① Taiwan, a popular travel destination
Taiwan is a popular travel destination for everyone. The local food is well-suited to many people’s taste buds and is a big draw. The close distance and relatively low cost of living make it an easy getaway without much burden.
Before traveling to Taiwan, you will probably look up various information. There is a well-known tip among travelers to Taiwan. After making a payment in Taiwan, please don’t discard the receipt but keep it. Taiwanese people have a habit of collecting receipts. Many people don’t take receipts; if they do, they usually throw them away immediately.
In Taiwan, a receipt is very meaningful. It’s not just for checking payment details; it can also be a lottery ticket that could bring enormous benefits. In Taiwan, you automatically enter the lottery when you buy something and get a receipt. People always take and keep receipts because you get a lottery ticket every time you purchase something.
② Taiwan’s receipt lottery system
In Taiwan, receipts are used as lottery tickets. The Taiwanese government implements this policy to prevent tax evasion and impose taxes. It’s also a way to encourage cash usage over credit cards.
Taiwan is a country with high cash usage. However, in the past, there were many tax-related problems when using cash. Because cash transactions do not leave a record, there were cases where self-employed people abused this. They did not report more money and paid less tax. As this problem became severe, the Taiwanese government introduced the receipt lottery system to collect taxes properly.
A cash receipt record is left with the receipt so they can accurately collect income tax.
The receipt lottery system in Taiwan was well received as soon as it was introduced. The receipt lottery system was first implemented in 1882, and at that time, the maximum prize was about $5,000. In 1988, the government increased the budget for the receipt lottery prize from 1% to 3% of the total annual business tax revenue. The maximum prize amount was also raised to about $68,000.
After introducing the receipt lottery system, the people hoped to win the lottery and properly receive their receipts. The Taiwanese government received much help securing tax revenue as the lottery cost was cheaper than the missing taxes. The government started issuing electronic receipt lotteries to save the cost of issuing lotteries. The receipt lottery is still actively promoted in Taiwan.
③ There are also cases where foreigners win
In Taiwan, they always issue two receipts when you pay. One is a receipt with payment details; the other has the store name and a specific number. This is a lottery number.
So, how much is the prize money for Taiwan’s receipt lottery? This is probably the most curious part.
The receipt has an 8-digit number; if all the numbers match, you can win a prize of about $340,000.
If the last three digits match, you can win about $7.
The lottery is drawn on the 25th of every odd month. If you have traveled to Taiwan, keep the receipt until the draw date. People in Taiwan collect receipts for two months and conveniently check the prize money through a QR code. In Taiwan, they also give prizes to foreigners so that you can expect a massive prize from the receipt lottery.
A foreigner who traveled to Taiwan won the lottery after buying a water bottle at a convenience store.
The case of a foreigner winning the first prize is always a hot topic. A foreigner can receive the prize money by bringing the necessary documents if a foreigner wins.
You can check the winning of the receipt lottery on the finance ministry portal site or by downloading the app. To receive the prize money, you need to visit a bank. You can visit a supermarket or convenience store for small amounts of prize money. The period for receiving the prize money is from 6 days after the announcement to 3 months.
In Taiwan, receipts are also donated to the less fortunate. Walking down the street, you can easily see receipt donation boxes. If the receipt wins, it is donated to help the less fortunate through charities. If you don’t want to participate in the receipt lottery in Taiwan, it would be much better to donate it to a donation box than throw it away, right?
By. Han Mia (miumia___12@mememedia.co.kr)
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