China collected 2.84 trillion yuan (US$355.25 billion) in tax in the first nine months of this year, up 22.5 percent on the same period last year, the State Administration of Taxation reported Thursday.

The figure excludes revenues from custom tariffs and the farming sector.

The administration attributed the steady increase of taxes to the country's rapid economic development.

Strict taxation enforcement also played a part, it said.

Revenues from domestic value-added tax, consumption tax and sales tax totaled 1.48 trillion yuan, up 20 percent.

Total income tax revenues from domestic firms, overseas-funded firms and individuals stood at 755 billion yuan, up 27 percent year-on-year.

According to the administration, taxes from the country's economically-developed eastern part went up 22.7 percent, those from the central part increased by 20.9 percent, and taxes from the less developed western part rose 23.8 percent.

Tax revenues from the eastern, central and western regions respectively account for 71.1 percent, 15.5 percent and 13.6 percent of the country's total tax take.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2006)