Late Qing Dynasty Executioner

Chapter 230 Various Taxes

There are still about ten days left before the Legislative Assembly, and representatives from all over the country have already come to Chongqing.

This was an enlarged meeting, and the participants included representatives from various towns and villages. The number of people was likely to be tens of thousands, so Chen Gu had two more buildings for accommodation and a dining hall rebuilt outside the Great Hall.

Because of the first failure, not only did Chen Gu make some preparations for this enlarged meeting, but he also did some things for the people in various places.

For example, not only were the representatives from various places elected by themselves, but before leaving, they also asked the representatives to open an incense altar and swear to the sky that they would fight for the interests of ordinary people like them, otherwise they would commit suicide to apologize after returning.

Apart from attending the enlarged legislative meeting on the first day and meeting with everyone, Chen Gui did not participate again after that and just let them argue.

This time, Chen not only took out the property tax, but also the personal income tax. Individuals with a monthly income of less than 100 taels do not have to pay taxes.

Those with a monthly income of more than 100 taels pay 15% personal income tax, those with a monthly income of more than 1,000 taels pay 30% personal income tax, those with a monthly income of more than 10,000 taels pay 45% personal income tax, and so on. Those with a monthly income of one million taels pay 75% personal income tax.

At that time, the sour scholar asked jokingly, if one earns 10 million taels a month, wouldn't one have to pay 90% personal income tax?
At that time, Chen Gui smiled with a strange look in his eyes.

The sour scholar couldn't help but shudder in his heart, knowing that anyone with a monthly income of 10 million taels would not pay personal income tax, but would most likely go to the mines to dig for the rest of his life.

In addition to personal income tax, commercial taxes are also set relatively high, one is value-added tax, one is profit income tax, and one is stamp duty.

Anyway, Chen Gu now has the military power in his hands. Instead of dragging it out slowly later, it is better to do it now and make up for all the tax losses on ordinary people by charging the rich.

As for whether doing so would have an impact on the development of domestic commerce, Chen Gu felt that it would not. If it really didn't work, then they could just nationalize everything. For example, salt, iron, oil, cloth and other things could all be nationalized.

Besides, higher taxes don’t mean that business will lose all profits.

And as long as there is profit, someone will definitely do it.

It's just that the profit is limited to a certain range. Maybe the big families don't care about this profit, but ordinary people will flock to it. If they can really earn hundreds or thousands of taels of silver a month, there will be plenty of people to do it.

All kinds of taxes, personal and workshop, all kinds of laws, civil and criminal, were brought out for discussion one by one, and there was a lot of noise in the Legislative Assembly Hall every day. Many people came to this enlarged meeting, and even those who were elected from the towns were basically the best.

For a little bit of profit, they will not give in.

Chen Gu let them argue. The more they argued, the clearer the truth would become. As long as they could come to a conclusion in the end, that would be fine.

The various ethnic minorities were also trying their best to fight for their own interests. After learning that Chen Kui could allow them to govern themselves, their remaining interests became very simple: exchange materials at a relatively fair price.

This request was not a big deal, so Chen Gu allowed them to organize their own caravans to go to various places where goods were produced and exported for free exchange, such as salt from Zigong and iron from Renhuai.

As for the price, they were free to negotiate. Chen's only requirement was that they must clearly define their gathering areas. They couldn't say that today you have 100 square kilometers and tomorrow you have 120 square kilometers. That would cause endless disputes.

They were very hesitant about this and asked Chen Kui what to do if their population grew and there was not enough housing?
Chen Gu asked them in return, if the Han people developed and there was not enough space for them to live, could they invade their territory?
Everything is mutual. Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you.

Finally, Chen Gu gave them two choices: to send some tribesmen to study in various places every year and actively integrate into the Han people, or to send tribesmen to join the army and fight with the Han people to seize new territories.

Since we have been one family for thousands of years, there is nothing wrong with us finally integrating together.

They did not make a choice immediately, and Chen Gu did not force them. After all, things would work out when the time comes.

Chen Gu believes that as everyone communicates more, they will eventually merge into their previous selves.

The common people in the prefectures and counties were quarreling with the big families and officials, while the ethnic minorities wanted to go back after just a few days of arriving.

When they came, they gave Chen Gu a lot of gifts. When they left, they gave Chen Gu another gift. Although the amount of the second gift was not much, it was much more precious than the ones they gave when they came.

For example, the first time Baoyuan Miao Village only gave Chen Kui a bear skin, a bunch of wolf skins, some dried meat and so on. The quantity was not small but it was not worth much. The second time, they actually gave Chen Kui three tiger skins and five bear skins, as well as some precious medicinal materials.

What made Chen Gu a little sad was that two of the five bear skins were black and white.

"This black and white spotted bear is quite rare and only exists in China. The spotted bear is also quite docile. It is better not to hunt it casually in the future. Otherwise, if you kill them all, you will never see them again!" Chen Gu reminded.

Shi Kaishan nodded and said with a smile: "It is rumored that the leader has raised two flower bears in Fobao. It seems that what he said is true. Since the leader has mercy on us, our Baoyuan Miao Village will no longer hunt these flower bears, and will notify the other Miao villages not to hunt flower bears anymore!"

Chen Gu sighed and said, "Although nature provides everything for human beings, we should also know how to cherish everything and not exhaust all resources. From now on, all property sites will no longer accept bear fur as exchange items, and spring fur will not be included in the purchase.

Not only in the mountains, but also in the water, fishing will not be allowed in March, April, May and June every year, so that the fish have time to breed. "

Shi Kaishan thought about it, frowned and said, "If this happens, won't the fishermen and hunters be without a livelihood for three or four months?"

"You are not allowed to cast nets, but you can use fishing rods and harpoons. Not collecting spring furs does not mean you are not allowed to hunt. Besides, you can go into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs.

And I believe that if the fish and animals have a safe breeding period, the harvest at other times will definitely be greatly improved. The total harvest for the year will definitely be more than in previous years!" Chen Gu said with a smile.

Shi Kaishan sighed and said, "If there are too many of something, it will lose its value!"

"If it were under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, this situation would indeed occur, but in our Hua Xia tribe, it would not happen. Whether it is food, fish, meat, or anything else, when the price is too low, the government will purchase it." Chen Gu said.

(End of this chapter)