The revenue system of China: Past, present, and emerging issues

Abstract

This article examines the major modifications made to the national revenue system since the initial reform and opening up of China in the late 1970s. A detailed analysis of revenue structures at the central and local levels of government is presented; several emerging issues are also discussed. The authors suggest that past reforms were largely successful in terms of rationalization of intergovernmental fiscal relations and have profoundly impacted the current revenue system to meet certain policy goals and administrative needs. A brief comparison illustrates that although central and local revenue systems share basic similarities such as a general reliance on tax revenue and an overall dependence on turnover and income taxes, striking differences are also in evidence which include extra-budgetary revenues and a high concentration of land-related revenue in local governments as well as a highly diversified local revenue structure. Key emergent issues identified include the readjustment of the roles played by the different levels of government in revenue administration and expenditure assignment, the increased importance of intergovernmental transfer and accountability, and possibilities for the adoption of new taxes such as a real property tax, a social security tax, and a volume-based vehicle emission tax.