Taiwan’s tax season is officially underway. You’ll have the month of May to file your return, and for the very first time, you can complete the process on a mobile phone. According to finance minister Su Jain-rong, 35% of all returns filed so far have been over the phone.

During an inspection tour of the tax bureau, the finance minister bumped elbows with a foreign national who had come to file his tax return.

The office was much emptier than in previous years, thanks to a new feature that lets taxpayers verify their ID and file their returns via smartphone.

Su Jain-rong
Finance minister
So far, mobile phone tax returns account for 35% of the total, indicating that this feature is welcomed by taxpayers.

Filing by mobile is quick and painless, taking less than five minutes. The finance minister said that more features will be added to the app to enhance the user experience.

Su Jain-rong
Finance minister
We thought that smartphone image resolution would be too low for modifying tax return data, so this year we’re not allowing any editing. Next year we might try to see if we can make it possible by adjusting the software design. Say that you want to edit your information, or to file using itemized deductions — we''ll see if that''s a possibility on a phone.

At the Taipei tax office, there are pandemic precautions like transparent partitions and staff kitted out in masks and gloves. This year, taxpayers will receive a color-coded sticker, after passing fever screening and completing registration. The stickers placed on their clothing identify the purpose of their visit, so that staff can guide them to the right window as soon as they enter, speeding up the taxpaying process.

Taxpayer
Last year you had to line up. This year you don’t even have to show up.

Taxpayer
Before the wait time and the inquiry process would take at least 10 minutes. But today I was in and out in just three minutes, minus the wait time.

It’s getting easier to pay taxes. Amid the pandemic, officials suggest grabbing your phone and saving yourself the trip to the tax office.