A push to hand every Taipei resident NT$20,000 in cash has stalled, and the city's finance office says the money simply is not there.

• An opposition councilor says Taipei has over-collected NT$3.5 billion in local taxes under Mayor Chiang Wan-an and should share it with residents.
• The finance office says the real surplus for this budget year is far smaller — enough for about NT$26 per person.
• Last year's bigger surplus was already spent on helping local industries cope with US tariffs.
• Taipei is carrying more debt than savings, and income does not cover spending, so any handout would eat into the city's reserves.
• The proposal follows President Lai Ching-te's plan to give every citizen NT$10,000 nationwide next year, with Chiang publicly arguing that figure should be doubled.

Outlook: The national cash handout looks set to go ahead, but a Taipei top-up is unlikely while the city government insists its books cannot support one.