quote:Hong Kong Faces Huge Budget Surplus.
The government's $13.5 billion surplus is expected to lead to one-time tax cuts and grants, but few general tax reductions.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) says the Hong Kong government is likely to hand taxpayers between HK$34.8 billion ($4.5 billion) and $37.8 billion in one-off tax cuts and grants as it decides what to do with its mounting budget surplus.
"The government will not want to systematise tax reductions, but it will be looking at one-off grants to taxpayers, as a way to give some of that surplus back," says Guy Ellis, a tax partner at PWC, at a press conference in Hong Kong.
But the one-off cuts will barely put a dent in the HK$105 billion ($13.5 billion) budget surplus that PWC is forecasting for 2007/2008.
The final consolidated surplus (or budget surplus, which can be seen as the equivalent of an individual's current account) will be the biggest on record for Hong Kong.
In line with past pledges to return excess money to the community, PWC estimates the government could spend: HK$20 billion on one-off salaries and profits tax rebates; HK$3 billion on adjusting some marginal tax bands; HK$0.8 billion on decreasing the standard tax rate; HK$10 billion on waiving quarterly property rates; HK$0.3 billion on reducing stamp duty; HK$4.2 billion on decreasing the profits tax; and HK$0.8 billion on reducing salaries tax. But it will only spend between HK$2 billion and HK$3 billion in increases in grants to vulnerable groups such as children, dependent parents and grandparents, single parents and those with disabled dependents.
Ook interessant:
quote:Hele artikel (waaruit nogal wat haken en ogen naar voren komen) http://www.businessweek.c(...)b20080118_254425.htmHong Kong's tax base is highly unusual. Despite the low tax rate by Western standards, the top 200,000 taxpayers pay 80% of total tax. That equates to just 40,000 people paying 60% of all income tax. In the corporate sector, 800 companies pay 60% of the profit tax. Two-thirds of the working population of 3.7 million don't pay income tax at all. This is not necessarily a good thing, as not paying tax removes incentives from the population to monitor its government.
Daar doen ze het in ieder geval een heel stuk beter en slimmer dan hier in NL.
quote:Zie topictitel.Op dinsdag 3 februari 2009 09:09 schreef Hardrebel het volgende:
Kan je misschien ook een samenvattig in het NL plaatsen?
Dan zou het wel eens 105 miljard op een gloeiende plaat kunnen zijn.
Maar qua uitgangspunt hebben ze hun balans beter op orde dan Amerikaanse staten. Hier schrijven ze nog wel zwarte cijfers.... nog wel.
quote:Op dinsdag 3 februari 2009 09:34 schreef PietjePuk007 het volgende:
Geeft dit de verdeling tussen arm en rijk in China niet perfect weer? Ik weet niet of dit wel zo'n positief bericht is, als je zo'n bericht over Bloemendaal gaat opstellen komt 't er ook wel positief uit.
quote:Nog meer tax-cuts, en nog meer financiele hulp voor de zwakkeren in de maatschappij.In line with past pledges to return excess money to the community, PWC estimates the government could spend: HK$20 billion on one-off salaries and profits tax rebates; HK$3 billion on adjusting some marginal tax bands; HK$0.8 billion on decreasing the standard tax rate; HK$10 billion on waiving quarterly property rates; HK$0.3 billion on reducing stamp duty; HK$4.2 billion on decreasing the profits tax; and HK$0.8 billion on reducing salaries tax. But it will only spend between HK$2 billion and HK$3 billion in increases in grants to vulnerable groups such as children, dependent parents and grandparents, single parents and those with disabled dependents.