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Taiwan Business Registration Guide

Taiwan business registration and incorporation for 2026. The guide covers: the company limited by shares (股份有限公司) — the minimum capital of TWD 500,000 (practical requirement), the minimum of one shareholder and one director, the articles of incorporation, and the registration with the MOEA (the "Ministry of Economic Affairs"); the business registration (營業登記) — the registration with the National Taxation Bureau (the "國稅局") for the "business registration certificate" (the "營業登記證") and the "uniform invoice number" (the "統一編號"); the corporate income tax at 20%.

Company Limited by Shares (股份有限公司)

  • Minimum capital — TWD 500,000 (practical): The Company Act (the "公司法") does NOT prescribe the statutory minimum capital for the company limited by shares. However, in practice, the MOEA (the "Ministry of Economic Affairs") expects the minimum paid-in capital of TWD 500,000 for the new company registration. The capital must be deposited in the bank account before the incorporation.
  • Shareholders and directors: The minimum of one shareholder and one director is required. The director may be the foreign national (the "外國人") without the Taiwan residence permit. The board of directors is required if the company has three or more directors. The company may also appoint the "supervisor" (the "監察人") for the audit function.
  • Articles of Incorporation (公司章程): The articles of incorporation must include: (a) the company name (the "公司名稱"), (b) the business scope (the "所營事業"), (c) the registered address (the "公司所在地"), (d) the capital and the share structure, (e) the director appointment and the term, (f) the profit distribution method.

Business Registration (營業登記)

  • Registration with the National Taxation Bureau: The company must register with the "National Taxation Bureau" (the "國稅局" — the "local tax office") within 15 days of the incorporation. The registration process includes: (a) the "business registration application" (the "營業登記申請"), (b) the "uniform invoice number" (the "統一編號" — the "tax ID number"), (c) the "taxable business registration certificate" (the "營業登記證").
  • Uniform Invoices (統一發票): The company must issue the "uniform invoices" (the "統一發票") for all the sales of the goods and the services. The uniform invoices are the official tax documents that record the transaction amount, the VAT (the "營業稅" at 5%), and the buyer's tax ID. The company must submit the "uniform invoice report" (the "統一發票明細表") to the tax authority quarterly.
  • VAT registration — 5%: The company with the annual turnover above TWD 120,000 must register for the "VAT" (the "加值型營業稅" — the "business tax") at the standard rate of 5%. The company with the turnover below TWD 120,000 may apply for the "small business registration" (the "小規模營業人") with the tax rate of 1% on the gross receipts.
  • Bookkeeping requirements: The company must maintain the proper accounting records in the "Chinese language" and the "New Taiwan Dollars (TWD)". The financial statements must be audited by the CPA (the "會計師" — the "certified public accountant") if the company meets the threshold of: the capital exceeding TWD 30 million, the annual revenue exceeding TWD 100 million, or the public offering.

Corporate Income Tax — 20%

  • Standard rate — 20%: The corporate income tax rate (the "營利事業所得稅" — the "profit-seeking enterprise income tax") is 20% of the taxable income. The taxable income is the "net profit" (the "課稅所得" — the "taxable income") — the gross revenue minus the deductible expenses and the cost of goods sold.
  • Taxable income below TWD 120,000 — exemption: The company with the taxable income below TWD 120,000 is exempt from the corporate income tax. The company with the taxable income between TWD 120,000 and TWD 200,000 pays the tax at the rate of 20% on the amount exceeding TWD 120,000.
  • Retained earnings tax — 5%: The undistributed retained earnings (the "未分配盈餘" — the "unappropriated earnings") are subject to the additional tax of 5% (the "保留盈餘加徵稅率"). The company may avoid the retained earnings tax by distributing the dividends to the shareholders (subject to the individual income tax at the marginal rates of 5% to 40%).