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CIRCULAR OF THE STATE COUNCIL CONCERNING ENFORCING TAX ADMINISTRATION AND STRICTLY CURBING TAX EXEMPTION AND REDUCTION

    This year, based on the foundation of rapid development in national
economy, there is also an increase in tax revenue, but, its increasing
range does not correspond to that of production, one of the important
reasons of which is that, some localities and units violate state tax law,
overstep their competence, provide tax reduction and exemption without
authorization and enlarge the scope of tax exemption and reduction, formulate
policies for tax incentives without authorization, prolong time limit for tax
exemption and reduction, contract turnover tax, even evade state taxation with
illegal means and consequently cause serious loss of taxation. For purpose of
enforcing state tax law, to guarantee the timely and full turning of national
tax which should be submitted into State Treasury, to fulfill the tax task of
this year better and increase financial revenue, to curb the national
financial deficit within the budgeted amount, and promote the development
of national economy in a quicker and better way, some issues relating to
enforcing tax administration and strict curbing of tax exemption and
reduction are hereby notified as follows:

    1. Strictly curbing tax (including tariff) exemption and reduction this
year, the State shall issue no more new policies for tax exemption and
reduction, all provisional and difficulty-caused tax exemption and reduction
shall be stopped for examination and approval. The tax exemption and reduction
regulated by national policy shall be examined and approved strictly according
to tax administrative system, those among which, on expiration of their tax
exemption and reduction period according to related policy, shall resume to
their tax liability immediately. The withholding agency system shall be
strictly applied for Individual Income Regulation Tax, those who do not
perform their withholding liability, shall pay the tax due, otherwise, they
shall be handled according to the provisions in the Law of the People's
Republic of China on the Administration of Tax Collection. Administration of
the regulation tax on investment orientation for fixed assets shall be
enforced and there shall be no exemption and reduction.

    2. Earnestly clear up tax incentive policies made in illegal and
unauthorized way. All kinds of tax incentive policies (including foreign
related tax policies) made be respective regions and departments which
overstepped their own authority and at their own discretion in violation of
the provisions of the Law on the Administration of Tax Collection and policies
of the State shall be invalidated uniformly. All kinds of economic
development zones with no approval from the State Council shall not benefit
uniformly from respective tax incentive policies provided by the State for
the economic development zones at national level.

    3. Take decisive measures, resolutely correct wrong practice of
contracting turnover tax. Turnover tax being the main tax of the State and
the main source of state revenue, must be collected according to law and
brought into line with budgetary system. No matter what kind of finance
system is followed by respective regions and departments, it is not
permissible to contract turnover tax for enterprises at one's own discretion.
All whose who have contracted turnover tax by themselves must correct it
immediately.

    4. Clear up delinquent tax in earnest. The system to collect additional
pecuniary penalty for delinquent payment must be strictly applied; For those
in arrears with tax payment, tax departments or customs office shall inform
banks to withhold the tax due and turn it into State Treasury. Banks should
ensure the timely and full submission of tax to the Treasury, it is not
allowed to seize or hold tax, otherwise, leading personnel of the work units
of the seizers and holders shall be investigated for their responsibility.

    5. Enforce administration concerning tax refund for exportation. Strictly
implement `the 2-invoices-and-2-forms` (i.e. specified tax invoice, invoice
of input goods and declaration form for exportation, verification form for
payment receipt) system, no refund is allowed for cases inconsistent with
the provisions. Those who try to obtain refund by fraud shall be severely
dealt with according to law.

    6. Actually enforce administration of tax collection for individual
industrial and commercial households, private-owned enterprises,
collective-owned enterprises and enterprises with foreign investment. To
individual industrial and commercial households, a general adjustment on their
fixed tax amount shall be carried out timely in combination with the
adjustment on business tax rate. Strict administration of tax collection for
large private-owned enterprises shall be enforced vigorously, the book-keeping
and financial system should be set up and the tax should be levied according
to verification. To enterprises with foreign investment, effective measures
should be taken to strengthen the work against tax avoidance and to block
the loopholes of fiscal omission and evasion through transfer of profits by
enterprises with foreign investment, to ensure that the tax due is
collected fully.

    7. Regarding respective kinds of banks, financial, insurance enterprises,
and nonbank financial institutions set up by respective regions and
departments, their income tax liability must be fulfilled in accordance with
the regulations of the State. Henceforth, income tax on respective newly
established banks, financial, insurance enterprises by respective regions and
departments shall be paid uniformly to the central finance.

    8. Strictly enforce administration of tax collection of the `2 funds`
(i.e. the key construction fund for energy and communication and the
budgetary adjustment fund). Respective local governments at all levels and
departments concerned are not allowed to provide tax exemption or reduction
on the `2 funds` without authorization. Those who have overstepped their
authority by granting reduction or exemption must immediately make correction.
For the ones who have omitted or are owing the `2 funds`, a plan of making
the payment due should be worked out and the funds in arrears shall be paid
within a limited time period. For the respective localities who have failed to
perform the task of turning the `2 funds` to the center due to tax exemption
and reduction without authorization, the sharing part of the localities from
the `2 funds` shall be reduced and deducted accordingly by the central finance.

    People's Governments at all levels should further enforce the leadership
in respect of taxation, vigorously support legal tax collection by tax
organizations. Departments of industrial and commercial administration, public
security, supervision, auditing and judicature should energetically support
and coordinate with tax organizations in the performance of their
responsibilities according to law. Tax organizations at all levels should
strictly enforce the law on tax collection, abide by the principles and
collect tax in accordance with law. Taxable units and individuals should
increase the conscientiousness of having overall point of view and a sense
of legal system, and pay tax spontaneously according to law. With a view to
safeguarding the sanctities of the laws on finance and taxation and to
enhancing macrocontrol and supervision, the State Council has decided that,
starting from August a general nation-wide check on taxation and finance shall
be carried out, with the emphasis that whether respective taxes and the
`2 funds` have been turned to the State Treasury according to national
policies. In the general check respective omitted revenue should be recovered
and turned over to the State Treasury, additionally the units and those
directly responsible who repeatedly break the rules in frequent checks, and
violate laws with full knowledge of them shall be penalized with more
severity in accordance with law.