporting schedules, and ensures the audit is completed within the statutory deadline for CIT finalisation.
What is e-invoice and do we need it?
E-invoice is mandatory for all VAT-registered entities in Vietnam. Every taxable sale must be documented with an authenticated electronic invoice — paper invoices are no longer valid. Forra sets up your e-invoice system as part of onboarding and manages issuance, cancellation, and summary reporting on an ongoing basis.
What happens if a tax declaration was filed incorrectly in a previous period?
Voluntary correction before the tax authority raises a query attracts a reduced penalty — typically 20% of the underpaid tax plus interest. Forra can review prior periods, identify any errors, and manage the correction process. This is always preferable to waiting for an inspection, which carries higher penalties and may trigger a full audit of the period.
What is transfer pricing and does it apply to us?
Transfer pricing rules apply to any entity with related-party transactions — management fees to a parent, intercompany loans, or royalties for IP use. Entities meeting the thresholds must file the disclosure form with their annual CIT return and may need a full transfer pricing study. Forra assesses applicability and prepares the necessary documentation.
Can Forra take over from an existing accountant?
Yes. Forra handles accounting transitions regularly. We request the prior period working files from your existing accountant, review the books for any issues, and take over from the next period. Where prior period errors are identified, we advise on whether correction is warranted. The transition is managed without disruption to your filing deadlines.
What currency and accounting standards does Forra use?
Vietnamese law requires bookkeeping in Vietnamese dong (VND) under Vietnamese Accounting Standards (VAS), which differ in several areas from IFRS. For clients who also need IFRS or management accounts in a foreign currency, Forra can produce a parallel reporting pack — but statutory books and tax filings are always in VND under VAS.
Get Started Today
Take accounting off your plate.
Fixed fee, monthly filings, no surprises. Forra runs your full accounting and tax function so you never miss a deadline.
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