An Unbearable Cultural Catastrophe in Taiwan
Tai Ji Men Shifu and dizi have traveled to 78 countries across every populated continent, taking part in over 2000 cultural performances in Taiwan and abroad to promote citizen diplomacy, love, and peace as well as to introduce Taiwan to the world.
Tai Ji Men Zhang-men-ren, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze is highly respected by the international community; however, it is unbelievable that Dr. Hong has been persecuted by Taiwan’s National Taxation Bureau for years due to its illegal tax bills derived from a false case. While in 2007, after three instances of trial, the court found all defendants in the Tai Ji Men case not guilty and there was no violation of the Tax Collection Act and no evasion of taxes. It was also confirmed by the court that the red envelopes that Tai Ji Men dizi gave to their Shifu were gifts of money and were exempt from income tax.
In 2009 Tai Ji Men Shifu and dizi also received national compensation for wrongful imprisonment, which has shown that the Tai Ji Men case is absolutely a case of injustice, but the Taxation Bureau has kept on issuing illegal tax bills, deliberately confusing right and wrong in today’s democratic society.
Tai Ji Men Shifu and dizi have been dedicated to preserving and passing down the precious cultural heritage. Who can stand it when such priceless devotion was distorted as a commercial commodity? The way the taxation bureau handles the case is in fact destroying the lifeblood of the culture. The Ministry of Education, the highest authority for all schools in Taiwan, clearly stated in its official letters in 1997 and 1999 respectively that Tai Ji Men is not a cram school.
Additionally, at the public hearing of the Legislative Yuan in 2000, the Ministry of Education once again testified that Tai Ji Men is definitely not a cram school. In August 2012, the Taxation Bureau acknowledged in a public document that Tai Ji Men is not a cram school. All the evidence has shown that it has been a mistake from the very start to issue the unjustified tax bills. The Taxation Bureau should take an initiative to correct this mistake, following the law to withdraw the illegal tax bills.
Member of the Presidential Office Human Rights Consultative Committee, attorney Nigel Li indicated that in the Tai Ji Men tax case the Taxation Bureau failed to follow the rule of evidence when imposing taxes and issuing tax bills. Attorney Li stated that the Taxation Bureau falsely claimed Tai Ji Men dizi’s gifts of money for their Shifu as tuition fees, which is contrary to fact.
The administrative courts ruled against the Taxation Bureau for four times: Following the verdicts against the Taxation Bureau in 2005 and 2009, both the Taipei High Administrative Court and the Supreme Administrative Court ruled against the Taxation Bureau in 2015.
Considering the legal principles, reasoning, and human emotion in the Tai Ji Men case, the Taxation Bureau should have taken the initiative to withdraw the illegal tax bills long ago. However, in order to impose taxes, the Taxation Bureau has failed to distinguish right from wrong, distorted facts, ignored evidence, incurred high social cost, and wasted countless tax dollars as well as judicial and administrative resources.
The Taxation Bureau would impose taxes at all cost and even attempt to destroy the lifeblood of the country’s culture. Isn’t the Taxation Bureau aware that destroying culture will make it a sinner that goes down in history? A government that claims to respect human rights should not sit idly to allow this cultural catastrophe to continue and should not let the Taxation Bureau keep on hurting the people and the root of the country!
Source: Tai Ji Men
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