Taiwan Taxes

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All done for another year, software was almost tolerable this year.

Nice to see they’ve kept this nonsense.

A USB drive is so much more difficult to steal than the harddrive from my computer…

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OK, went to the tax office and indeed they changed it back to „self-residing“ and since I only own one apartment, the rate is down to 1% from originally 1.2%. Saves me about a grand or so. :blush:

So if you received a slip asking you to pay more than before, be sure to make inquiries.

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Did you need any kind of special paperwork for this? Even if I have no idea what kind of paperwork I’d need to demonstrate that I don’t own a second property.

No. They only asked me if l owned any other apartment and I said no. That was all. I think they should be able to see how many properties you own, right? I am the most simple case, one person, one home, nothing complicated.

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I assume so - in general they seem to have more accurate information on their computers than I do for my taxes!

I’m so glad you posted about this. I probably would have grudgingly just paid the higher & presumably inaccurate tax, no questions asked. I wonder what they’re going to do about the many people who will do just that.

There’s a tiny fear in the back of my mind that the in-laws have signed me up in something I’m unaware of, but I don’t think that’s what’s going on.

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Probably everyone else knew this, but I didn’t: so there are different tax offices. In Danshui anyway, the place where I pay my income tax (on the waterfront) apparently isn’t the place to handle the house (property? housing?) tax; they directed me to the government offices beside the Danshui Carrefour, which Google Maps tells me is the Tamsui Household Registration Office (新北市淡水戶政事務所).

But hey, I needed to go to the income tax office anyway to pick up the paper forms for this year. And so far as getting to a tax office in Taiwan, you could do a lot worse than an early summer walk, not yet too hot, along the Danshui waterfront.

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Yeah, different tax different agencies, l had to go to Zhonghe. No problem, most of the time l meet friendly people.

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Xindian has this mega building for all municipal services, household registration, taxes of all kinds, plus public facilities including gym and swimming pool and two restaurants and a Starbucks.

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Yes, my tax rate was changed from 1.2 to 3.2. I applied for the lower tax rate online after I got the tax statement and received an amended one (by email) with a tax rate of 1%.

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I guess people do everything online these day. Only old farts like me go to the offices. :grinning:

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Hi @lostinasia
Did you manage to get it changed already? Opened my envelope, and surprise surprise, 3.2% as well …
I guess in the 3rd or 4th floor of the household building? Fast or slow process?

Not yet; maybe in a day or two. Depends on how good tomorrow’s weather is for cycling!

But I’m also curious how @Shaozhi managed it online. I’m never sure when things like this are going to be easy or hard, given that it’s my wife’s name on the tax form, not mine. (Mildly annoying, given that the apartment is in both of our names, at least to the best of my knowledge!)

It was actually pretty easy if you or your wife can read/type in Chinese. There may be an English version but I kind of doubt it. Anyway, go to the tax office website for your city and find the 「線上申辦」(Online application) page and locate the 「房屋稅」(House tax) section. I live in Taoyuan so here’s the website I used: https://www.tytax.gov.tw/

On the list of online services, click the one for 「申請變更房屋使用情形(申請房屋稅自住房屋)」(Change of house usage) and fill out the online form with info like name, address, phone number, email address…etc. Then upload a copy of your ARC/APRC and a copy of the deed of your house (same address as your ARC/APRC).

The application took about 7 business days. I chose to be notified by email so I got an email when it was processed/approved/completed and an amended tax remittance form was attached to the email.

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You are my hero of today … and tomorrow.
I will try that first!

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Huh. Now there’s a piece of paper I haven’t thought about in fifteen years. There’s one file drawer where I keep everything in a few dozen somewhat organized folders … I guess the deed’s in there somewhere!

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Actually I’m not sure if you really need the deed as the tax office should know that you’re the owner of the house… I uploaded one just in case. :sweat_smile:

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Had to pass the Carrefour, and the household is next door, so I went in person. Just ur old form, your APRC and some time ( I went 5pm, just before closing, 10 min wait). I refused to fill out the form, so they did that for me, and they print a new tax form on the spot. “Saved” 7k … worth the 15 min :wink:

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OK, that’s confusing: I went there at 2:30pm today; waited about thirty minutes. I did scrawl in the form, and they did NOT print a new tax form for me, but rather said one would be mailed to me.

I hope I was actually asking to do the right thing - there was basically no English spoken, and my Chinese is not good. I was dealing with a somewhat gruff man at the far right end of the counter; a woman towards the middle seemed friendlier.

I wonder if it’s a factor that my name isn’t actually on the tax form.

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