Working on family visa

Okay, I’ve convinced an employer that they can hire me just like any Taiwan national because I’m married to one. But! I don’t have an id number, just ARC, and they want to know how they should handle tax issues. Also, how much do they tax foreigners who work this way?

One other kind of unrelated but still related thing. I can’t do other things, like have my own phone line or credit card with my ARC, I need an ID number. I know this has been discussed to death already, but it is an issue. I had a hard time trying to explain why I could work with only and ARC but not get a phone line or other such thing with only and ARC. Well, what’s the answer? Isn’t the top drawer missing from that dresser?

I believe taxes are still based on residence days – that is, if you don’t make your 183 this year, (assuming it’s your first year in Taiwan) you would have 20% withheld; otherwise, the first year you make 184 days and every subsequent year, including the year you “permanently” leave Taiwan (as if there exists such a thing! :laughing: ) you are treated IDENTICALLY to Taiwanese workers in terms of taxes.

You should have an attractive new ID number on your ARC which has the same number of letters and numbers as a “real” ID number. That might help.

It is indeed a good question why you have the right to work and pay taxes just like a “real” Taiwanese, but can’t get a phone line, etc. etc. I think it’s more than a drawer missing, for sure. But until the spouses of foreigners get together and protest, instead of having the foreign spouses do the protesting, I doubt much will get done. The average Taiwanese is amazed to hear that we can’t do this and that. They always answer, “Well, we can’t do that in your country,” to which I answer, “Yes, you can, and even if some company decided you couldn’t, the Americans would be the first ones on the street protesting on your behalf – not that you couldn’t protest legally if you wanted to, regardless of your ‘visa purpose’.”

Sheesh! :imp:

The National Police Administration has already issued foreigners new ten-digit identification numbers as of early this year. If your ARC is not amended with the new number, you should go to your friendly Foreign Affairs Police Station and get updated.

Thanks for the info. So, is 6% the same amount of tax that Taiwan nationals pay?

And I have a 10 digit number, well, 2 letters and 8 numbers. My husband has one letter and 9 numbers. Anyway, if it’s 10 in all then I understand that I’m all set. But why doesn’t anyone else seem to understand it? I got more strange looks talking about this.

Most Taiwanese don’t seem to understand about my not needing a work permit and are affraid to do something illegal by hireing me, and I have to convince them of this or else I can’t get hired at all! They tell me that if they can hire me, then why can’t I own things or debt in my name (seems they know about that, alright!) I don’t know why?! I was just willing to go along with this strange rule before I was married, but now it’s really troublesom.

Next year, I’ll get an APRC that will allow me to remain in Taiwan with or without my husband. What if something were to happen to him? I couldn’t have a phone line or sign a rent contract without someone else, some other family member likely, to co-sign and in essence, own my life or livelyhood. I couldn’t even raise my son in his native country without some help/interfearence from my in-laws. Why would I want to stay in such a case?

And so, anyway Ironlady, I agree completely about the need of Taiwan national spouces to protest in support of their partners, but my husband just seems to think that it’s a lot easier to just apply for an extra credit card of phone line in his name that it is to go and protest something that no government person is going to give a rip about. He’s right, they won’t care. We can’t vote! And he can, but the number of Taiwan nationals married to foreigners is not large enough to matter on such a scale.

Exactly what the government thinks, too. “We tolerated you (barely) because you were married to an unpatriotic Taiwanese person. Now you’re not, thank god, so don’t let the door hit you on the arse on your way out.”
Sad but true.