# Taxation in Taiwan

Part of a series on :
Taxation :
An aspect of fiscal policy :
Policies
Government revenue
Property tax equalization
Tax revenue
Non-tax revenue
Tax law
Tax bracket
Flat tax
Tax threshold
Exemption
Credit
Deduction
Tax shift
Tax cut
Tax holiday
Tax amnesty
Tax advantage
Tax incentive
Tax reform
Tax harmonization
Tax competition
Tax withholding
Double taxation
Representation
Unions
Medical savings account :
Economics
General Theory
Price effect
Excess burden
Tax incidence
Laffer curve
Optimal tax
Theories
Optimal capital income taxation
Distribution of Tax
Tax rate
Flat
Progressive
Regressive
Proportional :
Collection
Revenue service
Revenue stamp
Tax assessment
Taxable income
Tax lien
Tax refund
Tax shield
Tax residence
Tax preparation
Tax investigation
Tax shelter
Tax collector
Private tax collection
Tax farming :
Noncompliance
General
Tax avoidance
Repatriation tax avoidance
Tax evasion
Tax resistance
Tax shelter
Debtors' prison
Smuggling
Black market
Unreported employment
Corporate
Tax inversion
Transfer mispricing
Base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS)
Double Irish
Dutch Sandwich
Single Malt
CAIA
Locations
Tax havens
Corporate havens
Offshore financial centres (OFCs)
Offshore magic circle
Conduit and sink OFCs
Financial centres
Financial Secrecy Index
Major examples
Ireland as a tax haven
Ireland v. Commission
Leprechaun economics
Liechtenstein tax affair
Luxembourg Leaks
Offshore Leaks
Paradise Papers
Panama Papers
Swiss Leaks
United States as a tax haven
Panama as a tax haven :
Types
Direct
Indirect
Per unit
Ad valorem
Aviation
Airport improvement
Landing
Solidarity
Capital gains
Expatriation
Consumption
Departure
Hotel
Sales
Stamp
Television
Tourist
Value-added
Dividend
Environmental tax
Carbon
Eco-tariff
Landfill
Natural resources consumption
Severance
Steering
Stumpage
Excise
Alcohol
Cigarette
Fat
Meat
Sin
Sugary drink
Tobacco
General
Georgist
Gift
Gross receipts
Hypothecated
Income
Inheritance (estate)
Land value
Luxury
Payroll
Pigouvian
Property
Resource rent
Single
Surtax
Turnover
Use
User charge/fee
Congestion
Fuel
Road/GNSS
Toll
Vehicle miles traveled
Corporate profit
Excess profits
Windfall
Negative (income)
Wealth :
International
Financial transaction tax
ATTAC
Currency transaction tax
European Union Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB)
Global minimum corporate tax rate
Robin Hood tax
Tobin tax
Spahn tax
Tax equalization
Tax treaty
Exchange of Information
Permanent establishment
Transfer pricing
European Union FTT
Foreign revenue rule :
Trade
Custom
Duty
Tariff
Import
Export
Tariff war
Free trade
Free-trade zone
Trade agreement
ATA Carnet :
Research
Academic
Mihir A. Desai
Dhammika Dharmapala
James R. Hines Jr.
Ronen Palan
Joel Slemrod
Gabriel Zucman
Advocacy groups
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)
Oxfam (UK)
Tax Foundation (US)
Tax Justice Network (TJN)
Tax Policy Center (US) :
Religious
Church tax
Eight per thousand
Teind
Tithe
Fiscus Judaicus
Leibzoll
Temple tax
Tolerance tax
Jizya
Kharaj
Khums
Nisab
Zakat :
By country
All Countries
List of countries by tax rates
Tax revenue to GDP ratio
Tax rates in Europe
Individual Countries
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brazil
Bulgaria
BVI
Canada
China
Colombia
Croatia
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Lithuania
Malta
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Pakistan
Palestine
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Russia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay :
Business portal
Money portal :
vte :
Taxes provide an important source of revenue for various levels of the Government of the Republic of China. The tax revenue of Taiwan in 2015 amounted NT$2.1 trillion.

## Tax administration

The Ministry of Finance, which is part of the Executive Yuan, is the highest government entity responsible for implementing taxation policies and overseeing the leveling and collection of taxes. Taxation occurs at both the national and local government level.

### National taxes

Two broad categories of taxes exist at the national level: customs duties and inland taxes. Customs duties are administered by the Directorate-General of Customs, which has local offices throughout the country. Five national tax administrations who are directly subordinate to the central government handle oversight of all inland taxes. Inland taxes is a broad term that includes:
* Income Tax;
* Estate and Gift Tax;
* Value-Added and Non-Value-Added Business Tax;
* Tobacco and Alcohol Tax;
* Commodity Tax;
* Securities Transaction Tax; and
* Futures Transaction Tax

### Local taxes

Individual municipalities, counties, and cities have set up Revenue Service Offices responsible for collecting a range of taxes, including:
* Agricultural Land Tax
* Land Value Tax
* Land Value Increment Tax
* House Tax
* Vehicle License Tax
* Deed Tax
* Stamp Tax
* Amusement Tax

## Tax legislation

Unlike the Internal Revenue Code in the United States, there isn't one law that governs taxation in Taiwan. Rather, taxes are governed by a series of laws and regulations each related to a specific type of tax. As the chief legislative body, the Legislative Yuan plays an important role in formulating and revising tax related laws. The Income Tax Act is the primary law that governs individual income and profit-seeking enterprise income taxes.

## Individual income tax

Both residents and non-residents are assessed individual income tax on Taiwan-sourced income unless an exception is provided in the Income Tax Act and related laws. Individuals are considered residents of Taiwan for tax purposes if they are either domiciled there, or spend for 183 days or longer in a taxable year.
Income received in exchange for services rendered while physically present in Taiwan is considered to be Taiwan-sourced income regardless of if the payer is a local or offshore person or entity. One major exception to this rule exists for non-residents who are physically present in Taiwan for less than 91 calendar days in a year and who are only paid compensation by offshore entities.

### Progressive tax

Taiwan has implemented a progressive tax system for individual income taxes. For the 2017 tax year, the tax rates were as follows:
| Brackets (Unit NT$) | Rate (%) |
| 0 - 540,000 | 5% |
| 540,001 - 1,210,000 | 12% |
| 1,210,001 - 2,420,000 | 20% |
| 2,420,001 - 4,530,000 | 30% |
| 4,530,001 - 10,310,000 | 40% |
| 10,310,001 and over | 45% |

### Filing of individual income tax

By default, the tax year for all individuals and profit-seeking enterprises follows the calendar year. Income tax returns are due by May 31 of the following year, with no extension of time allowed. Taxpayers, including foreigners, are able to complete and file their tax return electronically through software provided by the local taxing authority.

## Profit-Seeking Enterprise Income Tax

All profit-seeking businesses in Taiwan are subject to the Profit-Seeking Enterprise Income Tax. Sole proprietors and partners must file a return. However, their portion of the taxable income is reported on their individual income tax return.

### Income tax rate of profit-seeking enterprises

In 2010, the top tax rate was reduced from 25% to 17%, and the threshold below which no tax is owed was raised from NT$50,000 to NT$120,000. Therefore, the current profit-seeking enterprise tax rates are as follows:
| Taxable Income | Tax Rate |
| Below NT$120,000 | 0% |
| Above NT$120,000 | 17% |
The amount of tax payable shall not exceed half of the amount of the taxable income in excess of NT$120,000.

## Business tax (value-added tax)

    Tax amount = (sales - purchases) * tax rate
Value-added tax (VAT) in Taiwan is currently 5% as of 1 June 2023.

## Securities transaction tax

This tax is paid by sellers of Republic of China securities at a rate of 0.3% of the gross proceeds from the sale of shares issued by companies. A rate of 0.1% applies on the gross proceeds of corporate bonds, however, an exemption has been put in place through 2016. This tax is governed by the regulations set forth in the Securities Transaction Tax Act.

## Real estate speculation and the luxury tax

Aimed at cooling off real estate speculation that was driving up the cost of living in Taipei City and other urban areas, the Republic of China government implemented a new luxury tax in June 2011. The law imposes a 15% sales tax on owners of second homes who sell within one year of purchase. Additionally, a 10% sales tax is charged against properties sold after being owned for between one and two years. Data provided by the Republic of China government in late 2011 showed that the luxury tax was having the desired effect, causing the average housing price in Taipei to fall nearly 12% while reducing overall volume of real estate transactions island-wide by nearly 15% in the June–October time period.

## Uniform invoice lottery

First conceived in the 1950s, the Taiwan government created a uniform invoice system to encourage honest reporting of sales and prevent underpayment of taxes by businesspeople. To provide an incentive, the government launched a receipt lottery system. Each receipt is coded with an alphanumeric number, and every two months a lottery drawing is held with prizes ranging up to NT$10 million (approximately $335,000 USD as of February 2012) depending on how many numbers match. The lottery is governed by the Uniform Invoice Award Regulations.

## Historical tax revenue statistics

| | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| Gross Tax Revenue | 1,565,847 | 1,483,518 | 1,710,617 | 1,685,875 | 1,556,652 |
| Individual Income Tax | 304,686 | 306,804 | 389,744 | 347,526 | 334,330 |
| Profit-Seeking Enterprise Income Tax | 285,701 | 334,163 | 445,245 | 382,634 | 311,888 |
| Unit: NT$ million ||||||
| Source: Guide to ROC Taxes 2011 ||||||