tw-startup-legal

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Original

English
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Translation

Chinese

Taiwan Company Registration & Legal Setup

台湾公司注册及法律设立指导

Framework

核心原则

IRON LAW: Entity Type Determines Everything Downstream

The choice between 行號 (sole proprietorship), 有限公司, and 股份有限公司
determines: liability exposure, tax treatment, fundraising ability, and
exit options. This decision is hard to reverse — choose based on your
3-5 year plan, not just today's simplicity.
核心铁则:实体类型决定后续所有事项

选择行號(独资企业)、有限公司还是股份有限公司,将决定:责任承担范围、税务待遇、融资能力及退出选项。此决定难以逆转——请基于3-5年规划进行选择,而非仅考虑当下的简便性。

Entity Type Comparison

实体类型对比

Feature行號 (Sole Prop)有限公司 (LLC)股份有限公司 (Corp)
LiabilityUnlimited personalLimited to capitalLimited to capital
Min. capitalNone (but need proof)No minimum (since 2018)No minimum (since 2018)
Shareholders1 person1+ (max no limit)2+ (or 1 for gov't/corp shareholder)
FundraisingCannot issue sharesLimited (no public offering)Can issue shares, convertible notes, ESOP
TaxPersonal income taxCorporate tax 20%Corporate tax 20%
Best forFreelancers, side projectsSmall teams, lifestyle businessesGrowth startups, seeking investment
特性行號(独资企业)有限公司(LLC)股份有限公司(Corp)
责任承担无限个人责任以注册资本为限以注册资本为限
最低注册资本无(但需提供资金证明)无最低要求(2018年起)无最低要求(2018年起)
股东人数1人1人以上(无上限)2人以上(政府/法人股东可为1人)
融资能力无法发行股份有限制(不得公开发行)可发行股份、可转换票据、员工持股计划
税务待遇个人所得税企业所得税20%企业所得税20%
最适合对象自由职业者、副业项目小型团队、生活方式型企业成长型初创企业、寻求投资的企业

Registration Process (股份有限公司)

股份有限公司注册流程

Phase 1: Pre-Registration (1-2 weeks)
  1. Choose company name → search on 經濟部公司名稱預查系統 (must be unique)
  2. Prepare Articles of Incorporation (公司章程)
  3. Open a bank escrow account (籌備處帳戶) and deposit capital
  4. Obtain capital verification from CPA (會計師資本額查核)
Phase 2: Company Registration (1-2 weeks) 5. Submit to 經濟部 (MOEA) for company registration → get 統一編號 (Tax ID) 6. Register with local 商業處 for business registration 7. Register with 國稅局 for tax filing obligations 8. Register with 勞保局 for labor insurance (if hiring)
Phase 3: Post-Registration (ongoing) 9. Open company bank account (with 統編) 10. Set up accounting system (帳冊) 11. Register for e-invoice if B2C (see tw-einvoice-guide) 12. Apply for relevant permits (food, medical, financial services have additional requirements)
第一阶段:注册前准备(1-2周)
  1. 选择公司名称→在经济部公司名称预查系统查询(必须唯一)
  2. 准备公司章程
  3. 开立筹备处专户并存入注册资本
  4. 取得会计师出具的资本额查核报告
第二阶段:公司注册(1-2周) 5. 向经济部(MOEA)提交公司注册申请→取得统一编号(税号) 6. 向当地商业处办理商业登记 7. 向国税局办理税务登记 8. 向劳保局办理劳工保险登记(若雇佣员工)
第三阶段:注册后事项(持续进行) 9. 开立公司银行账户(需提供统一编号) 10. 建立会计账册系统 11. 若为B2C业务,办理电子发票登记(详见tw-einvoice-guide技能) 12. 申请相关许可证(食品、医疗、金融服务等行业有额外要求)

Key Documents Needed

所需关键文件

DocumentPurposeWhere to Get
公司章程 (Articles)Defines company structure, rulesDraft with lawyer or use template
股東同意書Shareholder consent for formationSigned by all shareholders
董事願任同意書Director acceptanceSigned by directors
會計師資本額查核報告Capital verificationCPA firm
公司設立登記表Registration application經濟部 website
文件用途获取渠道
公司章程定义公司架构及规则委托律师起草或使用模板
股东同意书同意公司设立的股东决议由全体股东签署
董事愿任同意书董事接受任职的同意书由董事签署
会计师资本额查核报告注册资本验证由会计师事务所出具
公司设立登记表注册申请文件经济部官网下载

Common Startup Legal Tasks

初创企业常见法律事项

TaskWhenEstimated Cost
Company registrationDay 1NT$5K-15K (DIY) or NT$15K-30K (via accountant)
Trademark registration (TIPO)Within first 3 monthsNT$3K filing fee + NT$10K-20K if using agent
Employment contract templateBefore first hireNT$5K-15K (lawyer draft)
Privacy policy (PDPA compliance)Before collecting user dataNT$5K-10K (lawyer draft)
Shareholder agreementBefore accepting investmentNT$20K-50K (lawyer draft)
事项办理时机预估费用
公司注册启动首日新台币5,000-15,000元(自行办理)或15,000-30,000元(委托会计师)
商标注册(TIPO)成立后3个月内新台币3,000元申请费 + 委托代理人需额外10,000-20,000元
雇佣合同模板首次雇佣前新台币5,000-15,000元(律师起草)
隐私政策(符合PDPA规定)收集用户数据前新台币5,000-10,000元(律师起草)
股东协议接受投资前新台币20,000-50,000元(律师起草)

Output Format

输出格式

markdown
undefined
markdown
undefined

Taiwan Startup Legal Checklist: {Company Name}

台湾初创企业法律 checklist:{公司名称}

Entity Selection

实体类型选择

  • Recommended type: {行號 / 有限公司 / 股份有限公司}
  • Rationale: {why this fits the user's situation}
  • 推荐类型:{行號 / 有限公司 / 股份有限公司}
  • 理由:{该类型符合用户情况的原因}

Registration Checklist

注册 checklist

  • Company name pre-check (經濟部)
  • Articles of Incorporation drafted
  • Capital deposited + CPA verification
  • Company registration (統編 obtained)
  • Tax registration (國稅局)
  • Labor insurance registration (if hiring)
  • Business bank account opened
  • 公司名称预查(经济部)
  • 公司章程起草完成
  • 注册资本存入 + 会计师验证完成
  • 公司注册完成(取得统一编号)
  • 税务登记完成(国税局)
  • 劳工保险登记完成(若雇佣员工)
  • 公司银行账户开立完成

Estimated Timeline & Cost

预估时间线及费用

StepTimelineCost
{step}{days/weeks}NT${X}
步骤时间线费用
{步骤}{天/周}新台币{X}元

Next Steps

下一步行动

  1. {immediate action}
undefined
  1. {立即执行的行动}
undefined

Gotchas

注意事项

  • 統一編號 is your identity: The 8-digit 統編 is used for everything — tax filing, invoicing, contracts, bank accounts. Get it first, then set up everything else.
  • Capital verification is a one-time check: CPA verifies capital at registration. After that, the money can be used for business operations. You don't need to keep it sitting in the bank.
  • Foreign founders: Non-ROC nationals can register companies but need an ARC (居留證) or APRC, and there are additional MOEA investment approval requirements.
  • Address matters: The registered address determines which tax office you deal with. Using a virtual office is legal but may trigger more scrutiny.
  • This is educational guidance, not legal advice: Taiwan company law is complex. Consult a licensed accountant (會計師) or lawyer (律師) for specific situations.
  • 统一编号是公司的核心身份标识:8位统一编号适用于所有场景——报税、开票、合同、银行账户等。请先取得统一编号,再办理其他事项。
  • 资本验证为一次性流程:会计师仅在注册阶段验证注册资本。验证完成后,资金可用于企业运营,无需一直存放在专户中。
  • 外籍创办人注意事项:非中华民国国民可注册公司,但需持有居留证(ARC)或永久居留证(APRC),且需额外向经济部申请投资核准。
  • 注册地址至关重要:注册地址决定了您对接的税务机关。使用虚拟办公室合法,但可能会引发更多审查。
  • 本内容为教育指导,非法律建议:台湾公司法较为复杂。针对具体情况,请咨询持牌会计师或律师。

References

参考资料

  • For tax obligations after registration, see the tw-tax-basics skill
  • For e-invoice setup, see the tw-einvoice-guide skill
  • 注册后的税务义务,请参考tw-tax-basics技能
  • 电子发票设置,请参考tw-einvoice-guide技能