TAX police hit hard at counterfeiters and fraudsters yesterday when three men were executed for making up illegal tax claims.
The Supreme People's Court passed death sentences on the men, who were executed by their provincial governments the same day, two in Guangdong and the other in Liaoning province, said Xinhua (the New China News Agency).
The executions were the first since the National People's Congress Standing Committee agreed last month to raise the penalties for VAT fraud.
Under the tax system in China, businesses can claim rebates from the Government using VAT invoices.
According to Xinhua, company manager Chen Songnan, of Chaoyang City, in Guangdong province, had been found guilty of issuing VAT invoices worth more than 150 million yuan (HK$139.5 million) without authorisation since September last year. Xinhua said his invoices cost the state 9.86 million yuan.
The other condemned men were Shi Wanxiong, of Shantou, who was convicted of issuing VAT invoices worth 2.61 million yuan without authorisation and You Tianyou of Shenyang, Liaoning province, convicted of forging VAT invoices.
Another invoice forger Xu Gang, in Sichuan province, was given a suspended death sentence. He was spared because he reported an escape plan by five inmates - four of whom faced execution.
