The War Against Illegal Tax Bills- Part 3

Tens of Thousands of People fight for Taxpayer’s Human Rights

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Human Rights

2017-12-19

Over the last few years, officers of Taiwan’s National Taxation Bureau abuse their powers to over collect tax and increase tax revenues more than 500 million New Taiwan Dollars. Nearly 9 out of every 10 households pay their tax in arrears and are to take compulsory enforcement measures. It’s not Taiwan’s taxpayers tent to in arrears on tax, but tax officials don’t respect taxpayer’s rights when enforcing in law.

The Tax and Legal Reform League, formed by scholars and experts in law and taxation as well as non-governmental organizations, urges people in Taiwan to step forward. They put forward five demands to the government. The five demands are:
1. Incorporate taxpayer’s rights into the Constitution and abolish the illegal interpretive letters by the finance and tax agencies.
2. Rectify tax cases of injustice and terminate the so-called “never-ending tax bills”
3. Abolish tax collection reward programs and end unjustified tax collection.
4. Refund tax overpayments and severely punish tax officials abusing their power.
5. Openly and fairly select judges in the tax court and officials in charge of the protection of taxpayer’s rights.

Taiwan’s Finance Ministry answered their demands by a release yesterday. The release said that the demands are all fulfilled and related law and regulations are reviewed regularly. However, the Tax and Legal Reform League did not agree. They invited experts and scholars to express what the wrongdoing the Tax officials have done and tax victims to share how the painful tax bills they had received and the suffering that had caused. The tax victims include individuals, old style store owners, and small and medium-sized company owners.

Over last few days, volunteers of Tax and Legal Reform League distribute the fliers of this movement and collect many tax victim stories. Before, it seems that no one talks about the illegal tax bills, and the affected persons have no ideas how to deal with or appeal to the tax officials, so most of them just shut up their mouths and paid the bills. Now, they are glad that they are not alone and there are experts advise them to protect their own benefits.

In many cases, tax victims provides all necessary information to prove that they had paid taxes on time and no other taxes delay. But, the tax officials request them to pay the bills more or less, or otherwise the cases won’t be closed. It’s really upset that our officials deal with us like we are dividing the booties with them.

Tax victims sharing their stories about the painful tax bills.