Last September, the personal income tax threshold was raised from 2,000 yuan ($317) to 3,500 yuan.

But people were happy for a while, many are now finding the tax burden is becoming heavy again as the prices of daily commodities keep rising.

Hence we were happy to hear voices at this year's annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference calling for tax to be levied on a household's disposable income rather than an individual's net income.

As couples vary greatly in the amount they have to pay to support their parents and their children, especially medical bills for their senior family members and education for their children, the authorities need to consider further amendments to the personal income tax rules as soon as possible.

Suan nai, via e-mail

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(China Daily 03/20/2012 page9)