New taipei: A NT$2 plastic bag bought at a McDonald's in New Taipei has emerged as the lowest spend to clinch the NT$10 million (US$312,734) special prize in Taiwan's January-February uniform invoice lottery, as announced by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Thursday.
According to Focus Taiwan, a total of 14 invoice receipts matched the winning number 87510041, with 11 purchases under NT$100. Notable among these were a NT$4 foodpanda delivery fee and NT$39 purchases at a 7-Eleven located at the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei, and a FamilyMart in Yilan County. The highest spend to win the NT$10 million prize was recorded for a NT$1,579 meal in Taipei.
In addition, 19 invoices won the NT$2 million grand prize with the winning number 32220522. The lowest expenditure to secure this prize was a NT$6 handling fee at a 7-Eleven in Taoyuan, as reported by the MOF. Receipts bearing the numbers 21677046, 44662410, and 31262513 are eligible for the first prize of NT$200,000.
The Ministry of Finance highlighted that 109 receipts won the special, grand, and first prizes, along with the special cloud receipt prize of NT$1 million, culminating in a prize sum exceeding NT$274 million. A significant number of these receipts, 77 in total, were cloud-based rather than physical.
Winners are advised to claim their prizes between April 6 and July 6. The MOF's Taxation Administration is urging consumers to opt for cloud receipts, which not only qualify for both standard and cloud-exclusive receipt lotteries but also contribute to environmental conservation by reducing the need for paper receipts.
The uniform invoice lottery, conducted bi-monthly, was introduced to incentivize consumers to request receipts, thereby aiding in the prevention of tax evasion. This initiative is funded by 3 percent of the annual business tax revenue, which is factored into the prices of most goods and services.