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MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

I just spent some time at the tax office asking what would be need to receive one's tax refund early if they were leaving the country before October. Below is the answer I got. I don't guarantee its accuracy but it might be a place to start.

For 2007 taxes:
You can receive an early refund in cash.
Within 10 days before you leave the country, go to the tax office with:
Your ARC and a copy
Your Passport and a copy
A copy of your airline ticket
A copy of your tax receipt or, at least, the receipt number, found on the strip they tore off the large tax form you filled out.

For 2008 taxes:
You won't receive an early refund in cash. You'll need to appoint a proxy.
Within 10 days before you leave the country, go to the tax office with your proxy and:
The original and a copy of your Withholding and Non-Withholding Tax Statement (form your employer).
The Individual Income Tax Return form (the large, colored sheet - available from the tax office).
Your ARC and a copy
Your Passport and a copy
A copy of your airline ticket
The Proxy Form (available from the tax office)
Your proxy (although it may not be necessary for the person to go if you have all their information)
If your proxy is a foreigner:
Copy of proxy's ARC
Copy of Proxy's passport
Proxy's address
If your proxy is Taiwanese:
Copy of proxy's ID card
Proxy's address.

Cat

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Momcat,

I don't want to give the impression of being lazy but check the thread I posted a lot to last year about claiming a tax refund when overseas. It took me 14 months from leaving Taipei to getting a check. It was one of the most hassling experiences I have ever had, and don't be too suprised if the tax office - like they told me - inform you that the best way to get a tax return is to fly back to Taiwan!!

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

Forest,

You had a bad experience two years ago. I might have the same experience today. But I think it would be foolish to not do everything I could to try to make it work.

If you think your post of last year would be helpful to someone leaving the country you might post again to it to bring it to the top.

Cat

MyTrunkshow · Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 8:10 am Post subject:

Good news for tax refunds for people leaving in 2008.

For the first time, we can receive our funds directly into our TW account as a regular course of receiving a refund.

The front cover of the bank passbook is required to set it up. If you've done your taxes and you were here before, you will have noticed the additional space on the bottom of both the general and itemized tax forms.

Bank accounts are not closed when one leaves. Funds can be drawn from abroad. That's how I'm doing it this year. No need for someone to come in, pick up the cheque, cash it and wire the money off.

There is also another way. If one has a good friend, he/she can go in with you when you do your taxes. The refund can be processed in your friend's name. He/she gives you the cash our of pocket and away you go. The cheque will be processed normally and your designated friend can pick it up.

This is all first hand information.

Regards,
Gary

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Two points. Firstly, the tax office advice is if you're leaving Taiwan you should close down your bank account. That is your responsibility, it does not close down automatically. Secondly, if a bank account is not closed down how do you access your savings from overseas? When I worked in Taiwan I was issued with a bank not a visa card. Consequently, it only works in Taiwan. I am sure I'm not alone in this situation.

MyTrunkshow · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 2:21 pm Post subject:

Since when does the tax office comment on the closing down of bank accounts? Odd. Even if you do or don't. What gov't agency cares? It's your money.

When I left for two years in 2003, I left my bank account open. I returned in January 2005 and the same amt of money was in my E Sun bank account which I then closed. Bank accounts do not accrue the hefty fees that many western banks levy on active/inactive accounts. Just look in your updated passbook.

Back to you point...

Regarding your bank card that doesn't withdraw money outside Taiwan. You need to go into your bank and select an int'l pin number. I have 3 bank accounts now. Chungwha Bank, TCB that is now converting to HSBC and HuaNan Bank. All have been activated for int'l withdrawls. Only the Chunghwa bank automatically gave me an int'l PIN when I opened the account. The other two, I requested it. If you activate it, you will then have two pins. a 6-12 digit pin for domestic TW withdrawls and a 4-? digit pin for int'l withdrawls.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Gary

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

Picked up and deposited my 2007 tax refund this week. It can be done.

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

Going through it now, accounts department are asking for closed bank account tax returns for final payments?
Banks wont give you the forms without closing the account, I even argued for a listing of approximation of tax paid on interest, bah.
SO I have closed 3 accounts and opened one:) which everything can be paid into and a proxy to authorise sending of assets to my bank in England only.

BigWally · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:52 pm Post subject:

I got both my tax refund cheques for 2007 & for 2008 before I left Taiwan.

I had my employer give me my tax statement for 2008, and took it into the tax office about 3 weeks before I was leaving, 2 weeks later the cheques were ready for me to pick up.

I had already processed my 2007 tax forms about a month earlier. I simply told the lady that I was leaving early and she put a rush on both cheques.

Couldn't have been easier.

t-asia · Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 51 Location: Thailand

If I needed to appoint a proxy for a tax refund, what does
the term "proxy" refer to; lawyer/ lawyer's office or such?
How much does it cost to hire the services of a proxy NTS?

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

A proxy can be anyone, as long as they have either an ARC or a Taiwan ID card.

yamahuh · Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 1033 Location: Karaoke Hell

I actually don't think they even need that.
My wife and I used the proxy option when we left our last job to do some traveling as we knew we wouldn't be around to pick up the refund cheques. We filled it out with the names of a couple of other teachers and their passport numbers. I'm almost certain that neither of them had been issued their ARC's yet but I could be wrong.
Anyway we submitted them to the tax office and the tax office issued the tax returns to them while we were away.
Dead simple.