landlord won't give a rent receipt

You’re wrong. That is literally how it works here in the great majority of cases. Whether it should be that way is another question, but it’s hardly unfair in the final balance, and you’ll be a lot better off understanding generally accepted local practices and acting accordingly.

You’re comparing it to back home where everyone is going to pay their tax, and that amount of money has definitely been factored into the rent. It’s not like the landlord back home is saying “oh the tax, that’s on me, I won’t be thinking about that when I set the rent.”

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I am sorry, what is going on here is fraud. I do not accept this as a “generally accepted local [practice],” especially when honest salary recipients are paying their taxes fair and square.

On the other hand, if you do go after this guy, watch your back!

Guy

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I also like to point it out when locals do stupid things like this. Or don’t flush their own toilet paper.

I mean after all it is their own law they are breaking. Adhering to “local practices” and not the law is why that building collapsed in Tainan.

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You are correct.
However, foreigners should decide on a case by case basis.
Don’t screw the small fish trying to make a living.
Don’t be the foreign pain in the ass for the locals.

Uber comes here, don’t pay their taxes, don’t pay their fines, breaks every law they have to comply to, and the majority says they should stay …
Then a landlord does not give you a fapiao for something you did not pay in the first place, and they are all wrong and immoral …

Understand me well, I do think Taiwan should be a better place if some people took a bit more personal responsibility for the society, and a certain level of taxes are paid.
However, that does still not allow us to have a double standard.

Now, get off, and go enjoy everything good and beautiful this island has to offer, it’s a lot!

You are misunderstanding the concept of taxes entirely. A landlord pays taxes on income generated by renting property. That tax is on HIS income. It’s for HIM to pay. Not you. That’s what their own law says.

You’re thinking too much like a local. Snap out of it.

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So, if it is HIS income, and for HIM to pay, what’s the fuss about?
It is HIS problem, not yours :slight_smile: .

I like telling people how things should be :stuck_out_tongue:

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I’d be careful. He might try to kick you out if you do report it. Plus are you certain the landlord doesn’t have any gangster friends?

I’m not going to do anything as I don’t want any trouble. I’ve already paid my taxes early so that I can apply for my APRC this year! I am just disappointed in my landlord and the real estate company managing the property. It is not a big deal to me, but I refuse to change my belief system about tax cheats and any other illegal gangster/thug activities. Until Taiwanese citizens decide they don’t want corruption or defend people who are corrupt simply because they are Taiwanese, I accept this is how Taiwan is. The people who should be upset are the landlords who do pay their taxes. In 5 years, I’ve lived four different places. Out of those 4 landlords, 2 of them paid their taxes and offered me the rent receipt without me asking. I do agree that it is kind of funny that I need this receipt at all. The government could find their tax cheats easily if they would allow citizens to use the rental agreement/contract as proof.

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So, if it is HIS income, and for HIM to pay, what’s the fuss about?
It is HIS problem, not yours .

Dear Eric, he’s talking about a rent receipt, not a tax receipt. If he pays the rent, he’s entitled to a receipt for it.

Uber’s taxes and other problems are discussed at length in the Uber thread. Summary: they claim to be willing to pay tax but not willing to register as a transportation company, so they’ve shut down. (What the majority of Taiwanese think about that, I don’t know.)

I think you’re the one who’s misunderstanding how taxes work in the real world. When the landlord isn’t paying tax on his rental income, that fact is reflected in the amount of the rent. If the landlord is forced to start paying that tax, he’s going to jack up the rent to make up the difference. So actually, it’s the tenant who will be paying the tax in the end.

Doc: Hey boss, you need to pay me more. :grin:

Boss: Huh? :noway: Why?

Doc: I have to pay income tax. :sob:

Boss: That’s your problem.

Doc: But I’m signing these receipts to prove you paid me my salary. That means I can’t deny it! :anguished:

Boss: And?

Doc: Well, you didn’t tell me when we signed the contract that my salary wouldn’t be under the table. If you’d told me, I would have negotiated a higher salary! So you have to pay me more, or I can’t work for you.

Boss: You’re fired. :slight_smile:

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Uh-oh, did you plant a wire at my office? I actually had a strikingly similar conversation with a boss once…except for the outcome.

I was getting paid under the table working part time, and when the job went to a full time, formal position, I asked for a raise to make up for the taxes I would now be paying. The boss agreed with my Taiwanese logic and gave me the raise. :slight_smile:

Now getting him to pay me a New Year bonus…that was a losing battle.

So I’m really lucky that I’m getting a discount? :grin:

You are not. You are living in a place that you like and you don’t want to disturb the arrangement.

Guy

+1 for the use of emoticons to illustrate the conversation.

Tis true Afterspivak. I really like the rooftop garden. Especially today with sunshine.

I have no idea where you get that from, but if you read post #7, he is clearly asking for a tax receipt.
Anyway, the OP seems to be happily on his roof terrace (who should not be?), so I will leave it here.

In context, it means a receipt for tax purposes (receipt for rent paid, for the purpose of an income tax deduction), not a receipt for tax paid.

I wish you a pleasant day. :bowing: