6 new taxation policies in 2018

2018-01-02
english.gov.cn

With the tax reform gaining speed, new taxation policies will take effect this year, six of which concern the public the most, Xinhua reported on Jan 1.

Environmental Protection Tax

The Environmental Protection Tax of China went into force on Jan 1, levying a tax on all entities discharging contaminants. Revenue generated from the tax collection will be used to control pollution by governments at all levels.

“The start of this tax marked a milestone in the development of tax-aided environmental protection,” said Liu Shangxi, director of the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences.

Value-added Tax

Product information managers will be subject to a 3-percent VAT based on their revenue as of Jan 1, which will act as leverage stabilizing the financial market and an element to take into account in launching and pricing financial products, said Li Xuhong, director of the Beijing National Accounting Institute.

Vehicle Purchase Tax

The 7.5-percent vehicle purchase tax rate will return to 10 percent for the purchase of vehicles with up to 1.6-liter engines. However, new energy vehicle buyers will continue to enjoy a non-tax status from Jan 1, 2018, to Dec 31, 2020.

“The withdrawal of the previous 7.5-percent tax rate comes down to environmental protection,” said Li.

Tariffs

The tariff restructuring heralds a decreased tariff rate for imports from 17.3 percent to 7.7 percent on average for imported food, medicine, clothing, and household appliances, as of Dec 1, 2017. Likewise, exports including steel and chlorite will be exempted from tariff collection as of Jan 1, 2018; apatite, coal tar, and other industrial raw materials will enjoy a lower export tariff rate.

Tariff restructuring demonstrates China’s unswerving resolve in promoting free global trade and confidence in international win-win cooperation, said Li.

Protection Tax on Water Resources

Collection of the protection tax on water resources, starting with a pilot project in Hebei province, expanded to nine provincial regions as of Dec 1, 2017, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Shaanxi. The tax collection varies with the types of water and utilization. For instance, the utility of ground water will incur more tax payments than surface water.

This stringent tax makes an enormous difference in the protection of ecological equilibrium, said Cai Zili, director of the Property and Behavior Tax Department at the State Administration of Taxation.

Local Tax System

Laws regarding taxes on tobacco and shipping were passed at the 31st session of the 12th NPC Standing Committee on Dec 27, 2017, and will go into effect on July 1, 2018.

“Upgrading provisional tax regulations into laws paved the way for future taxation reform,” said Liu Jianwen, a professor at the Law School of Peking University.