A tax incentive package to encourage purchases of energy-efficient home appliances that is set to expire on June 14 would be extended by an additional two years, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday.
The ministry has proposed a draft amendment to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例) that would extend the tax breaks on select energy-saving appliances until June 14, 2023.
Article 11-1 of the act stipulates that a commodity tax cut of up to NT$2,000 (US$70.58) would be given for purchases of new refrigerators, air conditioners or dehumidifiers that meet either Level 1 or 2 energy-saving standard specified under the Bureau of Energy’s energy-efficiency rating program from June 15, 2019, to June 14 this year.
Photo: Wu Pei-hua, Taipei Times
The incentive has contributed greatly to energy savings and carbon emissions reduction, while reducing electricity bills for consumers, the ministry said.
The draft amendment is subject to a 20-day public comment period starting yesterday, it added.
Ministry of Economic Affairs statistics showed that 10 years or older air conditioners and refrigerators account for 42.72 percent of those used in homes in Taiwan, prompting the finance ministry to propose extending the incentive.
As of the end of last year, 2.657 million applications for tax deductions had been filed, which translates into NT$4.47 billion in tax rebates, finance ministry statistics showed.
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