Tax-free shopping

There's a tax-refund system for foreign visitors who shop at participating stores. If you spend more than NTD3,000 in a single day at any of these shops no more than 30 days before your departures, and you take the items with you when you leave Taiwan, you can reclaim the 5% VAT at the airport prior to boarding your flight. The list of participating shops includes almost every department store in Taiwan, some computer shops and a good number of opticians. Weighing cost and quality, getting a pair of glass made while you're in Taiwan isn't a bad idea...