The Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) legislative caucus yesterday called on the government to amend the tax law to eliminate the so-called "marriage penalty" by increasing the standard deduction granted to married couples.
"The provisions discourage people from getting married," KMT legislator Alex Fei (
Fei said the KMT caucus hopes the government can amend the tax law before next month.
According to Article 17 of the income tax law in Taiwan, the standard deduction is NT$44,000 for a single taxpayer but only NT$67,000 for a married couple.
The caucus called on the government to increase the standard deduction for married couples to double that of a single taxpayer, or NT$88,000.
Fei said that the current provisions were made under the assumption that married couples earn more combined income and spend less overall than two single taxpayers.
The US, whose income tax law used to have a similar provision, amended its law in 2003 to make the standard deduction for married couples double that of single taxpayers.
The current tax law, some claim, could indirectly lower the nation's birth rate by discouraging couples from getting married and having children.
According to statistics from the Council for Economic Planning and Development, the total fertility rate dropped to 1.2 children per woman in 2003.
"The government should establish policies to encourage people to get married and have more children," KMT caucus whip Chen Chieh (
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS