The massive May 12, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake caused heavy property damage and saddening losses of life in the Chinese Providences of Sichuan, Shanxi, and Gansu. In order to support the earthquake relief and reconstruction effort, the Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Taxation has implemented post disaster tax deductions and exemptions. These relief measures impact affected individuals or enterprises, and also donations toward the relief effort. The most significant tax relief measures were announced in the “Notice on Implementing the Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Tax Policies”(Notice 62). The taxes covered in the Notice included: enterprise income tax, individual income tax, house property tax, resource tax, stamp tax, urban land use tax, vehicle and vessel use tax, import tax.
 

By Zhang Yu, Wang Xiujuan, Chengdu Office of King & Wood, FDI

 

Notice 62 offers tax relief on losses caused by the earthquake, which may be offset against taxable gross income and deductions may be taken for the enterprise income tax, individual income tax, house property tax, resource tax, stamp tax, urban land use tax, vehicle and vessel use tax. For donated goods and money, if the donation is made by overseas organizations or individuals, all import taxes and consumption taxes on imported commodities may be exempted. In the case of domestic enterprises donating, then deductions may be taken against the enterprise’s taxable gross income subject to the amount does not exceed 12% of its annual profit. Tax authorities may decide between two options for donations: Individual donations are either fully deductible from one’s individual income tax or for up to 30% of one’s annual taxable income may be deducted. For reconstruction, individuals may deduct the stamp tax on house purchases, property tax for house repairs and individual income tax as against remedy fund payments.

Notice 62 also authorizes local governments at the provincial, autonomous region and municipal level to determine the tax relief period and scope of deduction on a number of taxes, thus enabling local governments in disaster areas to implement their own tax reduction schemes based on local conditions. It is worth noting that all of the mentioned tax relief measures are still within the scope of normal deductions readily provided by current law. Based on the previous experiences in dealing with natural disaster relief and reconstruction, the Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Taxation will also likely implement further special tax relief policies specifically addressing the Wenchuan Earthquake, thereby providing more favourable tax policies such as a higher percentage or full deduction on enterprise income tax for enterprises donating in large amounts; and land value-added tax for those construction enterprises engaged in reconstruction work.
 

 

 

 

 

税收减免新政策，力援抗震减灾、灾后重建

 

作者：张宇、王秀娟 ,金杜律师事务所四川分所, 公司组 外商投资部

 

 

 

 

“5.12”汶川大地震使四川、陕西、甘肃等重灾区省市遭致惨重的人员伤亡及财产损失，为此，国家财政、税务部门专门针对受灾企业、个人及社会捐赠款物等出台了多项灾后税收减免优惠政策，为抗震救灾、灾后重建工作，提供更多的税收支持。其中，尤受瞩目的是2008年5月19日由财政部、国家税务总局紧急发布的《关于认真落实抗震救灾及灾后重建税收政策问题的通知》（财税[2008]62号）（下称“62号通知”），该通知从损失、捐赠、灾后重建等方面给予了受灾地区较大的税收政策支持，涉及的优惠税种包括企业所得税、个人所得税、房产税、资源税、契税、城镇土地使用税、车船税、进口环节税收等。

 

 

 

根据62号通知及中国相关税收法律规定，对于地震灾害带来的损失，可抵扣企业应税所得，减免资源税、房产税、城镇土地使用税、个人所得税、车船税等；对于捐赠的物资和款项，由国外捐赠的可免进口环节的关税、流转税，由国内捐赠的企业可抵减最高不超过年度利润12%的企业应税所得，个人捐赠可依据不同情况获得全额或最高不超过30%应税所得的个人所得税抵扣；对于灾后重建，可减免重新购房的契税、大修房的房产税、抚恤金救济金的个税。

 

 

综观62号通知，财政部和国家税务总局将多个税种的具体减免期限和幅度的确定权限下放到省级、自治区、直辖市人民政府，因此，受灾地区地方政府可以根据本地具体受灾情况来制定各税的具体减免实施方案。值得注意的是，上述优惠是在原有法律规定内的一般减免，经过对以往灾后重建经验和此次受灾情况的分析，我们理解，预计财政部和国税总局还会推出针对本次地震灾害的特殊减免，比如：从企业捐赠更高额度乃至全额抵扣企业应税所得、减免参与灾区重建的房地产企业所得税、土地增值税等方面给予更大幅度的税收优惠。