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Coal tax to be based on sales

China will levy a resource tax on coal based on sales rather than production from Dec 1, and the rate will be between 2 and 10 percent, taxation authorities said on Saturday. The Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation said in a joint statement that the tax rate will be decided by provincial governments within the range. In addition, "resource compensation fees" will be ceded starting Dec 1 to reduce the financial burden on coal miners, most of whom have been affected by the falling prices, according to the statement. The move is part of ongoing tax reform in the coal sector initiated at a State Council executive meeting late September.

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