Chapter 666: Chapter 380, It is necessary to maintain respect for Gu Hang
Regarding how much tax each world should pay, the Empire had established standards: total population × 0.1 × development coefficient.
For planets like Rage Owl Star, Heijian Star, and Korolya, which all have the lowest development coefficient of level 1, they pay ten percent of their total population; for a place like Flying Wing Star, with a development coefficient of level 5, it has to pay 50% tax on its total population.
This seems simple and clear, but in reality, determining the tax amount for each planet is a very complex matter.
First, it is not possible to change this in real-time. The Empire’s Tax Fleet can only visit the Tianma Star Sector once every two years; some places that are more remote and of lower value might only have a visit every five or ten years. There have even been planets that haven’t paid taxes in a hundred years and thought they had been forgotten by the Empire, but then suddenly the Tax Fleet would arrive, demanding a hundred years’ worth of taxes…
Generally speaking, for a planet, it is impossible to calculate the population and the degree of development every year to determine the tax amount.
Second, even if confirmed every few years, the accuracy of the population statistics and the reasonableness of the development level assessment are questionable. Even though the Empire has clear and detailed indices for measuring development level, when it comes to each individual world, there are myriad possibilities that require specific case-by-case analysis. Applying these indices robotically is not just inappropriate; it’s downright unworkable.
…
In such cases, the statistical counting of the population and the calculation of the development level rely heavily on the ability of the officials and implementers—or to some extent, they can even use their own discretion.
And this power has been delegated to the Star Sector Governments. After they finish calculating the data, they will report it to the Star Domain. If the Planetary Government disagrees, they also can appeal upwards—whether the Star Domain Government cares or not is another matter, but the option is there.
The Star Sector Governments do not directly collect taxes, nor do they have direct jurisdiction over the various planets in the star sector, and to mobilize forces within the star sector, they have to report to higher authorities. They don’t even have a clearly defined Military Affairs Department, Legal Department, and such structures, though they do have some related functions.
However, determining tax amounts remains a significant power and responsibility.
The Tianma Star Sector re-evaluates every ten years. One year later, following the arrival of the Tax Fleet from the Star Domain Government, the taxation is completed according to the last determined tax amount; after that, the next cycle will be based on the new tax amount.
Although there is still one year until the tax amount is fixed, the associated work must start now, or there will not be enough time.
Owing to the special nature of the Alliance’s system and its recognition by the Star Domain Government, the three planets under the Alliance are calculated together for their tax amount. Once calculated, reduce it by forty billion, and that will be the tax to pay over the next six years. After six years, add the forty billion back.
Gu Hang was initially somewhat worried.
His relationship with the Star Sector Government was not too good.
After Pei Desi’s death, the so-called “favor” of promotion was gone; during the time when he, the Gu Family, and Fufana led the opposition against the disgusting political fight between the then Star Sector Government and the Fatches Family, and after completely separating from the Star Sector Government’s faction to establish a neutral third faction, the relationship had become even colder; not to mention, later on, when the Star Sector Government wanted to pin the worsening situation of Korolya indefinitely as a crime of the Fatches Family, intending to nail them for good, but Gu Hang’s takeover of Korolya, though it involved taking this heavily populated planet from the Fatches, also indirectly saved them.
If Korolya had remained in the Fatches Family’s hands and the situation deteriorated to the point where the Star Domain Government had to withdraw the main forces from the frontline of the Iron Teeth War to defend, or even be forced to issue an Extinction Order for Korolya, then Fatches would be done for, certainly facing severe accountability.
And it was precisely because of this that the Fatches Family, which was really at a loss at that time, was eager to wash their hands of Korolya; otherwise, Gu Hang would not have been able to take over so quickly.
Of course, in this matter, Fatches would not thank Gu Hang, as the Dragonhawk 3rd Corps had been taken away as well.
The Star Sector Government also wouldn’t harbor any goodwill towards Gu Hang, and in fact, became even more estranged.
Given such circumstances, would the Star Sector Government try to trip him up in determining this round of tax amounts?
At least they had the motive.
The Star Domain Government was also likely to tacitly agree.
For Korolya to be exempt from taxes for six years was worth more than twenty billion. The Star Domain Government certainly wouldn’t renege, but if the Star Sector Government quietly raised the tax amount, what did that have to do with me?
You’ve already been exempted from more than twenty billion in taxes, what’s the problem with paying a little more?
But to Gu Hang, this was quite annoying.
In reality, though, the anticipated difficulties did not occur.
Certainly, Gu Hang would not meet with those workgroups himself, but from the reports he received from government officials across the Alliance’s three stars, he could see that these workgroups from the Star Sector Government were quite honest.
They neither troubled the local governments nor exhibited any particular distrust that warranted their own investigations. They basically just looked at the data reported by the Alliance Government and then approved it.
This of course could be considered an act of extending goodwill, which even surprised Gu Hang a little.
What exactly did the so-called “Parliamentary Faction” currently in power of the Star Sector Government want to do?
And soon, an even greater act of goodwill was placed before Gu Hang: Korolya I.