To be taxed or not
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
This month is the tax filing month for recidents in Taiwan. I was very confused on the tax matter all the while but didn't take the initiative to read the rules and regulations set by National Tax Administration properly. Luckily Seok Kooi show me the website link and it seems like we are exempted from being taxed (i get some friends to read the terms in case my interpretation was not right), so i wrote a letter to the TIGP coordinator.
Actually we are trying to clarify some questions as we were not clearly explained for what we need to do by the TIGP office. They have promised us to find a lawyer and study the law to clarify the tax matter, however we didn't received any feeback till now. We were not informed during the application time nor in the offer letter that the stipends we received is taxable, and we just got to know during the orientation day that out stipend is going to be reduced.
We understand that every citizen or resident is responsible to pay for income tax, however there should be a clear explaination or guide instead of just following what others are doing. Is it right to follow what others people are doing since all the seniors are paying the tax? What if they also not very clear about the rules and regulations about this?
There should be a clear explaination for the terms such as scholarships, stipends, allowance, subsidies or salary applied to TIGP students, it looks like we don't have to pay the tax as stated in the scope of exemption by National Tax Administraton as:
"Scholarships and subsidies granted by governments of the Republic of China or foreign governments, international institutions educational, cultural, and scientific research organizations or associations, and other public or private organizations for encouragement of advanced studies, research or participation in scientific and professional training, except for the scholarships or subsidies received as his remuneration for service rendered to the grantors. "
The visa we applied is regarded as a student coming here to study, not for working or what. Our Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) also stated clearly that we are student, furthermore we have to pay our tuition fee every semester and then the stipend we received every month which had been deducted for tax is regarded as our "salary". So what is the defination of scholarship, fellowship, stipend, allowance, subsidies and salary?? All of us are coming here to study, but are we regarded as a staff, student, or research assistant in Academia Sinica? Should there be a clarification to clear our doubts?
Labels: Academia Sinica, Tax, TIGP
posted by teopag @ 6:16 PM,
2 Comments:
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At 1:33 AM,
Unknown said...
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hi Pak,
I read your thread here. It is really a dilemma for us to be of dula characters, students and workers. U'll be treated like a Worker when it is tax issues and school fees, and a Students when u ask for the bonus one or two month salary given every year to workers in Sinica! Could u tell me how logical is this? What we are in this island indeed?
If students then why to pay taxes? If workeres, where are our bonus annual salary?
Ramez (room #610) -
At 10:34 AM,
Richard Y. Chang said...
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hi, i stumble across your post and feel quite curious about this topic as well. As a student in TIGP, i also felt it's unfair to ask us to pay this tax if the money we obtained should be the so-called "scholarship". In terms of the tax policy, we should not be taxed at all. Moreover, even though we have no choice but to be taxed as a worker here, the other classmate in my program who failed in applying an ARC as student here still cannot apply it again with a working VISA. Isn't it so wired with this double standard? However, as it's already the final date for filing the tax, i depressedly ended up paying it again. Hope maybe next year it could get changed. :-)
