Splitting up to move on up

Couples in Beijing and Shanghai are considering divorce to buy a new home as rumors stoke anxiety over rule changes for property purchases

Beijing civil servant Li Zhen and his wife face a difficult decision: The couple may need to divorce to realize their dream of a bigger and nicer home.

If they do not split, at least legally, they may have to pay up to 1 million yuan ($150,000) in income tax if they sell either of their two small apartments, according to the current real estate policy. This would make their plan to upgrade financially impossible.