New finance minister questioned on tax reforms

Описание: Taiwan imposed a new top income tax rate of 45 percent last year and cut tax credits on stock dividends in half. The new measures prompted high-income individuals and stockholders to push back, and lawmakers wanted to know at a hearing of the Legislature’s Finance Committee today if the new government would compromise on the two issues. At his first legislative committee hearing, Finance Minister Sheu Yu-jer was asked if he had plans to change tax credits on dividends or the top 45-percent marginal income tax rate.Huang Kuo-changNPP LegislatorTell society what kind of government we are. Are we a government that sides with the wealthy or a government that truly pursues fairness and justice?Sheu answered that the focus of tax reform this year would be how to retain and recruit top talent. Sheu Yu-jerFinance MinisterCreating a friendly tax environment is the bigger priority right now. As for the stock dividend issue, we will ask for people’s opinions in the second half of the year. Sheu was also asked about exports, which many believe fell in May from a year earlier to mark a 16th straight month of decline. Sheu Yu-jerFinance MinisterExports in May 2015 were the highest of the year, so I’m not too optimistic about last month’s export numbers. Meanwhile, KMT lawmaker Lu Shiow-yen wondered where the new government will get the money to finance its long-term care program and asked if it would raise taxes, but Sheu sidestepped the question.