Taiwan
| Pros |
|---|
| Competitive corporate tax rates and streamlined digital tax filing systems for entrepreneurs |
| Exceptional public safety and minimal crime rates for a secure residential environment |
| Robust digital infrastructure and high-speed connectivity for seamless global business operations |
| Cons |
|---|
| Persistent geopolitical risks and regional tensions affecting long-term strategic planning and stability |
| Opaque bureaucratic requirements and slow processing times for specific international business permits |
| State-dominated energy market and risks of power shortages during peak demand periods |
Will Taiwan tax what you earn?
YES, A LOT. Taiwan taxes personal income heavily (top marginal rate 40%), and its definition of tax residence is wide: prolonged stay, economic centre of gravity, the net closes. The classic combo of high rate and broad catchment. Leaving is rarely as simple as buying a plane ticket.
Will Taiwan tax what you own?
YES, A LOT. Taiwan runs the full kit on owned wealth: capital gains at 40%, and an annual wealth tax above a threshold (top rate 20%). Holding here is expensive in every direction: flow, stock, and transfer.
Is it easy to run a company in Taiwan?
YES, BUT TAXED. Corporate tax in Taiwan is 20%, but the tax isn't where this country hurts. It treats misuse of corporate assets as a criminal offense (the textbook case is the French abus de biens sociaux doctrine: using your own company's money for personal purposes can trigger prosecution, even as sole shareholder, because the company is a distinct legal person and your consent doesn't waive the offense). And it runs public corporate registries: your name as shareholder is queryable by anyone with a browser. For an owner-operator, those two combined are the real friction. Heavier than the rate, and far less negotiable. Running a clean structure is straightforward; running it casually isn't.
Is Taiwan good for your holding company?
NOT REALLY. Taiwan has a moderate 23-strong treaty network. Without a participation exemption, dividends from subsidiaries land in the corporate schedule (20%): workable for operational subsidiaries, much weaker as a pure holding vehicle.
| Country | Status | Dividends | Interest | Royalties |
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| ∅ // no treaties match | ||||
What does it cost to come and go from Taiwan?
SOME. Taiwan taxes worldwide income while you're resident, but there's no exit tax on the way out. The cost of leaving is mostly paperwork: unrealised gains follow you to the next jurisdiction untouched.
Will Taiwan protect your privacy?
YES. Taiwan has signed few exchange frameworks, so foreign tax authorities won't routinely see what you do here. But corporate registries are public: ownership and directorships are queryable by anyone with a browser. Privacy from abroad, transparency at home.
Is Taiwan itself a liability?
NO. Taiwan carries no entries on any major blacklist, though it sits outside FATF membership. Counterparties may apply light extra due diligence, but no formal stigma attaches to dealing with it.
Will you feel free in Taiwan?
YES. Taiwan scores high on press freedom (rank #24) and treats crypto as a taxable but legitimate asset class. A CBDC is in development (1 project(s)), so payment rails are converging on state-issued, traceable money. Free speech yes; financial expression on the same ratchet as most of the developed world.
| Program | Status | Cross-border | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
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Taiwan CBDC
Taiwan: In a press release in June 2020 following the Board of Governors meeting, the Central Bank of Taiwan noted that the focus for CBDC has shifted from wholesale to retail applications recently in many countries and that it plans to approach CBDC research in phases: starting with retail CBDC in the first half of 2020 and moving to wholesale CBDC in the third quarter of 2020.
The Central Bank of Taiwan has established a working group, in partnership with academic institutions, to explore the technical viability of a DLT-based retail CBDC. It also plans to work with private partners to research a two-tiered wholesale CBDC.
The Central Bank of Taiwan
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RESEARCH | — | announce → |
Other jurisdictions worth comparing
Picked by similarity of strategic profile to Taiwan. No editorial ranking — neighbours in the same scoring space.