4 Episode 3 Fiscal Reform Tax Reform (1/2)
The Lemurian Empire was a state with a well-developed centralized system.
In addition, the bureaucracy had advanced considerably during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, and many administrative documents remain.
Hercule spent three months reading the administrative materials and documents available at ...... for about fifty years, and then read one hundred and fifty years' worth of administrative materials at five-year intervals to create a statistical graph.
He then compared the movements of the graphs with the famines, wars, new laws, and councils that had occurred in the Lemurian Empire.
He came to a conclusion.
”So it's the decline in tax collection ability and the increase in military spending.
Hercule summoned all the bureaucrats of the Lemurian Empire.
The bureaucrats looked anxious, wondering what the new emperor would say to them.
In response, Hercule put on a calm face and asked one of the bureaucrats.
”Mr. Krol?
Yes, sir!
The new human bureaucrat's heart leapt.
Of course.
The Emperor of Lemuria, reputed to be the ”God's representative on earth,” had approached him directly.
The fact that he remembered his name also made him nervous.
The Emperor remembers the name of a mere new bureaucrat!
It confused him.
Tell me about our tax system.
Yes, yes!
There are six main tax systems in the Empire.
Land tax.
Per capita tax.
Commercial tax.
Tariffs
War dues
Emancipation tax.
Add to this the salt monopoly.
”I see. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Krol.
Hercule takes a sip of his coffee and declares.
”The capitation tax, commerce tax, customs duty, emancipation tax, and salt monopoly are all abolished or revised.
What?
The bureaucrats' expressions hardened as if to say, ”What?
What Hercule was saying was too sudden for them to grasp.
But little by little, the bureaucrats began to understand his intentions.
He's going to radically change the tax system.
And.
Change is scary.
Because change can make things worse than before.
Right now, I'm getting by. So it's better not to change.
Many people fall into that trap and are afraid of reform.
But Hercule was not afraid at all.
Why?
For the sake of ”doing whatever it takes,” the risk of the country tipping over is insignificant!
This is indeed a joke. (It may be a joke, but it is a true one. ......)
Hercule had confidence in himself.
He was confident that what he was doing was absolutely right.
”Hey, Your Majesty! That's .......
”Wait, wait, I'll explain. Wait, wait, I'm going to explain it to you now, and you can disagree only after you hear what I have to say.
”Wait, wait, wait.
It was a list of residents of a certain village for the purpose of collecting a per capita tax.
”What do you think of this? Chlor-kun.
”Well, let's see, .......
The new bureaucrat, who was strangely favored by Hercule, said what he thought with a nervous look on his face.
I think it's all women .......
You're right! Other than that, there are far too many people with physical disabilities!
The per capita tax in the Lemurian Empire is heavier for men than for women.
In the Lemurian Empire, the per capita tax is heavier for men than for women. Also, people with physical disabilities, such as ...... missing limbs, blindness or deafness, are exempted from the tax to some extent, depending on their severity.
At first, the peasants took the report seriously.
But at some point, they realized something.
They could lie and not be noticed.
The presence or absence of eye or hearing impairment is self-reported.
As long as the person says so, there is no way for the officials to check.
Also, if you visit the house of a person who says, ”My family consists of two boys and four girls (actually, four boys and two girls!). It would take a lot of time and effort to go into the house of a person who declares, ”My family consists of two men and four women (although there are really four men and two women!)” and check if the declaration is correct and if the person is not dressed as a woman.