Business Taxes
"I wonder if Lord Xiao Yao is asking about the Empire's annual income and expenditure?”Prime Minister Li Si narrowed his eyes and asked.
Deputy Xiao Yao understood that he had asked this question. This was a sensitive point in the empire. If you asked an ordinary person about their annual income and expenditure, who would tell you? No matter how good their relationship was, as long as they were not husband and wife, no one would tell you the truth. They might even think that you had some ulterior motives.
"Lord Li Si, please don't panic. Liang has no ill intentions. I believe that the country's annual income basically comes from the agricultural taxes on ordinary people.”Deputy Xiaoyao Ying Liang said.
"Yes, I am." Prime Minister Li Si replied.
"Then may I ask, Sir Li Si, how much profit can a merchant make from a single trip?”Deputy Xiao Yao asked.
"Hmm? I'm afraid it's hard to say." Of course, Prime Minister Li Si knew how much profit a merchant could make from a single trip, but he couldn't say it because the profits were too great.
Nowadays, those who engaged in business were basically the nobles and aristocratic families of the Empire. The interests involved were very large. Coupled with the greed of human nature, no one wanted to give up this part of the interests that originally belonged to them.
Deputy Xiao Yao Ying Liang knew this as well, so he did not believe Prime Minister Li Si's words at all. Would you believe that a manager who was in charge of the country's affairs outside of military affairs would not know about the profits of business?
Deputy Xiaoyao Ying Liang said," Perhaps Lord Li Si is in a high position all year round and doesn't know about peddlers. However, I grew up in a hunter's family and know about folk life. According to what I know, a hunter can earn more than a thousand Qin and a half taels from selling the prey they obtain from the forest in a month.”
"Your Majesty, just think about it. An ordinary hunter can earn up to a thousand and a half taels a month. Although it's not possible to earn that much every month in a year, it's possible to earn that much in September and October out of the twelve months in a year. This way, there will be nearly ten thousand and a half taels a year.”
"In addition, since ancient times, merchants have always been 'the world's prosperity is for profit'. Just before Your Majesty unified the six countries of Shandong, they bought goods from the Qi Kingdom and transported them to the Qin Kingdom for sale. Their value could earn tens of thousands of times the profit.”
"Previously, due to the war, the price of goods was very high. However, now that His Majesty has unified the six countries of Shandong, although the price of goods will decrease, the profit will still be no less than ten thousand times.”
"Therefore, if Your Majesty can levy taxes on business, then I believe that the annual financial income of the Empire will definitely increase by several times.”
Qin Shihuang, Ying Zheng, could not even imagine what was going on. As the ruler of the empire, he was well aware of the annual income of the empire. Now that he heard that Deputy Xiaoyao, Ying Liang, could multiply it by several times, how rich would the empire be? Even Qin Shihuang, who had unified the empire, could not imagine such a figure.
"Is Duke Xiaoyao's words true?" Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, looked at Ying Liang with a burning gaze and said.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Shangye's tax was not too high. It was only 20% of the price of the goods sold. He believed that the empire's annual income would definitely double. This would greatly reduce the pressure on the common people's taxes and make them rich. The empire's national strength would definitely be able to support the war to conquer the world.”Deputy Xiaoyao Ying Liang said.
That's right, the business tax was the magic weapon prepared by Ying Liang, the Deputy of Xiao Yao. Only by solving the income problem of the Great Qin Empire could the First Emperor of Qin, Ying Zheng, reduce the taxes of the common people and use it to recuperate.
This way, they could avoid rebellions to the greatest extent. After all, the first rebellion in history that was led by commoners was the Great Marsh Village uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang at the end of Great Qin's reign.
Even though the historical background was because of the Great Wall, Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum, Epang Palace, and other labor forces, the main reason was because of Great Qin's heavy taxes.
In fact, in ancient times, for an ordinary family, having food to eat was the most fundamental wish.
When the ruler couldn't let the ordinary people of the country eat, one could imagine how difficult the lives of the ordinary people were. At this time, someone jumped out and said,'I can lead everyone to eat, but you have to come with me.'，To the ordinary people of ancient times, as long as they could eat their fill and not die, it did not matter who ruled. That was why Great Qin had been destroyed in less than three generations.
Perhaps some people would say that the destruction of Great Qin was caused by Zhao Gao, Li Si, and the others who tampered with the posthumous edict and allowed the 18th son, Huhai, to succeed the throne.
However, this was only one aspect. During the Ming Dynasty, many emperors ignored government affairs. Even the Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun had not attended court for nearly 30 years since he ascended the throne, but it was not as if there were no rebellions.
In the end, the ordinary people would only rebel if they could not survive. Otherwise, the ordinary people would not care who ruled them.
After thinking for a moment, Qin Shihuang Ying Zheng said,""Alright, then Li Si will be in charge of collecting taxes for the merchants.”
"Ah, this, is, Your Majesty." Prime Minister Li Si did not expect that this matter, which involved most of the nobles and aristocratic families, would fall on him.
"However, I feel that 20% of the tax is too little. Since the goods can earn nearly 10,000 times the profit, then set it at 90%.”Qin Shihuang, Ying Zheng, said in a tone that would not stop until he was dead.
Not only was Prime Minister Li Si surprised, even Deputy Xiao Yao Ying Liang was stunned.
"Your Majesty, you can't do that." It was impossible to collect such a high tax.”
"Moreover, such a high tax will ultimately be borne by the ordinary people. If the empire sets such a high tax, it will definitely make the merchants unable to do business. At that time, not only will they not be able to collect taxes, but it will also greatly affect the circulation of the empire's resources. In the end, the empire will be the one who suffers. Your Majesty, please retract your order." Deputy Xiao Yao Ying Liang requested.
"Oh, then tell me what we should do?”Qin Shihuang Ying Zheng said.
" Your Majesty, Liang believes that there should be an empire investigating the cost of sending various goods to different places and setting the price of the goods at one time. This way, the price of the goods will not be inflated. Secondly, it can prevent merchants from falsely reporting their operating income to avoid taxes. Thirdly, it can stabilize the price and will not affect the lives of ordinary people.”Deputy Xiaoyao Ying Liang said.
"At the same time, the empire can also issue laws that specifically govern merchants. This can also ensure the enthusiasm of merchants in doing business. For example, the amount of business tax paid every year can be used to obtain the title of the empire. I believe this can promote the development of the empire.”
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