"Without money you are nothing..."

[GZBILL]

Also the so-called sales tax in China paid by the merchants is often no more than a bargaining chip used by buyers to obtain a lower price. Unless you're shopping at big department store, 9 times out of 10, merchants won't give out a tax receipt unless you ask them and sometimes not even then.

 

Wrong again. Is this a habit for you?

 

Sales tax is built into prices from the moment of manufacture. Only a moron would not recover the tax he paid when purchasing the products he sells from his supplier. Whatever negative aspects people would like to imply about Chinese merchants, they are not stupid.

 

You are thinking of the receipt merchants give customers make a purchase. This is called a "fapiao" and is in no way an indication of whether or not someone pays sales tax.

 

The money you save -- if any -- when not obtaining a fapiao is directly related to the money the merchant saves on income tax and the approximately 5% additional levy for the fapiao fee levied by the tax bureau.

[Randy W]

Also the so-called sales tax in China paid by the merchants is often no more than a bargaining chip used by buyers to obtain a lower price. Unless you're shopping at big department store, 9 times out of 10, merchants won't give out a tax receipt unless you ask them and sometimes not even then.

 

Wrong again. Is this a habit for you?

 

Sales tax is built into prices from the moment of manufacture. Only a moron would not recover the tax he paid when purchasing the products he sells from his supplier. Whatever negative aspects people would like to imply about Chinese merchants, they are not stupid.

 

You are thinking of the receipt merchants give customers make a purchase. This is called a "fapiao" and is in no way an indication of whether or not someone pays sales tax.

 

The money you save -- if any -- when not obtaining a fapiao is directly related to the money the merchant saves on income tax and the approximately 5% additional levy for the fapiao fee levied by the tax bureau.

 

 

Bill - he's gone - hit the road - unregistered

[GZBILL]

Just got the tax bill for my house in Zhongshan. Y'all see what all this tawkin caused?

 

TAX BILL??? Whatcha talkin' about cuzin??? You know we've got houses all over and I've never paid 1 jiao for tax...Have I???

 

 

Yes you have cuzin Roggie. You jes didn't know it.

 

Well we are payin' a ton o' Chaiman Maos to get these stoopid "books"... Is that a tax???

 

Actually I was expecting this tax but I wasn't sure when it was supposed to be given. Well I just got the news that it is to be paid when the house is finished and you want to get the keys. My tax came in at 2.7%. Now the way I understand this (don't beat me up if I am wrong ), this is a one time lifetime tax fee for this property. This is the way it was for my wife when she purchased her last house in 1995.

 

So yes, the good news is that we have the keys!!! Time to get busy!

 

Usually taxes are paid up front when the property is first purchased. After the construction is finished and you can move in, usual fees due at that time include water / gas / electricity meter installation and connection fees. Without going back over all my records, this could probably equal another percent or two of the initial property cost.

 

There is also a 3% maintanence escrow fee sometimes required. This fee was eliminated by the government a couple of years ago, but it may still apply to land assigned for development on or before a certain date.

 

Just because you get your house in, say, 2008 and you have 70 years of usage rights does not at all mean those rights expire in 2078. Usage rights start running from the moment the developer is granted use of the land. This may often be several years before they even begin construction on the land. That same concept applies to various fees that were once charged, but have since been eliminated.

 

Property ownership books (deeds) are usually B4 sized books with either a red or green cover. You usually don't receive them (at least in Guangzhou, Beijing or Shanghai) until at least a year or more after you move into your apartment. Depending on which bank, if any, you obtain your mortgage from, you may not get the deed at all until your mortgage is paid in full.

[chilton747]

Just got the tax bill for my house in Zhongshan. Y'all see what all this tawkin caused?

 

TAX BILL??? Whatcha talkin' about cuzin??? You know we've got houses all over and I've never paid 1 jiao for tax...Have I???

 

 

Yes you have cuzin Roggie. You jes didn't know it.

 

Well we are payin' a ton o' Chaiman Maos to get these stoopid "books"... Is that a tax???

 

Actually I was expecting this tax but I wasn't sure when it was supposed to be given. Well I just got the news that it is to be paid when the house is finished and you want to get the keys. My tax came in at 2.7%. Now the way I understand this (don't beat me up if I am wrong ), this is a one time lifetime tax fee for this property. This is the way it was for my wife when she purchased her last house in 1995.

 

So yes, the good news is that we have the keys!!! Time to get busy!

 

Usually taxes are paid up front when the property is first purchased. After the construction is finished and you can move in, usual fees due at that time include water / gas / electricity meter installation and connection fees. Without going back over all my records, this could probably equal another percent or two of the initial property cost.

 

There is also a 3% maintanence escrow fee sometimes required. This fee was eliminated by the government a couple of years ago, but it may still apply to land assigned for development on or before a certain date.

 

Just because you get your house in, say, 2008 and you have 70 years of usage rights does not at all mean those rights expire in 2078. Usage rights start running from the moment the developer is granted use of the land. This may often be several years before they even begin construction on the land. That same concept applies to various fees that were once charged, but have since been eliminated.

 

Property ownership books (deeds) are usually B4 sized books with either a red or green cover. You usually don't receive them (at least in Guangzhou, Beijing or Shanghai) until at least a year or more after you move into your apartment. Depending on which bank, if any, you obtain your mortgage from, you may not get the deed at all until your mortgage is paid in full.

 

Thanks for the info Bill. I'll make a note of that. My wife arrived at the house a week ago and said she had to wait on the utilities to be turned on before most of the work to finish the place could begin. She called it a "tax fee" but that certainly could have been the only way she knew to describe it to me. The amount came to 2.7% of the total agreed price on the contract. At least, whenever I get the deed, it should be legit.

[LaurenAmber]

Bill - he's gone - hit the road - unregistered

 

I just noticed that. Wtf?? Can't handle some debate?

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Bill - he's gone - hit the road - unregistered

 

I just noticed that. Wtf?? Can't handle some debate?

 

I think it started getting a little personal yesterday. Not so much about debate anymore.

 

[Dennis143]

Bill - he's gone - hit the road - unregistered

 

I just noticed that. Wtf?? Can't handle some debate?

 

I think it started getting a little personal yesterday. Not so much about debate anymore.

 

Smart man, yet always seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Too bad he couldn't hang, he had good knowledge and details of the workings and goings on day to day living in China.

[hakkamike]

Bill - he's gone - hit the road - unregistered

 

I just noticed that. Wtf?? Can't handle some debate?

 

I think it started getting a little personal yesterday. Not so much about debate anymore.

 

Smart man, yet always seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Too bad he couldn't hang, he had good knowledge and details of the workings and goings on day to day living in China.

Yep, he is one of the smart ones in leaving lol lol

Edited November 1, 2008 by hakkamike (see edit history)

[Guest Rob & Jin]

this thread is confusing

 

income tax is on a sliding scale in China, Jin says most (workers) dont pay anything.

 

They pay a small amount for pention, thats about it.

 

 

property tax she says has never heard of it, no-one in her family has ever paid it.

 

 

she says there is no tax on stuff you buy from shops.

 

 

All I can say is you guys must be living, visiting, working for and buying houses/goods in the wrong places/ provinces or through the wrong poeple.

Edited November 1, 2008 by Rob & Jin (see edit history)

[Dennis143]

this thread is confusing

 

income tax is on a sliding scale in China, Jin says most (workers) dont pay anything.

 

They pay a small amount for pention, thats about it.

 

 

property tax she says has never heard of it, no-one in her family has ever paid it.

 

 

she says there is no tax on stuff you buy from shops.

 

 

All I can say is you guys must be living, visiting, working for and buying houses/goods in the wrong places or through the wrong poeple.

No sure, but I do believe there's a different set of tax rules for expats working and living in China, Rob.

[chilton747]

this thread is confusing

 

income tax is on a sliding scale in China, Jin says most (workers) dont pay anything.

 

They pay a small amount for pention, thats about it.

 

 

property tax she says has never heard of it, no-one in her family has ever paid it.

 

 

she says there is no tax on stuff you buy from shops.

 

 

All I can say is you guys must be living, visiting, working for and buying houses/goods in the wrong places or through the wrong poeple.

No sure, but I do believe there's a different set of tax rules for expats working and living in China, Rob.

 

Also it is a possibility that the taxes are embedded so that the people do not realize it.

[chilton747]

Just got the tax bill for my house in Zhongshan. Y'all see what all this tawkin caused?

 

TAX BILL??? Whatcha talkin' about cuzin??? You know we've got houses all over and I've never paid 1 jiao for tax...Have I???

 

 

Yes you have cuzin Roggie. You jes didn't know it.

 

Well we are payin' a ton o' Chaiman Maos to get these stoopid "books"... Is that a tax???

 

Actually I was expecting this tax but I wasn't sure when it was supposed to be given. Well I just got the news that it is to be paid when the house is finished and you want to get the keys. My tax came in at 2.7%. Now the way I understand this (don't beat me up if I am wrong ), this is a one time lifetime tax fee for this property. This is the way it was for my wife when she purchased her last house in 1995.

 

So yes, the good news is that we have the keys!!! Time to get busy!

 

Usually taxes are paid up front when the property is first purchased. After the construction is finished and you can move in, usual fees due at that time include water / gas / electricity meter installation and connection fees. Without going back over all my records, this could probably equal another percent or two of the initial property cost.

 

There is also a 3% maintanence escrow fee sometimes required. This fee was eliminated by the government a couple of years ago, but it may still apply to land assigned for development on or before a certain date.

 

Just because you get your house in, say, 2008 and you have 70 years of usage rights does not at all mean those rights expire in 2078. Usage rights start running from the moment the developer is granted use of the land. This may often be several years before they even begin construction on the land. That same concept applies to various fees that were once charged, but have since been eliminated.

 

Property ownership books (deeds) are usually B4 sized books with either a red or green cover. You usually don't receive them (at least in Guangzhou, Beijing or Shanghai) until at least a year or more after you move into your apartment. Depending on which bank, if any, you obtain your mortgage from, you may not get the deed at all until your mortgage is paid in full.

 

Thanks for the info Bill. I'll make a note of that. My wife arrived at the house a week ago and said she had to wait on the utilities to be turned on before most of the work to finish the place could begin. She called it a "tax fee" but that certainly could have been the only way she knew to describe it to me. The amount came to 2.7% of the total agreed price on the contract. At least, whenever I get the deed, it should be legit.

 

Just finished chatting with the wife and she said indeed it is the taxes that we owe. She said we did not pay the taxes when we purchased the house. I guess it is different for different cities.

[IllinoisDave]

Also the so-called sales tax in China paid by the merchants is often no more than a bargaining chip used by buyers to obtain a lower price. Unless you're shopping at big department store, 9 times out of 10, merchants won't give out a tax receipt unless you ask them and sometimes not even then.

 

Wrong again. Is this a habit for you?

 

Sales tax is built into prices from the moment of manufacture. Only a moron would not recover the tax he paid when purchasing the products he sells from his supplier. Whatever negative aspects people would like to imply about Chinese merchants, they are not stupid.

 

You are thinking of the receipt merchants give customers make a purchase. This is called a "fapiao" and is in no way an indication of whether or not someone pays sales tax.

 

The money you save -- if any -- when not obtaining a fapiao is directly related to the money the merchant saves on income tax and the approximately 5% additional levy for the fapiao fee levied by the tax bureau.

 

 

Bill - he's gone - hit the road - unregistered

Too bad. Mike and I disagreed...often. But he never made it personal and IMHO didn't spew a lot of BS just to keep a debate going. Sure, on occasion he could be fairly earnest in making his points but, then again, aren't we all sometimes?

[Guest Rob & Jin]

Also the so-called sales tax in China paid by the merchants is often no more than a bargaining chip used by buyers to obtain a lower price. Unless you're shopping at big department store, 9 times out of 10, merchants won't give out a tax receipt unless you ask them and sometimes not even then.

 

Wrong again. Is this a habit for you?

 

Sales tax is built into prices from the moment of manufacture. Only a moron would not recover the tax he paid when purchasing the products he sells from his supplier. Whatever negative aspects people would like to imply about Chinese merchants, they are not stupid.

 

You are thinking of the receipt merchants give customers make a purchase. This is called a "fapiao" and is in no way an indication of whether or not someone pays sales tax.

 

The money you save -- if any -- when not obtaining a fapiao is directly related to the money the merchant saves on income tax and the approximately 5% additional levy for the fapiao fee levied by the tax bureau.

 

 

Bill - he's gone - hit the road - unregistered

Too bad. Mike and I disagreed...often. But he never made it personal and IMHO didn't spew a lot of BS just to keep a debate going. Sure, on occasion he could be fairly earnest in making his points but, then again, aren't we all sometimes?

 

 

 

Agree shame he left , I thought he contributed well here.

[chilton747]

Also the so-called sales tax in China paid by the merchants is often no more than a bargaining chip used by buyers to obtain a lower price. Unless you're shopping at big department store, 9 times out of 10, merchants won't give out a tax receipt unless you ask them and sometimes not even then.

 

Wrong again. Is this a habit for you?

 

Sales tax is built into prices from the moment of manufacture. Only a moron would not recover the tax he paid when purchasing the products he sells from his supplier. Whatever negative aspects people would like to imply about Chinese merchants, they are not stupid.

 

You are thinking of the receipt merchants give customers make a purchase. This is called a "fapiao" and is in no way an indication of whether or not someone pays sales tax.

 

The money you save -- if any -- when not obtaining a fapiao is directly related to the money the merchant saves on income tax and the approximately 5% additional levy for the fapiao fee levied by the tax bureau.

 

 

Bill - he's gone - hit the road - unregistered

Too bad. Mike and I disagreed...often. But he never made it personal and IMHO didn't spew a lot of BS just to keep a debate going. Sure, on occasion he could be fairly earnest in making his points but, then again, aren't we all sometimes?

 

 

 

Agree shame he left , I thought he contributed well here.

 

Maybe he will come back I hope.