forest kingdom

“Not everyone needs to pay inheritance tax.”

Lawrence doesn't want to see inheritance tax as a necessary tax.

Sophia was happy that she could collect money, and when she heard it, she quickly asked, "Why not collect all of them? It would be easier this way."

"That's the problem." Lawrence likes to discuss issues and prove what he is going to do several times to make sure it is in line with the times.

Over the years, Lawrence humbly accepted many opinions, whether from maids or slaves, craftsmen or merchant slaves.

As long as others are willing to express their opinions and Lawrence has time, he is willing to listen and share his understanding with others.

"We now have more than three million people. If all three million people have to pay taxes, we will need to support more tax officials and have to spend more management costs to collect taxes."

"Besides, many people only have food at home and the house I give them. They rent my land and house to work for me."

"I also said that I don't want some people to pay taxes."

"Those families may only have one or two copper coins. If we go to collect taxes from them, we have to send people to the wilderness and spend more than half a day to find them. Moreover, the negotiations will definitely take a lot of time."

"My idea is that money below 100 copper coins does not need to pay inheritance tax, and only towns with a population of more than 50,000 people need to pay inheritance tax on houses and land."

"The nobles' territories and castles, as well as the jobs of craftsmen and some local lords and governors, all need to pay inheritance tax, otherwise I will not recognize their legal status!"

Lawrence agreed with the outside noble lords and consuls to pass power to the next generation.

This is human nature and it is inevitable.

If you do well, it's fine. If you don't, Lawrence will replace you.

If people have to be replaced every few years, the group of people who have been working locally for a long time will instead marginalize the officials who pass through the assembly line.

For Lawrence, who had long planned to implement the feudal system, it didn't matter what system those places used outside. The most important thing was to have someone who could speak and take charge.

Without this person, it would be more difficult for the divided regions to obey the orders of the Star Kingdom.

It should be the early feudal era now. If those who are away from home feel that if they die, their families will fall from nobility to commoners, then these people will definitely have complicated feelings.

Even cruel barbarians hope that their descendants can live a good life and become nobles.

Lawrence has never experienced any system of absolute equality. To him, power inherited through bloodline has always existed and is very common.

So Lawrence didn't want to go through the trouble of challenging everyone's nature and doing something like "the cunning rabbit dies and the good dog is cooked".

Even if the people under their command were replaced, the new nobles would still want their descendants to be nobles for life.

So inheritance tax is already Lawrence's greatest effort, and Lawrence doesn't want to go through too much trouble.

Stella asked, "Do craftsmen also need to pay inheritance tax?"

Lawrence nodded, "Yes, but he can also choose not to pay it and not work in the factory where his father and mother work."

Heidi thought about the industrial families in the Falls City, "Farmers only pay taxes when they inherit land and houses, but how can workers pay taxes when they inherit jobs?"

Lawrence suggested, "Just pay taxes based on your salary. You need to pay two years' salary. I'll need to think about the details for a while."

Salil thought this was not good, "Workers have to pay taxes when they inherit their jobs? I think this is a bit bad. Such tiring work is not a good thing, and it is too miserable to have to pay money to work."

Salil and Stella are considered the moral ceiling among witches.

Lawrence explained: "You don't understand what's going on here. The workers earn a lot, and their living standards are much higher than the farmers outside."

"Especially in recent years, I have distributed a lot of money to them, and there are three or four rewards every year. These people are the easiest to eat meat besides the nobles and soldiers."

"If they don't like it, they can just not inherit it, and all the estate taxes can be refused, so they don't have to pay taxes on things they don't want."

"Moreover," Lawrence changed his sitting position and said with a smile, "Each family can only allow one child to work in the factory with one parent. The other children can find their own way out and do not need to pay inheritance tax."

Lawrence planned to absorb some people from other groups as craftsmen so as not to block the flow routes.

If the children of craftsmen were all allowed to become craftsmen, then men and women of that era would bring their entire families into the factory and easily turn the factory into their family business.

In this way, most factories will soon become obsolete and produce shoddy products.

Salier looked at Heidi, "Are those workers willing to let their children be workers?"

Heidi nodded. "That's right. I often go to Ironforge. There are old people working with young people there."

"Working together doesn't mean you are willing to work." Salil defended seriously, "Many children help adults work in the fields, not because they like working. This is a truth I have understood since I was a child."

Heidi said calmly, "Your childhood seems unhappy. I understand."

Lawrence didn't expect that Heidi could now talk to Salir like this.

"Heidi, Salil is your sister, and one of the few smart and hardworking women here. Your childhood is a thing of the past. Don't mention it again."

Heidi bowed her head respectfully, "Yes, Master."

Salil explained at this time: "I have forgotten things from my childhood, but it doesn't feel like a big deal."

Lawrence changed the subject, "Let's continue with the inheritance tax. In addition to craftsmen, merchants also need to pay inheritance tax if their assets here need heirs. This can be less."

“I will set the range based on the income in these two years.”

"Sariel, Sofia, Heidi, Cassandra, Katherine, and Emma, ​​come and help me."

Lawrence called out several names.

Salier thought of something, "Does Emma's child have to pay taxes too?"

Lawrence looked at Emma who was standing aside.

"Emma's children are different from the children outside. Tim and Clara have lived in our home since they were young and grew up with us."

"They, like Emma, ​​have earned my approval through their own abilities and loyalty, and do not need to pay inheritance tax like many children I don't know."

"Property tax sounds ugly, let's just call it inheritance tax."

After discussing for more than ten minutes, Lawrence first realized that there was a problem with the name.

For most people, they don't want to pay their inheritance tax to others.

Moreover, estate tax can only be triggered after death. Lawrence feels that inheritance tax not only sounds better, but is also more acceptable.

"Inheritance tax doesn't sound good either. It would be better to call it inheritance tax, right?"

Lawrence soon felt that inheritance tax was a better option.

Sally said perfunctorily: "It doesn't matter what you call it, we're just collecting taxes anyway." Lawrence didn't think so. Sometimes a change of name can save a lot of trouble.

Seeing that the meeting was almost over, Kehalan asked, "Witches, warriors, and female guards also need this?"

Lawrence said, "Except for a few of us and a handful of witches, the rest are either farmers with little assets or free men who don't need to inherit. Otherwise, they have to pay taxes."

At this time, Losander understood Lawrence's intentions in the early years.

"So you paid them wages a long time ago and always rewarded them with some copper coins, just to collect them back in the end, just like using fertilizer on the land and collecting wheat and vegetable leaves."

Lawrence had no such idea.

But after hearing what Losander said, the witches around felt that Lawrence had planned it long ago.

"The master is extremely wise! He is worthy of being a prophet!" Sophia, the blonde beauty with big boobs, proudly puffed out her chest and praised the man who had done such an amazing thing.

Lawrence knew that he couldn't explain it clearly, and these witches didn't understand his kindness.

Emma volunteered, "I can pay taxes, too. Tim doesn't have to be the head maid in the future. She can't be a good maid. She just needs to be the head cook in the kitchen. I am willing to pay taxes."

Lawrence nodded and said, "I'll think about how much I want. It will definitely not be more than two years' salary, nor less than three months' salary."

"Two years is fine!" Emma is not short of money, she hopes to spend money in exchange for a stable guarantee.

Lawrence understood Emma's thoughts.

There are definitely not a few people who have this simple idea.

Most people would have the same idea as Emma.

In order to allow their descendants to continue to stay on this fertile land, and to prove their hard work for half a lifetime, most people will pay this tax.

This simple mentality is very easy to understand.

They are no dumber than people in future society.

If they have no place to stand in the land where they have worked for most of their lives, it will be an extremely difficult shame for them to accept if their next generation will not only have to leave the city where they have devoted their lives, but also have to go back to the poor mountain village that they have long forgotten and betrayed.

If they were Valkyrie nobles and warriors, or pirates from Wave Island, it would be even more difficult for them to accept that their descendants had returned to their origins.

Paying inheritance tax can make one's descendants recognized, so wealthy people will pay it.

Even if you have no money, you can borrow some from others, or work and earn some money and pay it back to give your descendants a formal identity.

Lawrence was not in a hurry to implement the inheritance tax, but first sought out people from all walks of life to discuss it.

It's not enough to just rely on the witches' advice, sometimes you have to listen to other people's opinions.

Seravan and Beoff had no objections. Taking advantage of the winter when there was less activity everywhere, Lawrence chatted with the nobles who came to Oak City for pilgrimage.

The mayor of Orange Town, Long-Legs Hall, has lost his legs and now needs his son's support when he walks, and he also has to use a cane.

Although the hard life in his youth strengthened his spirit and body, the long period of bitter and cold life also caused his body to collapse extremely rapidly after entering middle age.

"Merciful Prophet, I am willing to pay this money for my children so that I can rest assured even if I die tomorrow."

Hall is willing to pay inheritance taxes to his children.

Lawrence said: "I have asked many nobles outside. When some great lords and town governors inherited their territories, they would give the king a sum of money."

"This is a land given by God. We shouldn't be worse than them." Lawrence said this in a serious tone.

However, this kind of words is indeed easier for everyone to accept.

Hall said excitedly: "That's right! Great prophet! Our Star Country is not a place where anyone can stay! The gift God gave us should not be given to everyone!"

What Lawrence has always preached is that God loves everyone, and loves the prophets even more.

Normally no one would modify or explain the doctrine in front of him.

But Hall may be too old and confused, and he didn't realize the problem at all, and just directly stated what he thought he understood.

Lawrence soon realized the problem.

Local protectionism has been born!
When the Land of Ice and the Kingdom of Stars are more powerful and richer than many places outside, such things are inevitable.

It’s just that I haven’t come into contact with many people from outside in recent years, and others always pretend to be nice in front of me, so I didn’t notice this matter.

It’s not a bad thing, that’s just how humans are.

Besides, isn't it intentional to bully and attack the poor by showing off my wealth and food for so many years?
A superior material life can attract talents; this is human nature.

People living in wealthy countries do look down on people from poor countries. Even if they hide it better, they will still feel superior.

Only when you have an enemy country can you show your patriotism.

If you look down on outsiders, you will naturally be reluctant to give up your identity as a local.

This group of people are the main taxpayers!

Lawrence found that this was the best time for him to collect inheritance tax.

Right now, there is no better place than the Kingdom of Stars outside, and I have just won a beautiful victory, and everyone is united.

The confident artisan nobles were willing to pay taxes so that their children could also become artisan nobles.

The inheritance tax does not apply to single people or those who have no money and no job.

Those who needed to collect taxes were either nobles working in the city, or craftsmen and merchants in factories, workshops and shops.

These people gathered together in a large group and knew each other well. In addition, they were generally distributed in areas where the army was stationed, making it convenient to pay taxes and it was also easier to escort the taxes to Lawrence's vault.

There is no problem with collecting taxes. Lawrence is sure that this tax system can be implemented at any time, and even the people who pay salaries in various factories can be asked to collect taxes.

The only problem was not the difficulty of taxation, nor that people below were unwilling to pay taxes, but that it took Lawrence a long time to determine the tax rate for each occupation and region.

Military merit and the number of times you have been on the battlefield can offset part of the tax. People who have made great contributions to the country can also be exempted from taxes by a few points. Some inventions and creations can also offset taxes.

Lawrence needs all kinds of talents, but to attract such talents is not only to give them good treatment, but also to provide convenience for their children and families, so that they are willing to move here with their families.

Inheritance tax cannot prevent the inheritance of bloodline identity, and may even increase the power of those pioneers.

But as long as the inheritance tax is implemented stably, most of the wealth can be harvested to prolong the life of the country.

(End of this chapter)