Taiwan was named the world’s third-best investment destination by US-based Business Environment Risk Intelligence SA in 2018, only behind Singapore and Switzerland.
This small island has gained more interest since the trade war intensified between the US and China. Besides, the protests in Hong Kong have resulted in more investments from Hong Kong.
Major local and foreign companies, such as Google, plan to invest hundreds of millions of US dollars in Taiwan in the coming years. The commercial property market has been strong recently and is not as overpriced as the residential market.
In this article, I explain how it works when investing in Taiwan’s commercial property market as a foreigner, how much you need to pay in tax, where you should buy, and more.
Let’s get started.
Can foreigners buy commercial property in Taiwan?
Taiwan has favorable foreign property ownership regulations compared to mainland China and many Southeast Asian countries. Here, you can purchase property as an individual or through a company.
Having said that, you need government approval first, which is based on a reciprocal arrangement. Simply put, Taiwanese companies and private individual investors should be allowed to acquire real estate in your home country or in the country where your company has its main office.
Mainland Chinese are subject to stricter regulations and have been able to invest in Taiwan real estate since 2002. On the contrary to other foreigners, they need to make applications to the Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and sometimes to the MOI.
You can also establish a local company referred to as Foreign Investment Approval (FIA) companies. This will allow you to acquire and lease real estate in Taiwan. Continue reading Investing in Taiwan Commercial Property: A Complete Guide