To stimulate consumption in Taichung, the City Government launched a Shopping Festival with various prizes including a NT$10 million property.


Taichung Shopping Festival is underway! People that spend NT$500 in Taichung can register online to win a wide range of prizes including a new, tax-free home. Many say this is too good to be true.

NT$500 in exchange for a house doesn't seem like a fair exchange (value-wise). They might have to make the rules and regulations more clear. Where will the (prize) money come from, so that residents can enjoy this benefit? Stuff like that.

The Taichung City Government worked with two local construction associations on the promotion. The 30-ping home is valued at over NT$10 million, or NT$230,000 to NT$250,000 per ping and is exempt from stamp, land appreciation, deed and income taxes. This cost will be absorbed by 80-plus members of construction associations.

The construction associations will absorb the cost of the home, parking space and taxes. They believe in mutually benefiting. In other words -- there is speculation that the home is provided by one single developer or there's something going on under the table, but we are dealing with (construction) associations and (civic) groups.

The Taichung City Urban Development Bureau says Taichung residents will not have to shoulder the burden of consumption stimulation campaigns and the developers did not receive any special benefits. The developers say they are willing to bear the cost of this prize to boost consumption and stimulate the real estate market in Greater Taichung.



台中購物節開跑，只要在台中市消費滿500元，上網登錄後，最大獎項是台中市市區的房子一間，而且稅金全免，這麼好康的事，民眾半信半疑。

民眾表示：「500塊換一棟房子好像不是很…很…就是平衡(價值落差)這樣子，就可能遊戲規則要寫清楚一點，（獎項)金額是從哪裡來？就是可以讓市民享用這種福利，這樣。」

台中市政府與台中市兩家建商公會合作，推出台中市消費500元，最大獎就是一間30多坪的千萬元新成屋，當地價格在每坪二十三到二十五萬。中獎者連印花稅、土地增值稅、契稅與所得稅都不用交。被外界質疑，這筆錢誰吸收了？台中市都發局表示，80多位建商公會成員共同吸收。

台中市都發局長 黃文彬表示：「房子、車位跟稅金，都由建商公會這邊來做吸收，共好的概念，那如果說，單一建商的提供，或許大家有(與公部門對價關係)，這樣的聯想，可是我們是對(建商)公會、對(人民)團體。」

台中市都發局強調，這個獎項是建商共同提供，相關稅賦也是建商公會吸收，刺激活絡消費的成本不會由台中市民來承擔，也沒有跟建商交換任何減免措施。建商部份則表示，他們願意承擔這項大獎的成本，希望透過活動行銷，帶動大台中的房地產市場活絡。