You can be charged salaries tax on your income arising in or derived from Hong Kong from any employment, office, and pension. If you receive a tax return from the Inland Revenue Department, you must complete and submit it by the due date for filing even if you have no income that can be charged to salaries tax. If you work for yourself and are not an employee, you are considered to be self-employed and can be charged profits tax instead.

If you are assessed to salaries tax or have elected personal assessment, you are entitled to a basic allowance and you are eligible to claim other allowances that may reduce your total assessable income provided that the prescribed conditions as specified in the Inland Revenue Ordinance are satisfied. Here you can learn more about the various allowances you can claim, how to lodge a claim and recent changes in allowance amounts.