Cutting taxes for low-income earners and fighting tax evasion by
the rich. That will be the formula for narrowing the wealth gap,
the country's top tax official said yesterday.
"We will promote equity and social justice by making better use
of taxation in adjusting income distribution," said Xie Xuren,
commissioner of the State Administration of Taxation (SAT).
"We will reduce the tax burden on low- and medium-income
earners, but will redouble efforts in collecting tax from high
income earners," he told a press conference organized by the State
Information Office.
He did not provide detailed plans.
The government abolished a centuries-old agricultural tax in
2005 to reduce the burden on farmers. Last year, it raised the
threshold for personal income tax from 800 yuan ($103) to 1,600
yuan ($205).
The raised threshold for personal income tax dented collection
growth last year. Revenue grew 17.1 per cent year on year, compared
to 20 percent in 2005.
The deceleration in revenue growth indicates that the tax policy
changes were effective in helping low income groups, said SAT
deputy commissioner Wang Li.
But he pointed out that the continued growth of personal income
tax albeit at a slower pace was mainly due to rapid income
increases on the back of robust economic growth.
Wang said personal income tax paid by high-income earners grew
much faster than last year thanks to stepped-up efforts to collect
the tax from the top bracket.
Xie pledged that taxation authorities would take further
measures to plug loopholes in collections.
Total tax revenues swelled by 21.9 percent to reach 3.76
trillion yuan (US$482 billion) last year. Growth has registered an
average of 20 percent in the past decade, and exactly 20 percent in
2005.
(China Daily January 25, 2007)