Job Discussion Forums

StayingPower · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 252

If you've worked here for 6mos in 2007 with a salary of NT60,000 and with 20% tax deducted, how much of this are you supposed to get back?

I wonder if I'll get anything. People have told me you get all of this back if you've stayed in Taiwan over six months, which I have.

Could anyone with experience calculate how much this would be if I do receive a tax refund?

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

Tax here has an amount you may earn before it is taxed, then a rate of tax for the tax year dependent on earnings, which can be as little as 6 percent, 13 percent etc etc as you wearn more andfall into different catergories.
Easiest way is to find out how much money you earned, deduct the earnings allowed before tax and then see how much you should have paid. This will be a ballpark figure then to work on. SO if you earn 60k, your deductions are 12k? making your take home pay 48? youll get a lot back:). A lot of smaller busibahns just pay you and dont hold back tax, so if you get your 60k in your hand, then you will have to pay tax. ALso is your 6 months within a tax year, a problem for some is that thye work 5 months in one tax year and therefore dont meet the conditions, of over 6 months ina tax year. SO hard to be specific as peoples circumstances are different.

You have to have paid over 6 months to qualify for the lower rate. If you leave for good, you can get the tax back quickly, but then you have no option of return. SOmething I am not sure of as I havnt looked into it.

For instance I pay tax through my uni, but only on my base salary, at the end of the year I must fill out the tax forms, go to the tax office, and pay tax on top for extra pay I have earned, normally about 25,000 NT as I only work at the Uni as working anymore takes me over the million mark and a different tax bracket.

StayingPower · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 252

I worked for a school from March to September, 2007. This, I presume, falls within the tax year.

The problem is, I think I was a little cut off before the 6mos period, but worked at other jobs, one before and one after. I think I read that as long as you've worked for over 6mos at a variety of jobs, and that within a tax year, it still adds up, no?

Yes, I was getting about 12k deducted. How much, then, do you think my refund would be? The reason I'm asking is because I'm going to get the statements expedited, just in case I do want to leave before March.

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

as long as the other work paid tax, taking you over the 6 months, youshould get around 14 half back, depending if yoiu fall within the 10 percent bracket, some deductions would be for health insurance etc which you also dont get back.
They used to pay refunds by cheque but I am not sure how they deal with the emergency leaving for good method.

StayingPower · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 252

Can you be a little more specific with those figures, meaning, what is "14half back?" Is it half of 14%? Or what do you mean, exactly?

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

As I say hard to be specific, depending on earnings the tax rate varies from 6 percent upwards. I was thinking you should get between 14k and half back depending on time/rate etc.
Go to the tax office and ask, you have paid the tax, just say you are thinking of leaving and what would the rebate be. Better getting the info from the horses mouth, Your school if a chain school should have accountants who could get the information as well, samller schools might have trouble.
Tax statements normally come out around January/February as the Tax year is the end of March.

773 · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 213

If you paid about 12,000 / month (20% of 60,000) then you should be getting back about 8,400 for each of those months if you qualify for the 6% tax rate (180 days in the country, no matter where you worked). That comes to slightly over 50,000, but that sounds like a lot, so maybe someone can verify my math on this???

You can file before you leave the country, but it takes about 30 days to get the refund (at least it did for me). I had to file at the tax office with a friend who agreed to pick up my check for me (she had to go to the tax office with me to sign some documents and needed to bring a picture and her passport with her). Then, it got complicated because they said they could only make the check out in my name, not in my friends', and so I kept my bank account open and gave my friend my ATM card. She deposited the check, withdrew the cash when it cleared, and wired it to me.

773 · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 213

Actually, I just remembered that the 6% isn't cut and dry. I forgot how they do it and I am no accountant, but I remember them figuring my tax on the amount I made over and above a certain amount (I think???). Anyway, it most likely won't be as much as I posted previously. For definite info on this, it's best to ask the tax office directly.

StayingPower · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 252

I calculated my taxes at the tax bureau and the tax refund came to about NT46,300.00 for about 6mos work.

They deduct 6%, I believe, and give you back the rest. I had to pay tax too, of course.

So if anyone's worked here for roughly 6mos, and that at a salary of about 60k per mo., than this should be about your refund.

I want to say, too, that the sooner you file, the sooner you get your taxes back(I may get mine in April, the latest, May.) I think in this regard, employers may want to delay, for reasons I haven't yet found out.

atiff · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 66

See the Guide for Foreign Taxpayers:

http://iff.immigration.gov.tw/enfront/life.php?id=252&tr_id=7

Under section 14, it shows the breakdown of percentages at each income level and lets you see your base tax liability.