On 20 October, Thailand's Cabinet approved the 2026 flood relief and recovery measures: for businesses and individuals in affected areas, filing and payment of income tax, withholding tax, VAT and other taxes originally due between 1 September and 29 December are extended to 30 December; affected factories may import replacement machinery free of import duty, and spending on home and vehicle repairs may be exempt from personal income tax.
Filing Deadlines: Six Types of Tax Extended to 30 December
According to the Cabinet meeting summary, the Ministry of Finance will have the Revenue Department issue a separate Ministry of Finance notification extending filing deadlines for affected taxpayers. The following obligations originally due between 1 September and 29 December 2026 are all extended to 30 December 2026:
Filing and payment of personal income tax;
Filing and payment of corporate income tax;
Filing and payment of withholding income tax;
Filing, payment and remittance of value added tax;
Filing and payment of specific business tax (excluding the sale of immovable property for profit, i.e. Section 91/2(6) of the Revenue Code);
Stamp duty paid in cash.
The measure applies to taxpayers and withholding agents located in areas officially declared disaster or emergency relief areas between 1 September and 29 December 2026, with the extension request submitted by the local Area Revenue Branch Office; both paper and online filings are covered. For floods that occurred before 1 September, the Revenue Department has agreed in principle to an extension, and the relevant Ministry of Finance notification is being processed.
On excise tax, the Excise Department has issued Notification No. 21: for factories, bonded warehouses and service establishments in affected areas, excise tax liabilities arising from 1 September to 31 October, and monthly returns due for September and October, are extended to 15 November; liquor and tobacco production licenses and liquor, tobacco and playing card sales licenses expiring in the same period may be renewed by 15 November.
Duty-Free Import of Machinery and Parts: Approval Required Before Import
The Cabinet approved the Ministry of Finance's draft notification on "Import Duty Exemption for Machinery and Parts for Replacement or Repair Due to the 2026 Floods", effective from the day after publication in the Royal Gazette until 31 March 2027. The exemption covers machinery, parts, accessories and associated tools under Chapter 84 of the Customs Tariff, subject to the following conditions:
The beneficiary must be a factory operator under the Factory Act, or a hotel or accommodation operator listed in the 2008 Ministerial Regulation, with business premises in an officially declared emergency disaster relief area;
The importer must be the beneficiary itself, or an agent that has a sales contract with the beneficiary;
Only new goods qualify, and they may be used only in the beneficiary's own business;
A disaster certificate issued by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, the Provincial Industry Office or the local government must be obtained and presented to the Customs Department at import;
Approval must be applied for before import, and the exemption applies only once approved.
The Ministry of Finance estimates that the measure will reduce import duty revenue by about THB 3.475 billion (about RMB 760 million).
Personal Income Tax: Up to THB 100,000 for Home Repairs and THB 30,000 for Vehicle Repairs Exempt
The Revenue Department will draft a Ministerial Regulation and issue a separate Director-General notification setting out the procedures. For houses, building fixtures and condominium units damaged by floods between 15 May and 31 December 2026, repair, cleaning and material costs actually paid by the taxpayer may be treated as exempt income up to a combined THB 100,000 (about RMB 22,000); repair and material costs for cars, motorcycles and in-vehicle equipment may be treated as exempt income up to a combined THB 30,000 (about RMB 6,600). The property must be located in an officially declared disaster area, and the taxpayer must be its owner, tenant or user; the vehicle must be owned by the taxpayer or held under hire purchase. Ordinary partnerships and non-juristic bodies of persons are not eligible. Officials expect about 315,000 people to use each of the two measures.
Low-Interest Loans: Foreign-Controlled Companies Not Eligible
The Government Savings Bank is offering THB 30 billion in low-interest loans for SMEs, capped at THB 30 million per borrower across all financial institutions, with annual interest of no more than 3.5% in years 1-2 and no more than 5% in years 3-5; applications close on 30 June 2027. Applicants must be Thai nationals, or Thai juristic persons more than 50% owned by Thai nationals.
Key Points
For taxpayers in affected areas, six types of tax filing and payment due from 1 September to 29 December are extended to 30 December 2026.
The extension must be requested by the local Area Revenue Branch Office and is subject to publication of the Ministry of Finance notification.
Affected factories and hotels may import new Chapter 84 machinery and parts duty-free, with approval required before import, until 31 March 2027.
Individuals may treat up to THB 100,000 of home repair costs and up to THB 30,000 of vehicle repair costs as exempt income, for costs incurred from 15 May to 31 December.
The Government Savings Bank low-interest loans are open only to companies more than half owned by Thai nationals.
Z&X Insight
The extension applies only to officially declared affected areas. Businesses should first confirm whether their registered address or business premises fall within the scope of the notification before deciding whether to file under the extended timetable; those outside the scope should still meet the original deadlines. Businesses importing replacement equipment should obtain the disaster certificate and duty exemption approval before import. Z&X Accounting & Tax Outsourcing Services handle monthly bookkeeping and tax filing as well as corporate income tax returns, and can help businesses check affected areas and arrange extended filings, with each filing confirmed by the client before submission.
Sources
The Cabinet meeting summary notes that the official resolutions of the Secretariat of the Cabinet prevail; each measure is subject to the official notifications as published.
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