Local Election Candidates Permitted to Receive Political Donations from April 25th
The Supervisory Yuan announced that candidates for mayors, county magistrates, councilors, and district chiefs can start receiving political donations from April 25th after establishing approved special accounts. Representatives and village chiefs can begin on August 20th.
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- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 14:21
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 14:31 (10 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 02:28 (11h 56m after Collected)
Central News Agency (Taipei, April 21st) - With local elections scheduled for November 28th, the Supervisory Yuan announced today that candidates for special municipality mayors, county magistrates, councilors, and township/district chiefs may begin receiving political donations from April 25th, after obtaining permission from the Supervisory Yuan to establish special political donation accounts. This period will last until one day before the election voting date. Additionally, candidates for township/district representatives and village/community chiefs will be permitted to receive donations starting from August 20th.
Chao Yung-ching, convener of the Supervisory Yuan's Clean Politics Committee and a Supervisory Member, along with Chen Mei-yen, director of the Public Officials Asset Declaration Office, held a press conference today to explain the findings and penalties regarding political donations in the 2022 local public official elections and to outline precautions for participants in the 2026 elections.
Chen Mei-yen stated that since 2024, the Supervisory Yuan has listed political donation expenditures as a key audit item. Political donations must be spent in accordance with legal provisions and may not be used for profit or personal gain. Candidates must truthfully declare every political donation received and expended. Declared expenditures must be within the permissible period for reporting and must be related to campaign activities, with legitimate expenditure receipts obtained before declaration.
Chen Mei-yen mentioned that for the 2026 local public official elections, scheduled for voting on November 28th, candidates for special municipality mayors, county magistrates, councilors, and township/district chiefs may begin receiving political donations from April 25th, after obtaining permission from the Supervisory Yuan to establish special political donation accounts, until one day before the election voting date. Candidates for township/district representatives and village/community chiefs will open for donations starting from August 20th.
According to Supervisory Yuan data, political donations declared for the 2022 local public official elections totaled over NT$4.4 billion in income and over NT$4.8 billion in expenditures. Among these, 129 cases of violations resulted in fines exceeding NT$25.01 million. These violations included exceeding donation limits, donations from foreign, mainland Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau funds, donations from companies with accumulated losses, and donations made under another person's name. Furthermore, five cases of receiving political donations without establishing an authorized special account were transferred for criminal investigation. Chen Mei-yen indicated that relevant political donation fines would be progressively published in the Clean Politics Gazette after their disposition is finalized.
Chen Mei-yen also reminded the public that the most common type of violation fined by the Supervisory Yuan is donors exceeding their contribution limits. Citizens should note that while there is an annual limit of NT$100,000 for donations to a single candidate, the total annual donation limit to different candidates is NT$300,000, which includes both monetary and in-kind donations.
Additionally, Chen Mei-yen stated that foreign nationals, individuals from mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau, or companies based in these regions, as well as companies with foreign/mainland Chinese/Hong Kong/Macau chairpersons, or where foreign/mainland Chinese/Hong Kong/Macau shareholding reaches 30% or more, or where foreign/mainland Chinese/Hong Kong/Macau directors/supervisors exceed one-third of the board seats, are all prohibited from making political donations. Other prohibitions include donations from companies with accumulated losses and individuals without voting rights. (Edited by Lin Shu-yuan) 1150421
Chao Yung-ching, convener of the Supervisory Yuan's Clean Politics Committee and a Supervisory Member, along with Chen Mei-yen, director of the Public Officials Asset Declaration Office, held a press conference today to explain the findings and penalties regarding political donations in the 2022 local public official elections and to outline precautions for participants in the 2026 elections.
Chen Mei-yen stated that since 2024, the Supervisory Yuan has listed political donation expenditures as a key audit item. Political donations must be spent in accordance with legal provisions and may not be used for profit or personal gain. Candidates must truthfully declare every political donation received and expended. Declared expenditures must be within the permissible period for reporting and must be related to campaign activities, with legitimate expenditure receipts obtained before declaration.
Chen Mei-yen mentioned that for the 2026 local public official elections, scheduled for voting on November 28th, candidates for special municipality mayors, county magistrates, councilors, and township/district chiefs may begin receiving political donations from April 25th, after obtaining permission from the Supervisory Yuan to establish special political donation accounts, until one day before the election voting date. Candidates for township/district representatives and village/community chiefs will open for donations starting from August 20th.
According to Supervisory Yuan data, political donations declared for the 2022 local public official elections totaled over NT$4.4 billion in income and over NT$4.8 billion in expenditures. Among these, 129 cases of violations resulted in fines exceeding NT$25.01 million. These violations included exceeding donation limits, donations from foreign, mainland Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau funds, donations from companies with accumulated losses, and donations made under another person's name. Furthermore, five cases of receiving political donations without establishing an authorized special account were transferred for criminal investigation. Chen Mei-yen indicated that relevant political donation fines would be progressively published in the Clean Politics Gazette after their disposition is finalized.
Chen Mei-yen also reminded the public that the most common type of violation fined by the Supervisory Yuan is donors exceeding their contribution limits. Citizens should note that while there is an annual limit of NT$100,000 for donations to a single candidate, the total annual donation limit to different candidates is NT$300,000, which includes both monetary and in-kind donations.
Additionally, Chen Mei-yen stated that foreign nationals, individuals from mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau, or companies based in these regions, as well as companies with foreign/mainland Chinese/Hong Kong/Macau chairpersons, or where foreign/mainland Chinese/Hong Kong/Macau shareholding reaches 30% or more, or where foreign/mainland Chinese/Hong Kong/Macau directors/supervisors exceed one-third of the board seats, are all prohibited from making political donations. Other prohibitions include donations from companies with accumulated losses and individuals without voting rights. (Edited by Lin Shu-yuan) 1150421