ThePaper.cn:

In 2023, China added 2.22899 trillion yuan in new tax and fee reductions and tax rebates and deferrals. Could you introduce the specific situation? In addition, which market entities have been the main beneficiaries? And what new considerations are there in 2024 in this regard? Thank you.

Wang Jianfan:

Thank you for your questions. In 2023, in accordance with the requirements of the proactive fiscal policy to be more efficient, more targeted and more sustainable, we coordinated the needs of corporate relief and fiscal affordability, and gave further priority to make our work more forward-looking, consistent and targeted. We extended and further refined preferential tax and fee policies. At the same time, we focused on certain areas and key links, accurately implemented a batch of new preferential tax and fee policies, truly supported the development of enterprises facing difficulties, and promoted the sustained recovery of the national economy, ensuring that the economy maintained growth momentum.

On the one hand, more than 70 expired preferential tax and fee policies were extended and refined in batches. Early last year, we had clearly extended and refined some of the preferential tax and fee policies before they expired. In the second half of the year, we continued to extend and refine a group of expired preferential tax and fee policies based on changes in the economic situation. Most of the policies will be extended directly until the end of 2027. With a focus on improving supply quality and expanding effective demand, these policies aim to provide major support for micro and small enterprises and self-employed individuals, help the real economy to get stronger and do better, build our self-reliance and strength in science and technology, increase incomes and expand consumption to meet people's basic living needs, stabilize foreign trade and investment, and support the healthy development of capital markets.

On the other hand, we focused on certain areas and key links to accurately implement new preferential tax and fee policies, mainly through the following actions. We implemented the policy of value-added tax (VAT) credit refunds in the advanced manufacturing sector to support high-quality development of manufacturing. We increased the super deduction rate of research and development expenses of integrated circuit and industrial mother-machine enterprises to enhance scientific and technological innovation. We raised the standard for special additional personal income tax deductions for care of infants and young children under the age of 3, children's education, and care of the elderly, to further reduce the burden of childbearing, childrearing and elderly care. Preferential tax treatment was given to construction and transactions of government-subsidized housing to ensure and improve people's well-being.

According to statistics from related departments, among all the newly implemented tax and fee reductions and tax rebates and deferrals nationwide in 2023, new tax and fee reductions totaled approximately 1.57 trillion yuan, and VAT credit refunds were around 650 billion yuan. In terms of industries, the manufacturing and related wholesale and retail industries added nearly 950 billion yuan in tax and fee reductions and tax rebates and deferrals, accounting for 42.6% of the total, the highest proportion of tax preferential treatment among all industries. In terms of the scale of enterprises, the new tax and fee reductions and tax rebates and deferrals for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises were about 1.43 trillion yuan, accounting for 64% of the total, and they were the most obvious beneficiaries.

In 2024, we will fully implement the deployments of the Central Economic Work Conference, carry out structural tax and fee reduction policies, maintain the continuity and stability of policies, enhance their accuracy and pertinence, and focus on supporting technological innovation and manufacturing development. We will strengthen policy supply, and promote the economy to achieve effective qualitative improvements and reasonable quantitative growth. Thank you.