Haven't filed your taxes for last year yet? Well, you're not alone, since nearly 90 percent of the nation's taxpayers have thus far failed to do so.
According to the nation's tax offices, only 10 percent, or 534,728 people, of the nation's 5 million single and joint filing taxpayers have filed their tax reports as of May 16.
But this is usually the case, since the majority of people wait until the last minute to complete the dreaded annual chore before the May 31 deadline.
Finance ministry officials yesterday urged all taxpayers to file before the deadline or take advantage of the 24-hour online tax-filing system and pay with credit cards if they owe taxes.
The finance ministry has been pushing the idea of taxpayers using the online tax-filing system to file their tax reports, and the government's effort appears to have paid off, since 51.7 percent -- 276,730 people -- of those who had filed taxes before last Sunday used the online tax-filing system to file taxes.
Fifteen percent, or approximately 750,000 people, of the nation's 5 million taxpayers resorted to the online system for paying their taxes last year.
Taxpayers who intend to file tax reports via the Internet are required to apply for an online identification at the government certification agency (GCA,
But since Chunghwa Telecom Co (
Officials at the finance ministry therefore yesterday advised taxpayers to go to their local household registration offices in person and retrieve their income certificates before filing taxes via the Internet.
The tax-filing rate in Taipei is similar to the nationwide average.
According to National Tax Administration of Taipei, 85,094 taxpayers of the capital city's 800,000 taxpayers have filed their taxes as of last Sunday.
As for the nation's approximately 20,000 expatriate taxpayers -- who cannot use the online tax-filing system, some 12,000 people had filed their tax reports in the first few months of this year before tax season began on May 1.
A taxation official in Taipei surnamed Lee said that approximately 35 percent, or 2,862 people, of the remaining 8,200 expatriate taxpayers who are expected to turn in tax reports before the end of this month have successfully completed the chore.
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