APAC payroll newsletter 2025 vol. 3

Key highlights:

• Australia

National Minimum Wage and Modern Award rates increase announced

• China

Continually implementing the unemployment insurance policy to stabilise employment

Reminder for Individual Income Tax (“IIT”) returns for enterprise employees’ equity incentives

Further enhancements to policies are published to support the stabilisation of employment

• Hong Kong

Employment law update: HK revises “Continuous Contract” definition- from 418 to 468 Rule

• Indonesia

BSU 2025: Government wage subsidy returns to support workers

• Japan

Changes to childcare and caregivers leave laws

Change in the restriction period for unemployment benefits

• Korea

Adjustment in National Pension base salary effective from July 2025

• Malaysia

1:3 Internship policy

Stamp duty exemption for employment contracts finalised prior to 1 January 2025

• Philippines

Declaration of Sunday, 27 July 2025 as a special non-working day

• Singapore

Increase in S Pass qualifying salary and levy

• Taiwan

Principles for determination in cases where multiple taxpayers claim exemption for dependent in the same tax year effective from 23 April 2025

• Thailand  

Thailand implements new minimum wage effective 1 July 2025

New BOI Regulations for expatriate employment in Thailand

• Vietnam

Use of Personal Identification Number instead of Tax Code from 1 July 2025

New regulations on PIT withholding vouchers starting from 1 June 2025

A recap of the key highlights of the Social Insurance Law 2024

A recap of the key highlights of the Health Insurance Law 2024