TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Some customers of O-Bank reported on Friday (March 31) that they have received their NT$6,000 (US$196) tax rebate in their accounts.
Previously, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) estimated the cash payments would be distributed as early as April 6. Ker was referring to the earliest date funds would be deposited in the accounts of eligible residents registered on the Ministry of Finance's (MOF's) "NT$6,000 Universal Cash Payment" website (https://6000.gov.tw).
However, several netizens on Friday reported that they had already received NT$6,000 in their accounts. For example, a woman claimed on the Facebook group Baoyuan Commune (爆怨公社) that she and her husband had registered on the MOF website a few days ago and were surprised to see that by Friday, the cash had already been deposited in their O-Bank accounts.
O-Bank customer shows tax rebate was received on Friday. (Baoyuan Commune image)
A member of the popular online forum PTT started a thread titled "Has anyone noticed that the 6,000 yuan has been credited?" The PTT user stated that at about noon on Friday, their O-Bank account had been credited with NT$6,000.
Although many PTT members suspected that this was fake news or even fraud, another O-Bank customer came forward and stated that the cash had been deposited in their account after 11 a.m. This led some to criticize O-Bank for failing to follow procedures and issue the rebates earlier than other banks.
In a Facebook post uploaded by the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) at 1 p.m. on Friday, it stated that as of that day, more than 6.95 million people have completed the online registration process. As to when the payments will be transmitted, MODA stated that the time it will take for each financial institution may vary due to the difference in the number of accounts recorded by each institution.
It stated that in general, payments should commence on April 6. However, MODA pointed out that because many financial institutions have sped up the process of handling the tax rebates, some institutions may release them ahead of schedule.
The Digital ministry said a small number of people whose accounts belong to a particular bank had received the credit Friday (March 31) but added "this is a special situation with a particular bank, most financial institutions are consistent (in releasing the funds) on April 6."
The ministry stated that people can check the status of their registration on the website by clicking on the "Query registration results" (查詢登記結果) on the left side of the NT$6,000 Universal Cash Payment website.
Eligible people who did not register online can begin receiving the funds at ATMS on April 10. An interactive map showing 26,000 ATM locations across Taiwan has been released. Qualified residents can also access the funds from the post office starting on April 17, according to the MOF.
The four main groups eligible for the rebate are:
- Taiwan nationals (including newborns born in Taiwan who own a birth certificate)
- Personnel from government agencies at all levels stationed abroad and their dependents with Taiwan citizenship
- Foreign spouses of Taiwan citizens from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and other countries, including foreign spouses with an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC)
- Foreigners who have obtained an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC)
For more information on registering for the NT$6,000 tax surplus payments, click here.
