TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taxpayers in Taiwan have been given the option to file their taxes via mobile devices for the first time, which is expected to shorten the process to just five minutes.

With tax-filing season starting on Saturday (May 1), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) is encouraging Taiwan residents to take advantage of the new smartphone filing option. While taxpayers could previously file their taxes online, they had to certify their identity by inserting their NHI cards into a card reader attached to their computers.

To use the new method, taxpayers are required to enter their smartphone number, ID number (or Alien Resident Certificate number), and National Health Insurance (NHI) card number on the MOF's tax-filing website. Then they can confirm important tax information, such as their income, tax deductions, and tax exemptions, on their mobile devices.

The new method, however, does not allow taxpayers to adjust the displayed information. Those who need to make changes will still have to access the MOF's tax filing system via their computers.

According to MOF data, 230,000 people had completed their tax returns as of 5 p.m. on Sunday (May 2). Among them, approximately 115,000 taxpayers have chosen the smartphone filing option.

Given the fact that Taiwan has been effective at managing the COVID-19 pandemic, MOF said the 2021 tax-filing season will only last until May 31. The length of this period was extended to two months last year to prevent overcrowding in tax bureau offices.