SCIO press conference on better harnessing taxation to deliver high-quality economic, social development
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 14, 2023
Economic Daily:
At the 20th CPC National Congress, proposals were put forward to improve people's well-being and raise their quality of life. Could you please inform us about the practical measures taken by the tax authorities to ensure and improve people's livelihoods? Thank you.
Wang Daoshu:
Thank you for your question. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that "the people's desire for a better life is the goal we strive to realize." The tax departments resolutely implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, adhered to the original mission of "gathering money for the country and collecting taxes for the people," and effectively organized tax revenue to provide solid financial support for safeguarding and improving people's livelihoods and implemented preferential tax policies to continuously release benefits for the people. Here, I will introduce the specific situation in three aspects:
First, we have been actively promoting employment as it is a major concern for people. Small and micro-business entities are the primary channels and driving forces for promoting employment and safeguarding people's livelihoods. In accordance with the arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, tax departments have fully implemented preferential tax policies, such as VAT reductions and exemptions for small-scale taxpayers, preferential income tax for small and micro-profit enterprises and individual businesses, and halving of the "six taxes and two fees" for small and micro-business entities, to help stabilize employment and expand job opportunities. As a result, in 2022, these policies will benefit over 80 million business entities, with small and micro-enterprises and individual businesses enjoying beneficiary coverage rates exceeding 99%.
Second, we have focused on reducing burdens. The top concerns are education, healthcare, housing, and other key aspects of people's lives. The tax department has actively implemented preferential tax policies to alleviate the burden on people's livelihoods. Personal income tax reform, implemented in 2018, has yielded a significant tax reduction effect, benefiting workers in general. . In particular, the seven special additional deductions for child education, continuing education, housing loan interest, housing rent, serious illness medical treatment, elderly care, and care for infants under three years old have provided targeted tax relief, addressing livelihood concerns. According to the latest data from this year's personal income tax settlement in the first month, tax reductions through special additional deductions exceeded 150 billion yuan. Of this, taxpayers caring for children and the elderly have received a reduction of close to 110 billion yuan. Additionally, to support residents' reasonable housing needs, our country has continued to implement tax exemption policies for those buying their first house and the life-improving second house, as well as precise tax support policies for constructing and operating government-subsidized public rental housing. These two policies reduced taxes by over 200 billion yuan in 2022.
Third, we have enhanced social insurance services. Social insurance is the safety net for the people. Since the tax authorities began to take charge of levying social insurance premiums, the tax departments have extended their services to all units and the 1.3 billion-plus people covered by social insurance. We have actively optimized tax payment services and expanded their channels, ensuring the social insurance premium budget for years in a row while fully implementing the policies of reducing fees and postponing tax payments. In this way, the "pension money" and "life-saving money" of people can be guaranteed. At the same time, we have worked with relevant departments toward unified national management of basic old-age insurance funds, promoted provincial-level unified management of basic medical insurance, unemployment insurance, and work-related injury insurance; launched pilot programs on long-term care insurance and occupational injury insurance for people in new forms of employment ; and implemented tax support policies for enterprise annuities and individual pensions, further improving the world's largest social insurance system.
People's livelihoods are no small matter, and we are concerned about each and every thing related to the people. Going forward, we will adhere to a people-centered philosophy of development, firmly fulfill the task of ensuring tax services and improving people's livelihoods, effectively consolidate the financial foundation, and earnestly implement tax and fee support policies so as to ensure tax contributions enhance people's livelihoods and wellbeing. Thank you.
Wang Jun:
I would like to add one point: tax revenues are collected from, used for, and benefit the people. On March 30, we, along with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice, launched the 32nd Tax Publicity Month and a special activity of youth education on tax laws on campus. I noted that coverage of the event got lots of attention online. I will share one story about the event here. A student asked me why we publicized tax laws on campus. In response, I asked whether the sports facilities and the audio-visual equipment at their school were good or not, and the answer was yes. I asked whether they needed to pay tuition fees or textbook fees, and the answer was no. Then where did the money come from? I said that the money involved was collected in the form of tax from the student's, say, uncle, aunt, grandma, and grandpa, to develop and improve the compulsory education cause. Then I asked whether it was meaningful to publicize tax laws on campus so that everyone could abide by the laws to ensure tax collection for the sake of the country and the people, and the student gave a positive answer, which I was glad to hear. As you can see, providing for people's livelihoods is the basic responsibility of the tax departments. Thank you.
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