Foreign companies with no fixed operational sites in Taiwan will be able to receive a refund of the 5 percent value-added tax accrued on purchases made in Taiwan if they have spent more than NT$200,000 (US$6,286) during the year in the country. 'Foreign firms will be eligible for the value-added tax refund by either taking part in exhibitions or organizing similar activities in Taiwan, ' Sheu Chun-an, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Finance's Taxation Agency, told the Central News Agency. But the tax refund will only apply to those companies from countries that offer similar treatment to Taiwanese businesspeople, Sheu said. These countries now include Germany, South Korea and other European Union (EU) countries, he added. The tax refund will take effect after the legislature approves a legal amendment later this year. Foreign companies' expenses in Taiwan could include those spent on business trips, inspection tours, market surveys, business promotion events, transport or accommodation, he added. 