Tax and accounting for foreign companies with a Taiwan subsidiary or branch

Columns on the Taiwan corporate tax calendar, withholding on dividends and on payments to a foreign head office, transfer pricing documents and audit thresholds, written from Taiwan statutes and Ministry of Finance materials. Where US, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese companies are treated differently under tax agreements, the columns say so. Each column shows the date its sources were checked.

Tax & accounting columns

Tax

Taiwan Representative Offices: What They May Do and What They Still File

A Taiwan representative office may sign, quote, bid and buy for its parent but may not sell. A buying-only office owes no VAT or income tax but must withhold.

7 min readOpen column →
Tax

Taiwan R&D and Equipment Tax Credits for Foreign-Owned Subsidiaries: 15%, 5%, 25% and a 30% Cap

A Taiwan subsidiary can credit 15% of R&D spending or 5% of smart machinery and AI investment against corporate tax, capped at 30% of each year's tax, to 2029.

8 min readOpen column →
Tax

Running a Taiwan Branch: Deducting Head-Office Overhead and Sending Profits Home

A Taiwan branch may deduct a revenue-based share of head-office overhead if two tests are met and it files a CPA-certified report. Remittances are not withheld.

7 min readOpen column →
Tax

Taiwan Payroll for US Assignees and Foreign Hires: Withholding and Social Insurance

Work done in Taiwan is usually taxed there even if a US parent pays. Non-residents face 18 percent withholding, or 6 percent up to NT$44,250 a month in 2026.

7 min readOpen column →
Tax

Business Tax for a New Taiwan Subsidiary: 5% VAT, Bimonthly Returns, Zero-Rated Exports and E-Invoices

As of October 2026 a Taiwan subsidiary pays 5% business tax on output minus input tax, files every two months by the 15th and must upload e-invoices on time.

7 min readOpen column →
Tax

Vietnamese Companies with Taiwan Income: What the Taiwan–Vietnam Tax Agreement Changes

Taiwan withholds 21% on dividends, 20% on royalties and most interest paid abroad. A 1998 agreement caps them at 15%, 15%, 10% for Vietnamese beneficial owners.

7 min readOpen column →
Tax

CPA Audits, CPA-Certified Tax Returns and Bookkeeping Rules for Taiwan Subsidiaries and Branches

Taiwan companies need CPA-audited accounts from NT$30 million paid-in capital, or below it at NT$100 million revenue or 100 insured staff; tax has its own test.

7 min readOpen column →
Tax

Taiwan Transfer Pricing Documentation: Local File, Master File and CbCR Thresholds

A Taiwan subsidiary or branch with related-party deals must have transfer pricing documents ready at filing and produce them within a month of a request.

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Tax

Paying a US or Vietnamese Parent from Taiwan: Withholding on Royalties, Service Fees and Interest

A Taiwan subsidiary paying royalties, loan interest or Taiwan-source service fees to a parent with no Taiwan office withholds 20% unless an agreement applies.

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Tax

Taiwan Subsidiary Dividends to a US Parent: Why 21% Still Applies

A Taiwan subsidiary withholds 21 percent on dividends to a foreign parent. Japan and Korea cap it at 10 percent, Vietnam at 15, and no US agreement is in force.

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Tax

A Taiwan Subsidiary's Tax Year: May Return, September Prepayment, 5% Surtax

A Taiwan subsidiary files its 20% income tax return in May, prepays half of last year's tax in September, and may owe 5% on retained earnings and a minimum tax.

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Tax

Selling Apps, Games or SaaS to Taiwan Without an Office: When VAT Registration Applies

A foreign company with no Taiwan office must register for business tax once e-service sales to individuals in Taiwan pass NT$600,000 a year, up from NT$480,000.

7 min readOpen column →
Tax

U.S.–Taiwan Chip Investment: Royalties, Fees and the Treaty Gap

U.S. chip suppliers face Taiwan withholding on royalties and service fees while tax relief bills remain pending. Contract terms shape the cost of expansion.

11 min readOpen column →
Tax

When a Taiwan company must recognize its overseas subsidiary's profits

Taiwan's corporate CFC rules can pull low-tax overseas subsidiary income into the parent tax base when control tests are met. Exemptions need early documents.

5 min readOpen column →
Tax

Taiwan Shares, US Investors and Two Tax Systems

Holding Taiwan-listed shares and ETFs directly can bring Taiwan transaction tax and dividend withholding, plus separate US tax and reporting. Fund type matters.

7 min readOpen column →
Tax

Taiwan Income Tax Residence When You Arrive or Leave Midyear

A move in or out of Taiwan can change what income you report. Check domicile, the tax-year day count, where you worked, who paid you, and departure date.

6 min readOpen column →
Company setup & investment

Entering the Taiwan Market: Key Differences Between a Subsidiary and a Branch

A Taiwan subsidiary is a separate legal entity, but a branch is part of the foreign head office. Contracts, liability, tax, and profit remittance differ.

28 min readOpen column →
Company setup & investment

Closing a Taiwan Company: What Happens to Capital and Company Assets?

Paid-in capital becomes company property in a Taiwan company account. Closing, capital reduction, and suspension each follow different asset procedures.

14 min readOpen column →
Taiwan Tax & Accounting for Foreign Companies | Hovering Law