For on January 4th, the main rate for VAT, a consumption tax, was raised from 17.5% to 20%.

1月4日，增值税(一种消费税)的基准利率从17.5%上升到20%。

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China will raise the consumption tax on high-emission cars and cut tax on low-emission ones from September 1, in an effort to save energy and fight pollution.

为节能和减少污染，我国将从9月1日起提高大排量车的消费税税率，同时降低小排量车消费税税率。

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The new tax is meant to reduce fuel consumption and fight pollution. Rather than further raising the tax on fuel, which increased by almost 20% in June, the government is taxing gas-guzzling cars.

该举措不是继续提高已经于6月份上涨了接近20%的燃油税，而是意在减少燃油消费从而对抗污染：准备对高油耗汽车征税。

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On the economy, the differences among candidates turn on whether a rise in the consumption tax is needed to plug a gaping budget deficit and bring down the high levels of debt incurred when Japan tried to spend its way out of slump in the 1990s.

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Reform-minded upper-house LDP politicians like Mr Hayashi say they would be prepared to support the DPJ on issues such as the consumption tax if it scraps some of its more reckless public-spending proposals, such as universal child allowances.

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The second type of tax reform would replace or supplement the income tax with a broad tax on consumption.

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