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So, just for a different perspective, Taiwan has a relatively simple tax filing experience, and the government invests significant resources to make as simple a

So, just for a different perspective, Taiwan has a relatively simple tax filing experience, and the government invests significant resources to make as simple as possible (which does result in many people paying their taxes properly, on time). While their digital tools for filing taxes make the telegraph feel modern, the "in person" experience is full of helpful people and takes about 90 minutes including travel time. My main criticisms of the filing process: 1. Tax bureau has a one month timeframe where you can go, in person, to file "on time", but only during business hours. Any 9-5 worker must take time off to go file in person. It's a pretty nice customer experience - The volunteers in the bureau help you file your taxes with highest deductions possible, it gets crosschecked by a government tax clerk, and you're done. 2. Make the software work better on a modern OS and give it modern usability. It's _really_ crap UI, and I only run it in a VM just in case because the download site is also shady looking. 3. Locals gaming the system can make your life harder as a working-from-home small business owner. Many landlords don't pay income taxes on their properties, which means tenants cannot register business addresses at their homes, and must "rent" an address for about $100 / month. 4. Withholdings on foreigners, by default, are artificially high as a "precaution". 5. Refunds process in August after filing in May. Because they still process every return much by hand. 6. Double taxation on people like US citizens. The tax clerk has asked friends of mine, while filing, to show their US tax return to make sure there are not more taxes owed. They can ask, but it's not enforceable. So why do it? Because the tax rate on that income earned elsewhere can be as high as 30-40%! The tax clerk gets to decide how bad of an offender you are. GLHF. 7. If your income goes down compared to the year before as a foreigner, you will probably pay a penalty for "making less money" because they suspect tax evasion. Pay the fine (less than $USD 100) and walk away, or they dig your records hard and you could wind up in a situation like #6 above.

Symbiote 10y ago
> Double taxation on people like US citizens. That's America that's out of step. Almost all other countries only tax their residents, not their residents plus citizens. It's normal to tax worldwide income. I told the British tax office that I'd left the country. They sent a refund and final statement a few months later, and we haven't communicated since. If I had, for example, a house in Britain being rented out, I'd need to declare that income to my new country.

Symbiote 10y ago

> Double taxation on people like US citizens. That's America that's out of step. Almost all other countries only tax their residents, not their residents plus citizens. It's normal to tax worldwide income. I told the British tax office that I'd left the country. They sent a refund and final statement a few months later, and we haven't communicated since. If I had, for example, a house in Britain being rented out, I'd need to declare that income to my new country.