Taiwan, Japan deal on double taxation avoidance close: official

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) Taiwan and Japan have nearly completed negotiations on a bilateral agreement to avoid double taxation, a Taiwanese official said Thursday. The date of its signing is still being discussed, the official said.

The negotiations on the agreement have almost been concluded, Chou Shyue-yow (周學佑), deputy director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said at a news briefing.

“We are finalizing further details,” he said, when asked about when the agreement will be signed.

Chou’s remarks came after President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said Tuesday at the opening of the Taiwan-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Security Dialogue that Taiwan-Japan negotiations on the agreement to avoid double taxation were recently completed, which will help create a more business-friendly environment.

The double taxation avoidance pact is part of a building-block approach to paving the way for an economic partnership agreement between Taiwan and Japan, said Chou.