AT WHAT AGE ARE PEOPLE ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL RETIREMENT BENEFITS? ARE MONTHLY SOCIAL RETIREMENT BENEFITS SUBJECT TO PERSONAL INCOME TAX?

The age for receiving social retirement benefits is specifically stipulated in Article 21 of the 2024 Social Insurance Law, which regulates the subjects and conditions for receiving social retirement benefits. Let’s explore more with Pham Consult!

At what age are people eligible for social retirement benefits?

Vietnamese citizens aged 75 and above are eligible for social retirement benefits. In addition, individuals aged 70 to under 75 who belong to poor or near-poor households may also be eligible for social retirement benefits if they meet the prescribed conditions. Specifically:

According to Article 21 of the 2024 Social Insurance Law, the subjects and conditions for receiving social retirement benefits are stipulated as follows:

Subjects and conditions for receiving social retirement benefits

1. Vietnamese citizens are entitled to social retirement benefits when they meet the following conditions:
2. a) Are 75 years of age or older;
3. b) Do not receive a monthly pension or social insurance benefit, except in other cases as prescribed by the Government;
4. c) Have a written request for social retirement benefits.
5. Vietnamese citizens aged from 70 to under 75 years old who belong to poor or near-poor households and meet the conditions specified in points b and c of Clause 1 of this Article are entitled to social retirement benefits.
6. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly shall decide to gradually reduce the age for receiving social retirement benefits based on the Government’s proposal, in accordance with the socio-economic development conditions and the capacity of the state budget in each period. 4. The Government shall provide detailed regulations for Clause 2 of this Article.

Accordingly, Vietnamese citizens are entitled to social retirement benefits when they meet the following conditions:

(1) Being 75 years of age or older;

(2) Not receiving a monthly pension or social insurance benefit, except in other cases as prescribed by the Government;

(3) Having a written request for social retirement benefits.

In addition, Vietnamese citizens aged 70 to under 75 who belong to poor or near-poor households and meet the conditions specified in points (2) and (3) above are entitled to social retirement benefits.

Is the monthly social retirement benefit subject to personal income tax?

Based on the provisions of Clause 2, Article 3 of the Personal Income Tax Law 2025, the taxable income for personal income tax is defined as follows:

Taxable Income

Taxable income for personal income tax includes the following types of income, except for income exempted from tax as stipulated in Article 4 of this Law:

1. Income from business activities, including:
2. a) Income from the production and trading of goods and services;
3. b) Income from independent professional activities of individuals with licenses or professional certificates as prescribed by law;
4. c) Income from agency, brokerage, and business cooperation activities with organizations;
5. d) Income from e-commerce business activities and business based on digital platforms.
6. Income from salaries and wages, including:
7. a) Salaries, wages, and other payments of a similar nature;
8. b) Remuneration, monetary or non-monetary benefits in any form;
9. c) Allowances, subsidies, and other income, excluding: allowances and subsidies prescribed by law on preferential treatment for meritorious individuals; national defense and security allowances; hazardous and dangerous allowances for industries, occupations, or jobs in workplaces with hazardous or dangerous elements; attraction allowances and regional allowances as prescribed by law; allowances, subsidies, and living expenses paid by Vietnamese agencies abroad; allowances for unforeseen hardship, allowances for work accidents and occupational diseases, one-time allowances for childbirth or adoption, allowances for reduced working capacity, one-time retirement allowances, monthly survivor’s allowances, and other allowances as prescribed by law on social insurance; severance pay, unemployment benefits; allowances of a social welfare nature; and other allowances, subsidies, and income not in the nature of wages or salaries as prescribed by the Government.

Accordingly, the monthly social retirement allowance is one of the allowances stipulated in the 2024 Social Insurance Law. Therefore, the monthly social retirement allowance will not be subject to personal income tax.
What information is contained in an electronic social insurance book?

 

According to Article 3 of Circular 09/2026/TT-BTC, the following is stipulated:

Electronic Social Insurance Book

1. An electronic social insurance book, as stipulated in Article 8 of Decree No. 164/2025/ND-CP, is created electronically by the social insurance agency from the National Social Insurance Database using a unique social insurance number; it is stored and regularly updated in the participant’s electronic data management warehouse and integrated with the level 2 electronic identification account (VNeID) and the digital social insurance account (VssID).
2. An electronic social insurance book contains complete information, just like a paper social insurance book.

Therefore, an electronic social insurance book contains complete information, just like a paper social insurance book.

And according to Clause 1, Article 8 of Decree 164/2025/ND-CP, it is stipulated:

Social Insurance Book

1. A social insurance book is issued to each employee; each person is only issued one social insurance number and contains information as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 25 of the Law on Social Insurance.
2. An electronic social insurance book is a social insurance book created by the Ministry of Finance using electronic means, containing the same information as a paper social insurance book.
3. The electronic social insurance book is integrated with the electronic identification account of the individual participating in social insurance and is stored and regularly updated in the electronic data management warehouse of the organization or individual on the Ministry of Finance’s Administrative Procedure Resolution Information System and the National Public Service Portal after the individual or organization successfully completes an electronic transaction in the field of social insurance.

Referring to Clause 1, Article 25 of the Social Insurance Law 2024, it is stipulated:

Social Insurance Book

1. A social insurance book is issued to each employee, containing basic personal information, recording contributions, benefits, settlement of social insurance schemes, and other necessary related information.

Thus, according to the above regulations, an electronic social insurance book is issued to each employee, containing basic personal information, recording contributions, benefits, settlement of social