Taiwan Warns E-Services Providers To Register For VAT

by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong

03 March 2021

Taiwan's federal tax agency has highlighted that those providing electronic services to Taiwanese consumers must register to charge tax if their annual turnover from such supplies exceeds TWD480,000 (USD17,250).

The tax agency said the reminder follows a surge in demand for such services owing to increased remote working.

The agency said: "Those offshore e-commerce suppliers [with] no fixed place [of business] within the territory of the R.O.C. who sell cross-border electronic services to domestic individuals and have annual sales amounts over TWD480,000 must apply for tax registration via the MOF's eTax Portal, issue cloud invoices, file tax returns, and pay business tax liabilities based on total revenue."

The agency highlighted that electronic services include the following:

• Services accessed via the internet or through other electronic means, saved to computers, smart phones, tablets, and other portable or mobile devices for subsequent use;
• Services used online without being saved to a local device, such as online games, online advertising, audiovisual services, VOIP services and other interactive communication services, social networking sites, software as a service, and online databases, among others.

Businesses may be liable to a fine of no less than TWD3,000 and not more than TWD30,000 for failing to register to collect tax and for failing to adhere to tax documentation requirements.

Please enter your email address to join the Tax-News.com mailing list. View previous newsletters.

To manage your mailing list preferences, please click here »