Study on Income Tax Enforcement of Family Trusts: Based on the Principle of Substantial Taxation

Abstract

Family trust is an important innovation in the development of financial technology and digital economy. As an innovative method for family business wealth preservation, appreciation and inheritance, family trusts play an important role in financial markets and social safety nets. The healthy operation of family trusts is inseparable from a good tax collection and management system. This study is based on case analysis and international comparative law, combined with the particularity of family trusts, and analyzes the risks that may be faced in its income tax enforcement. The research found that the insufficient regulations of family trust policies make tax collection and administration face the risks of double taxation, tax loss, and high tax administration cost. Based on the substantive tax principles and the perspective of the sustainable development of family trusts, the research puts forward suggestions on the improvement of income tax collection and management in Chinese family trusts: The design of family trusts and taxation systems should insist on substantive taxation; combine the theory of trust conduit with the theory of trust entities; clarify the time, scope, beneficiary, and choice of accounting standards for family trust collection. In the era of digital economy, governments, enterprises, and educational institutions have formed partnerships to strengthen the education of family trust investors on financial, taxation, and digital economy requirements. Taking the sustainable development of family trusts as the starting point, build a new momentum and social safety net for China's economic and social development.