Foreign-invested companies in Vietnam face a recurring annual compliance cycle: CIT finalization and audited financial statements due within 90 days of fiscal year-end, PIT finalization for employees (if handled by the employer) by 31 March, an annual labor usage report to the local labor authority, statistical reporting to the General Statistics Office, and investment project implementation reports to the Department of Planning and Investment/licensing authority confirming the project remains active and compliant with its registered scope. Missing any of these deadlines can trigger penalties, and repeated non-compliance can jeopardize investment incentives or even license renewal.
Vietnam's annual compliance calendar is spread across multiple different government bodies (tax, labor, statistics, investment licensing) rather than a single consolidated annual filing — a small foreign-invested company without a dedicated compliance calendar can easily miss one of the less-obvious filings (like the investment project implementation report) even while staying current on the more visible tax deadlines.
Key Facts
CIT finalization and audited financial statements: due within 90 days of fiscal year-end (typically 31 March for calendar-year filers).
PIT finalization for employees (where the employer files on their behalf): also due by 31 March following the tax year.
Annual labor usage report: filed with the local Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA), reporting headcount, foreign employee details, and related labor compliance information.
Statistical reporting: periodic enterprise surveys/reports to the General Statistics Office, requirements varying by company size and sector.
Investment project implementation report: filed with the Department of Planning and Investment or relevant licensing authority, confirming the foreign-invested project remains active per its registered investment scope and capital schedule.
Business license tax (a small annual flat fee based on charter capital tier) is due early in the calendar year, a minor but easily overlooked recurring obligation.
Failure to file consistently can jeopardize preferential tax incentives, delay work permit renewals for foreign staff, or in serious cases put the Investment Registration Certificate itself at risk of review.
Steps
Build a consolidated annual compliance calendar — Map out all recurring deadlines (CIT/PIT finalization, labor usage report, statistical reporting, investment project report, business license tax) across tax, labor, statistics, and investment licensing authorities in one calendar.
Complete the independent audit early — Start the audit process well before the 90-day CIT finalization deadline, since a rushed audit often surfaces issues too late to properly address before filing.
File PIT finalization for employees — Coordinate with payroll/HR to complete employee PIT finalization by 31 March if the employer files centrally rather than each employee self-filing.
Submit the labor usage report and statistical filings — File the annual labor usage report with DOLISA and any required statistical reports to the General Statistics Office on their respective schedules.
File the investment project implementation report — Confirm with the Department of Planning and Investment or relevant licensing authority the specific report format and deadline confirming your project's continued compliance with its registered scope and capital schedule.
Costs
Business license tax (annual, by charter capital tier): A modest flat annual fee, higher for larger charter capital
Annual compliance/audit coordination (accounting firm): USD 1,000-5,000+ depending on complexity
Timelines
CIT finalization and audited financials: Within 90 days of fiscal year-end
PIT finalization (employer-filed): By 31 March
Business license tax payment: Typically by 30 January each year
Required Documents
Audited annual financial statements
CIT and PIT finalization filings
Annual labor usage report (DOLISA)
Investment project implementation report
Business license tax payment confirmation
Common Mistakes
Focusing only on tax deadlines and overlooking the labor usage report and investment project implementation report, which are filed with different authorities.
Starting the annual audit too close to the 90-day CIT finalization deadline, leaving no time to resolve issues the audit uncovers.
Forgetting the small but easily missed annual business license tax payment early in the calendar year.
Not realizing that repeated missed filings can put investment incentives, foreign staff work permit renewals, or the Investment Registration Certificate itself at risk.