From 1 January, contraceptives will be subject to a 13% VAT rate – part of a carrot-and-stick approach by the government to increase births

China is set to impose a value-added tax (VAT) on condoms and other contraceptives for the first time in three decades, as the country tries to boost its birthrate and modernise its tax laws.

From 1 January, condoms and contraceptives will be subject to a 13% VAT rate – a tax from which the goods have been exempt since China introduced nationwide VAT in 1993.

The measure was buried in a VAT law passed in 2024 in an effort to modernise China’s tax regime. VAT accounts for nearly 40% of China’s total tax revenue.

  • EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com
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    1 hour ago

    So you’re saying that I was right to express concerns in the recent post about China covering childbirth expenses, and that it wouldn’t stop there?

    Original comment:

    As long as people who don’t want to have children aren’t pressured. Not everyone is interested in parenting, and that needs to be accepted.

    Well, that didn’t take long. The other post was earlier this week.

  • eleijeep@piefed.social
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    7 hours ago

    Because children are widely known as being very inexpensive to raise.

    How much is the tax going to be? $20,000 per year?

  • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    That’s… Oh my God. That is such a bad idea, for so many reasons. But I think if the point is to expand your population, specifically the poorest and most uneducated, it hits the mark.

    Oh no… That is the point, isn’t it?

  • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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    13 hours ago

    China is run by morons. Restricting people to 1 child for decades was idiotic and this is nearly as stupid.

    • fluxx@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      This is even more stupid. Even if you succeeded in making people have more unprotected sex, if people don’t want it, you’re still gonna have a bad time. The children who are born unwanted aren’t going to have as good of life as those wanted for many reasons. At least 1 child who was born previously got more resources and had better chances. Though both are stupid decisions, I agree. This one even more. And another reason - you hopefully see you’ve made a stupid decision in the past and should have not meddled with organic needs of people in such an extreme way. So then OBVIOUSLY, the solution is to double down, but in the opposite way. /s

  • CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    Humans have a natural drive to procreate (not just have sex), so if your population doesn’t want to have children, maybe look at what you’re doing to make them avoid this natural proclivity.

    I’d argue the only real solution is a longer leave for both parents without affecting their careers. But it’s generally just not doable with their corporate culture.

  • Tollana1234567@lemmy.today
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    9 hours ago

    and not because of the generations of damage the one-child policy caused after it ended, and the HCOl,a nd the lack of job prospects for the over-degree’d holders that graduated plus the recent evergrande situation. instead they do this or use the invade taiwan rhetoric.

    plus the increasing bitterness towards, china for trying to lure scientists/professionals from the usa to thier industries.

  • xep@discuss.online
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    14 hours ago

    I’m no expert but this really doesn’t seem like the right solve for falling birth rates.

  • antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    15 hours ago

    I don’t know who will find this information helpful but I wish I knew when I was young.

    A woman is only fertile during about 5 days each lunar cycle. Unfortunately those days are the most fun but the other 24 are safer.

    Testicles descend when it’s hot to cool down because heat kills sperm. If you buy a microscope, and dunk your sack in hot water for a few minutes each day, you can become temporarily sterile and verify it with the microscope.

    Finally, there’s a point you can press just in front of your anus that suppresses ejaculation. Any one of those things by itself would be risky but all three and it would be nearly impossible to fertilize an egg.

    • comador @lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      or you could just, you know, get a 16 minute vasectomy procedure and bypass all that.

      Fully reversable if you ever want kids, truly a better option and something I wished I knew when I was younger.

        • comador @lemmy.world
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          14 hours ago

          You can’t make a blatant statement like that without considering age and how long one has had said procedure.

          As a general rule while not accounting for age and health too, see the following. Also, feel free to fact check me because I’m that sure of this:

          < 3 years: Sperm return ~97-100%, Pregnancy ~80%.

          3 - 8 years: Sperm return ~90%, Pregnancy ~50%.

          9 - 14 years: Sperm return ~79%, Pregnancy ~44%.

          15+ years: Sperm return ~71%, Pregnancy ~30%.

          • AlmightyDoorman@kbin.earth
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            12 hours ago

            You made the first blatant statement. Furthermore you make claims that seem very dubious and then write feel free tonfact check me? Why not post a source? And pregnancy rate of 80% isn’t very good to begin with but it drops to only 50% after 3 years? Thats abysmal and to suggest to get such a procedure as a temporary solution is kinda insane. Vasectomies should be treated as a final solution.

            • comador @lemmy.world
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              10 hours ago

              You made the first blatant statement.

              No, you did with your 50% success rate and did so without a single citation.

              Furthermore you make claims that seem very dubious and then write feel free tonfact check me? Why not post a source?

              1. https://vasec.org/vasectomy-and-reversal-what-you-should-know/
              2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/vasectomy-reversal/about/pac-20384537

              But you probably know better than licensed physicians…

              And pregnancy rate of 80% isn’t very good to begin with but it drops to only 50% after 3 years? Thats abysmal and to suggest to get such a procedure as a temporary solution is kinda insane.

              Again and as stated. it depends on the age of the patient, their health and other factors. But you probably know better than licensed physicians…

              Vasectomies should be treated as a final solution.

              Conpared to the OPs statements, a vasectomy is a far better choice unless you’d rather let the woman suffer a full surgery with abdominal pains and scar tissue with a tubal ligation. Yeah, okay buddy.

          • Saapas@piefed.zip
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            11 hours ago

            Those are not great numbers for advocating vasectomy as temporary contraceptive

      • BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world
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        15 hours ago

        If the Chinese goverment is increasing taxes on condoms to force people to give birth more, I doubt they will let men get vasectomies easily

        • comador @lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          Best part about being in Asia is you’re a couple hour flight to Thailand, Singapore, India, Malaysia, and South Korea where such things like medical tourism is common for Chinese.

    • Alloi@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      might as well tell them to make like a couch in a college dorm, and pull out.

    • rouxdoo@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      “A woman is only fertile during about 5 days each lunar cycle. Unfortunately those days are the most fun but the other 24 are safer.”

      Can confirm that these are the best days to get wiggy with it - ask me how I know…kids.