Can you get a tax refund on shopping?

The three conditions

The rules stack simply: at least NT$2,000 of purchases, on the same day, from the same designated store — one displaying the Taiwan Tax Refund label. Ask the counter for the VAT refund application form at the time of purchase.

The goods must leave with you, and the claim must be made at your departure port within 90 days of purchase. Miss the window or the port and the refund is gone — it cannot be processed after you have left.

The airport sequence matters

Do this before checking in luggage: take your passport and the refund forms to the E-VAT refund machine or the tax refund counter, where your eligibility and receipts are checked and an assessment certificate is issued.

Only then do the bags get checked, and the cash lands at the designated banks or counters in the departure hall. The order exists because customs may want to see the goods — pack them reachable, not at the bottom.

Reading it against the neighbours

Taiwan's system is the classic claim-at-departure model — the same shape as Korea's, where refunds also settle around the exit rather than in the shop for larger amounts.

The practical habit is identical everywhere the model applies: keep receipts together, keep refund goods accessible, and arrive at the airport with fifteen spare minutes for the machine.

Good to know

• NT$2,000, same day, same labeled store — ask for the form at purchase
• Claim before luggage check-in; customs may ask to see the goods
• 90-day window, departure port only — nothing can be processed after leaving

Sources: Taiwan Tourism Administration — VAT refund · Updated Jul 2026