A young woman who had a meal in a local restaurant Friday morning won a prize equivalent to her monthly salary after she scratched a receipt lottery.
After lunching in the Fumancheng Seafood Restaurant, the lady surnamed Tian scratched a receipt with a face value of 100 yuan (US$12), and the number 3,000 yuan (US$365) appeared to her great surprise.
This means the receipt holder has won a prize of 3,000 yuan.
Tian, a white-collar employee, said she would go to the local taxation bureau next Monday to cash in the prize.
Beijing launched Thursday a lottery on receipts to encourage better tax paying, becoming the first city in the Chinese mainland.
The new receipt lottery began a trial run in 11 districts and counties of the city.
Taxation officials believe consumers will be encouraged to ask for invoices from businesses with the lure of a lottery prize from one of seven categories, ranging from 100 yuan to 5,000 yuan (US$604).
Chinese consumers used to abandon receipts after a meal in a restaurant, which made it difficult for taxation officers to tell the real sales of restaurants through their accounts, leaving taxation loopholes.
Taxation authorities hope the lottery will cultivate the habit of keeping receipts, making tax evasion difficult.
(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2002)
