At the beginning of Prince Zhu Jianfeng, Lu Yinpu and Wang Tingzhen, two important ministers of the Nine Qing Dynasty, had several rounds of arguments in the main hall.
While expressing their respective current attitudes, they also laid out the basic logic of this income tax reform.
Those who are qualified to directly participate in discussions on matters of this level have basically arrived today.
Now you can seriously consider from which angle you should participate.
At this stage, Zongbo Shen Fu, who was in charge of civilized education and diplomacy, was the first to stand up and express his position:
"Your Majesty, I have something to say, Uncle Zongfu."
Zhu Jianyan nodded directly after hearing this, and at the same time stretched out his hand to signal Lu Yinpu and Wang Tingzhen to stop arguing.
After Shen Fu saluted Zhu Jianyan, he then looked at Lu Yinpu and Wang Tingzhen:
"Zhongzai and Situ, since you two have mentioned human ethics and morality, I, as the uncle, have something to say.
"His Majesty Emperor Shizu Guangwu has long asserted that morality is the goal of ideal education, and law is the bottom line of morality.
“Mandatory and binding laws should be the basic rules of society that underpin the society.
“Morality with higher requirements should be the direction of encouragement and education.
“Therefore, those who break the law will be punished, and those who observe morality will be rewarded.
“Between the two, let nature take its course, without reward or punishment.
“Excessively high moral standards cannot be classified as laws, nor can laws that serve as the bottom line be regarded as moral standards.
“So I believe that regarding income tax, all legal provisions should be treated equally.
“That is to say, taxes must be paid on any form of asset income, including inheritance from parents.
"However, if the person is indeed of high moral character, dedicated to the Ming Dynasty and the country, and has no major faults, after his children pay taxes normally, the court can return a certain percentage of the tax as a reward.
“Depending on the amount of the returned tax and the level of the personnel involved, it will be confirmed and approved by the Chief Envoy or the Ministry of Rites or Zong Bo in charge of civilization and education, or even by His Majesty himself, and then handed over to the tax agency for refund.
"In this way, we can not only prevent those with bad behavior from taking advantage of the court's care to evade taxes, but also truly promote civilized education."
The suggestions given by Shen Fu were very clever and well-founded from ideas to plans.
"Submit first and then return" may seem like a toss-up method, but it is actually very necessary in actual implementation.
If the tax payment can be directly exempted or reduced, the relationship between the agency that implements the tax collection and the tax payer will be complicated, and various possible complications will easily arise.
In addition to the direct problems of power rent-seeking and corruption, what is more important is that the court cannot grasp the actual amount of assets.
At the same time, it also makes it difficult to control the growth of corruption and to investigate it after it occurs.
This trouble can be avoided by handing it in first and then returning it, and at the same time assigning the right to return it to another department.
Relevant agencies can be required to strictly implement the tax collection process without giving them any room for compromise.
With fixed tax rates and package packages, the amount of tax paid is directly related to the assets owned.
Not only can the amount of assets be intuitively confirmed, but it can also reduce the chance of possible corruption.
When corruption does occur, there will be a more convenient starting point for investigation.
Check the amount of assets and compare the amount of taxes. As long as they are not in proportion, there is a problem.
Finally, the actual meaning of tax refund based on moral standards is equivalent to "the right of interpretation belongs to the emperor."
Who has the right to decide on the return is, of course, up to the emperor.
The highest level, as well as the largest amount of return, will definitely require the emperor's personal approval.
In this way, the emperor had another way to manipulate wealthy families.
Shen Fu himself is not worried at all. He, Zhu Jianyan, Zhu Jingyuan and his son have cooperated very well over the years and have a good relationship.
Shen Fu knew that even if his descendants were of bad character, there was a 99% chance that Zhu Jianyan and Zhu Jingyuan would return the full inheritance tax to their descendants.
From now on, the only thing that will happen is that the children and grandchildren will have their own blessings.
At the same time, the highest level of tax refund decision-making power is definitely controlled by the emperor.
But actual review and execution responsibilities, as well as low-level decision-making authority, are likely to be left to the Ministry of Rites.
After all, it is decided by morality, and moral education falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites.
As Zong Bo, he is the superior supervisor of the Ministry of Rites.
Shen Fu's current suggestion is also a fight for power between the Ministry of Rites and himself.
It can be said that it kills several birds with one stone.
So when these words came out, other people at the scene suddenly became a little nervous.
Almost everyone felt that this was the plan the emperor wanted most.
Of course the Ming Emperor cared about money, but power was more important than money.
In the process of tax reform, the emperor would not refuse to give up some monetary gains in exchange for a new form of power, which would further strengthen the emperor's control over the wealthy class.
Even if this part of the tax is fully collected and refunded, the court will not retain it at all. Through this collection and return process, the Ming Emperor and the court can roughly grasp the true asset status of the corresponding wealthy families...
In fact, Lu Yinpu, as the general manager of finance, Situ instinctively felt that the best solution was to fully refund the inheritance tax. At the very least, it should be refunded according to a fixed amount and a fixed proportion.
You can't consider the so-called moral standards, there are no standards at all...
The problem is that this plan itself is very reasonable and fully conforms to Ming Dynasty’s cultural concepts and governing logic.
There is no way I can object from this angle...
"How much tax should be returned cannot be determined based on moral character" was something that could not be said in the Ming court.
After Zhu Jianyan heard Shen Fu's words, his eyes suddenly lit up:
"Mr. Shen makes sense. First determine the fairest legal bottom line, and then give appropriate rewards based on moral integrity.
“Very good, the income tax collection method for changes in asset ownership between relatives is formulated based on Mr. Shen’s suggestions.
"This matter will be handed over to the Ministry of Rites, under the personal supervision of Mr. Shen. Mr. Lu will coordinate the cooperation of the finance-related yamen. Mao Ju will urge the Ministry of Punishment to cooperate and come up with a proper plan as soon as possible."
Zongbo Shen Fu, Situ Lu Yinpu, Sikou Zhu Maoju, and the ministers of the corresponding departments immediately came out to bow and salute:
"I obey the decree."
Zhu Jianyan's order not only determined the disposal plan of paying inheritance tax first and then later.
It is also determined that the gift income tax and inheritance tax received by relatives must be collected as a matter of fact.
Most of the courtiers had roughly guessed the outcome since the Gusu Bank incident broke out, and knew that it was impossible to prevent the emperor from collecting this part of the income tax.
But they will not just lie down, and they will try their best to avoid it with the mentality of treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor.
Now it is completely confirmed that this tax must be collected no matter what.
The key issue is the tax rate and threshold.
Zhu Jianyan and Zhu Zhongliang, as emperors who grew up in this world, were often "stingier" than Zhu Jingyuan.
Zhu Jingyuan's original plan was not to collect inheritance tax.
It is just used as a "roof", as an air bargaining chip for negotiation and compromise.
But Zhu Jianyan is obviously prepared to really accept it.
Of course, as the emperor, Zhu Jianyan was also the leader of the traditional aristocracy of the Ming Dynasty. He was not the British bourgeoisie in the early 20th century and could not raise inheritance taxes without limit.
Therefore, Zhu Jianyan’s target inheritance tax collection ratio will not be too high.
But the specific number, of course, needs to be discussed continuously, or it can be said to be brought up and debated.
The sooner such a matter is decided, the more "concessions" will be made, and the lower the final tax rate will certainly be.
As the indigenous emperor of this world, Zhu Jianyan is of course "stingy" by nature, so he will not be in a hurry to make decisions.
Instead, he deliberately delayed the matter.
After giving an order to Shen Fu and asking the Ministry of Rites to formulate a return plan, he didn't say anything further.
The issue of tax points and tax rates was not raised at all.
If this issue is not discussed, it will obviously be levied according to the income tax rate on gifts between ordinary people.
It was obviously impossible for the ministers to just accept it.
So many ministers looked at Wang Tingzhen.
Because Wang Tingzhen had previously faced off with Lu Yinpu and became a representative opposing the imposition of this part of the tax.
Now everyone naturally hopes that Wang Tingzhen will continue to lead the charge.
But Wang Tingzhen was not in a hurry to speak this time.
Wang Tingzhen's idea was also very simple. When he faced Lu Yinpu before, the emperor did not show his attitude.
That was just the stage of disputes and discussions between ministers.
Now the emperor has passed an order expressing his support for Lu Yinpu and Shen Fu.
I have to retreat a little bit.
If I jump out now and continue to fight for a better tax rate, I will be directly fighting the emperor's will.
Although everyone's purpose is indeed to fight, this is not their own business, and they cannot always be in the front.
The point is, now is not the right time.
The emperor has appointed several people to prepare the "plan", which must include the threshold and tax rate.
At the very least, I have to wait until this plan is finalized and the threshold and tax rate set by the other party are announced before discussing whether this data is appropriate.
The other party hasn't come up with a clear opinion yet, so I can't object directly without any goal.
Unless those who are directly involved in the production of this plan take the initiative to ask the emperor how to arrange the tax rate before making the plan themselves.
Tsukasa, who is in charge of civil affairs, has no reason to directly intervene now.
The person most suitable to speak is Zhu Maoju, the chief criminal officer in charge of the prison.
Zhu Maoju belongs to the royal family of Chu. He is the elder brother of Emperor Zhu Jianyan according to his seniority. His current title is County King.
Zhu Maoju considered the current situation and chose to shut up after some hesitation.
In this dispute, the clan's position is somewhat delicate.
The widespread imposition of income tax and inheritance tax on gifts from relatives is of course harmful to one's own interests.
However, this is also to maintain the rule of the Zhu Ming Dynasty.
The stability of the dynasty's rule is the foundation for these clans to maintain their status.
The Ming Dynasty is gone, and these high-ranking clans will definitely not end well.
The current Ming Dynasty is indeed as stable as Mount Tai, and those businessmen who evaded taxes have indeed made Zhu Maoju angry.
Therefore, our current stance against this group of people must not waver in the slightest.
Even if he had an idea, he should talk to the emperor privately instead of asking publicly at this time.
What's more, according to Shen Fu's wishes, whether or not to pay a high income tax ultimately depends on the emperor's wishes.
Emperors after Shizu have always maintained and taken care of the interests of the royal family.
If nothing else, the emperor should exempt all clans from this tax.
But correspondingly, the emperor must pass this tax to have a clearer grasp of the clan's assets.
If you don't feel guilty, there is no need to argue with the emperor on this issue.
In addition, other ministers will definitely have opinions, so there is no need for me to stand up.
The other ministers and shopkeepers at the scene also understood the situation after thinking about it for a while.
They all had similar considerations to Wang Tingzhen. Even if there were problems, they should wait until Shen Fu and others came up with their plans.
As a result, the discussion on income tax reform came to an end for the time being.
Under the emperor's auspices, discussions and other daily matters began on the scene.
At the same time, from yesterday's Di Bao to today's newspapers, news of tax reform has spread all over the country.
This reform, which will obviously affect the interests of the vast majority of people, has quickly become the hottest topic.
Yesterday, direct discussions were mainly limited to the most senior officials and their immediate relatives and friends.
By this morning, the news had quickly spread to all aspects of Ming Dynasty.
All levels of society throughout the Ming Dynasty started discussions during their busy schedules.
Some people even suspended what they were doing and gathered specifically for discussion.
The Gusu bank cooperated with businessmen to evade taxes through marriage, which opened the eyes of many scholars who were not involved in industry and commerce.
The people involved in the Gusu Bank incident also became the target of their rebuke.
In such an atmosphere, the main officials of Jianghuai Province also learned about the news.
At the same time, they also received orders from His Highness Prince Dashi, the Jianghuai Chief Envoy and Southern Governor.
They were called again to meet this morning.
Most of Guan Yuanfang subconsciously thought that the issue of taxation must be discussed.
It is likely to urge the strict implementation of court orders prohibiting marriage-related loans and investigating tax evasion.
Of course, everyone did not dare to neglect, and rushed to the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City in Yingtian Mansion on time for the meeting.
After the meeting began, Zhu Jingyuan was indeed the first to insist on the orders of his grandfather and father.
Officials from various departments are required to strictly implement it.
But the topic was quickly passed over, as if it was just an order conveyed.
No additional special arrangements have been made for this matter.
Zhu Jingyuan quickly changed the topic:
“Well, the imperial court must do its job well, and our New Deal reforms must also be accelerated.
“Accelerate the implementation of new policies such as tickets, purchase restrictions, and simultaneous examination certificates in Jianghuai Province and the southern region.
"Starting from this month, all officials in the Jianghuai area, all employees of the royal consortium, and employees of government-owned manufacturers will be issued general education examination certificates at the same time after completing the preliminary examination.
“Strive to implement a system that uses the general education examination certificate as the basic certificate within three months.
"At the same time, the planning of the ticket system for royal and government-owned houses and cars will be completed within this month, and trial operation will begin next month."
After the officials below listened, some people couldn't help but ask:
"Your Highness, why has the imperial court arranged other affairs? Our affairs must also be accelerated at the same time. Shouldn't it be safer to slow down a little?"
Zhu Jingyuan said very calmly:
“The issue of income tax reform cannot be completed in a short time.
“It still takes a lot of time for the new law to be formulated, passed at the court, and finally implemented.
“As for the prohibition on marriage-related loans, it can basically be implemented with just one order, followed by regular inspections.
“The pursuit of tax evasion is mainly the task of the central government offices, and the task of our local corresponding offices is basically to cooperate and coordinate.
“The public turmoil over tax reform should be relatively large and may last for a long time.
“But in any case, our local yamen have no opportunity or need to directly participate in it.
“We might as well take advantage of this time to push our local efforts forward as much as possible.
“If more people pay attention to tax reform, the resistance to other local reforms may actually decrease.
"If our voucher and purchase restriction reforms attract the attention of wealthy businessmen in the south, it will also reduce the impact of the central court's tax reform.
"Then we will be able to participate in the tax reform of the central court."
Zhu Jingyuan's words were straightforward enough, and the officials at the scene quickly understood.
Local officials like myself cannot get involved in the central government's tax reform, and there is no point in thinking about it.
It would be better to take advantage of the huge popularity of tax reform to cover up the implementation of vouchers and purchase restriction systems that would also have a huge impact.
(End of chapter)
