Introduced January 23, 2025 by Michael Dean Crapo · Last progress January 23, 2025
The bill would lower taxes and increase bilateral tax certainty for many cross-border transactions with Taiwan—encouraging trade and investment—while trading off federal revenue, adding compliance complexity, and leaving some entities excluded or potentially worse off.
U.S. and qualified Taiwan residents and businesses involved in cross-border payments will pay lower U.S. withholding and can avoid double taxation on many U.S.-source interest, royalties, dividends and certain cross-border income, reducing the tax cost of trade and investment.
Qualified Taiwan residents earning certain U.S. wages and limited entertainer/athlete income will be exempt from U.S. tax/withholding (e.g., entertainer exemption up to $30,000), lowering tax for individuals temporarily working in the U.S.
Entities and individuals with qualifying Taiwan residency gain clearer, expedited withholding and tax-treatment rules and a formal reciprocal framework (subject to Treasury determination and Presidential reciprocity actions), improving legal certainty and reducing dispute risk.
All U.S. taxpayers could face lower federal revenue because the reduced withholding and other tax relief in the Agreement would shrink tax receipts, potentially increasing deficits or shifting the tax burden onto other Americans.
Complex limitation-on-benefits, ownership, and anti-abuse rules will increase compliance and administrative costs for payors and payees, raising compliance burdens for financial institutions, small businesses, and taxpayers.
The required congressional approval and referral process can delay implementation of the Agreement, prolonging tax uncertainty for businesses and individuals that rely on cross-border tax clarity.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a new set of U.S. tax rules that give certain residents and entities of Taiwan expedited, reduced U.S. withholding and tax treatment on specified U.S.-source income (interest, dividends, royalties, certain gains and amounts), and requires a Treasury determination that Taiwan provide reciprocal treatment. It also authorizes the President to negotiate a bilateral tax agreement with Taiwan, sets procedural and congressional-consultation requirements for negotiations, and conditions the agreement's entry into force on congressional approval and implementing legislation.