Cutting Down on Fake Receipts in China

Remember how outlets and establishments in Beijing had begun to issue computer-based receipts to customers a few years ago? Many of us would remember the move as one which aimed to increase transparency in China.

According to Dali Yang in Remaking the Chinese Leviathan, Market Transition and the Politics of Governance in China, the Golden Tax Project adopted nationwide has helped to cut down on fake receipts, as well as boost transparency.

Various cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou (苏州) have also introduced computer-generated "lotteries" for receipts from restaurants and other businesses so as to encourage customers to demand receipts, and thus force these businesses to pay taxes.

Come to think of it, it was actually quite fun to find a coin and scratch those "lotteries", though I never seem to have any luck whatsoever. But I have heard stories of people, including a few acquaintances, who had won small amounts of money - the largest amount being 100 yuan - from these "lotteries".