Workers in Guangdong Province in South China generally have no idea of the requirements of the self-declaration of income regulation, which took effect from January 1, a recent poll indicates.

Thirty-nine percent of those polled said they did not know they must file a declaration of income if they earned at least 120,000 yuan ($15,490) last year, according to the independent Guangzhou Public-Opinion Research Center.

The poll surveyed 1,021 people in January. The State Administration of Taxation (SAT) issued a notice on November 6 requiring a declaration of individual income and the amount of income tax paid with the local tax bureau.

The purpose of the requirement was to better monitor big earners' finances.

Even fewer people said they were aware of the mandate to file earnings and tax statement under other circumstances.

For example, 72.8 percent said they did not know that people with income from outside the Chinese mainland must file a declaration.

Also, taxpayers are asked to report to the authorities if they earn salaries from more than two employers, but 66.8 percent said they didn't know about this stipulation.

Workers who did not pay income tax through their employers also must file a declaration, but 71.4 percent of those surveyed said they did not know that.

Even those who said they were relatively aware of the declaration were at a loss when asked about the details of the regulation.

Exact items

A total of 117 citizens in the survey said they knew they had to make an income declaration to the tax authorities, but 63 of them (54 percent) did not know the exact items that should be calculated into their taxable annual income.

While 69 percent acknowledged that missing the declaration deadline on March 31 may incur a penalty, more than half were uncertain about the differences between the incomes from family property and from businesses.

Some voiced doubts about the income tax rate itself. Although some high-income earners have family members on a similar income level, others who are the only bread-winners in their families should have different tax packages.

Others expressed concern this personal information may fall into the wrong hands when they file the tax forms.

But tax authorities tried to alleviate those fears, saying there are special regulations about securing taxpayer information.

Editor: Yan