Travelers entering Taiwan would be allowed to bring in more duty-free alcohol for their personal use starting later this month, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday.
The current duty-free allowance of l liter of alcohol allowed per incoming traveler is to be increased to 1.5 liters starting on Jan. 25, the ministry said.
The ministry late last month announced the plan to increase the allowance after taking into account similar rules applied by countries in Asia and the West, expected losses in tax revenue, and the opinions of alcohol importers and local alcohol brands.
Photo: CNA
The public has seven days to offer their opinions on the plan after it was formally posted at about 5pm yesterday, the ministry said.
After the seven days, the ministry is to streamline procedures for finalizing the measure so that it can take effect around the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Saturday next week, the ministry said.
At present, passengers who exceed the duty-free limit must declare the alcoholic beverages they have with them or risk confiscation and fines at customs, and that will not change under the new measure.
The current alcohol duty-free limit has not been reviewed for 20 years, and the limit allowed in Taiwan is relatively low compared with other countries.
A recent Customs Administration survey showed that the duty-free allowance for alcohol in Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Macau is 1 liter per inbound passenger, but it is 1.5 liters in China, and 2 liters in South Korea and Singapore.
In the US and Australia, the duty-free allowance for alcohol is 1 liter and 2.25 liters respectively. The UK allows travelers to bring in a maximum 42 liters of duty-free beer and 18 liters of wine.
The ministry had planned to raise the limit to 2 liters, but after assessing all of the factors, it decided on a limit of 1.5 liters.
The change is expected to cost the country several million New Taiwan dollars a year in revenue from import duties, business tax and alcohol tax, it said.
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