Joseph turned up the gas lamp on the desk slightly, and the white light instantly brightened the room.
He then took out paper and pen and began to plan the tax reforms: first, local tax bureaus had to be established in each province.
Although tax revenue would still be controlled by tax farrs in the short term, it was necessary to build up governnt departnts, recruit personnel, and familiarize themselves with the taxation process as soon as possible.
When he thought about training tax collectors, Joseph hesitated for a mont, but quickly wrote down, "Establish a School of Economics at the Paris Police Academy to specifically handle the training of tax officers."
Tax collection in this era was absolutely a technical job. Which taxes to collect, how to collect them, how to detect tax evasion and even how to find the taxpayers all required rich experience to manage.
It could be said that tax officers needed to be proficient in economics, law, criminal investigation, and other skills and were, in so ways, more akin to police officers than governnt officials.
After the abolition of the tax farrs, the local tax bureaus would imdiately take over the tasks previously handled by the tax farrs. It could be said that whether the tax reforms could transition smoothly depended on the competency of the tax collectors.
Joseph believed that, compared to the previous "wild" tax officials who relied solely on their own experience, those trained at the police school would be significantly more capable.
Beyond the local tax bureaus, it was ti to establish the French National Tax Administration, modeled after future IRS.
According to the historical trajectory, after the abolition of the tax farming system, the departnts similar to the local tax bureaus were responsible for tax collection.
And national taxation only appeared in the mid-19th century, mainly to strengthen national fiscal regulatory capabilities—it was a new economic tool of great significance for the balanced developnt of the country. Thus, Joseph decided to employ it ahead of ti in France.
The tax officers of the National Tax Bureau possessed extrely high enforcent powers; in financial matters, their authority was even higher than the Secret Police—whether you were a noble or a bank, they could inspect your accounts, freeze assets, and even directly auction off the assets of tax evaders.
For individuals or organizations with tax issues, the National Tax Bureau also had the power to summon and detain.
These tax departnts might seem ordinary to people of the 21st century, but they were actually the most scientific results of over two hundred years of tax reforms in Europe, constantly experinted with and adjusted.
Joseph continued writing the frawork for the tax bureau based on his mory—
Planning, attendance regulations, tax settlent, tax verification, debt handling…
It was a completely standard modern operational chanism, precise and efficient.
You see, apart from England, which sowhat resembled a modern tax system, other countries were still stuck in a feudal tax mode—essentially involving a tax officer and a few subordinates going door to door to collect money, with no one to track undercollections and the tax officers having the final word on any extra levies collected, not unlike thugs collecting protection money.
After writing for who knows how long, Joseph yawned and began to think about how to adjust the tax items to better suit the developnt of industry and comrce.
For example, introducing personal inco tax, standardizing consumption tax, value-added tax, etc. Of course, he would also eliminate outdated taxes such as the poll tax, military service tax, and liquor tax.
He couldn't help but sigh in relief; fortunately, he had previously seized legislative power, for such large-scale tax adjustnts would inevitably encounter all kinds of opposition.
But all these adjustnts were paving the way for France's transition from an agricultural to an industrial nation, and it was a good opportunity to implent them along with the tax reforms.
For the Industrial Revolution, institutional obstacles often posed greater barriers than technical ones, so no matter how difficult the tax reforms were, they had to be gritted through.
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Around 1:30 in the morning, Eman watched the Crown Prince, who was exhausted and sleeping on the table, with eyes full of reverence. He quietly approached and covered him with a blanket, then extinguished the gas lamp.
...
Silesia.
East of Legnica.
In the Austrian Royal Hendris Infantry, the second regint leader, Heidewig, clutching his left shoulder, looked up at the neatly arranged hundreds of military tents in the distance. He turned to his attendant and said, "This is the place, right?"
The attendant rode forward and soon saw a sign hanging on the white temporary fence surrounding the tents, written in both French and German, "War Hospital."
He hurriedly turned back to Heidewig and shouted, "Regint Leader, we've arrived!"
Shortly after, the two reached the entrance to the war hospital, where two French Army soldiers stepped forward to stop them, "Please halt, the area ahead is a disinfection zone, entry is prohibited."
Heidewig quickly gestured to the bandage on his shoulder and spoke in fluent French, "I'm injured and need to be treated here."
His attendant quickly took out an application docunt from the Austrian military and handed it to the guard, "Our leader is the second regint leader of the Royal Hendris Infantry. This is a treatnt application signed by Marshal Lacy."
A French soldier motioned for them to wait and ran into the war hospital.
Soon, a woman in a white robe with a n's top hat, Perna, ca out and addressed Heidewig, who had dismounted, "Major, according to regulations, you can be treated here. However, I need to inspect your wound and perform preliminary disinfection first."
Indeed, because many injured soldiers needed treatnt, Perna, one of the founders and person in charge of the Guard Corps war hospital, had decided to stay at the front line to aid injured soldiers instead of returning to France with the Crown Prince.
"How co there's a woman in the hospital?" Heidewig, realizing that the person in front of him was a lady, muttered under his breath discontentedly, then looked at the disinfecting officer following her, "You must be the army surgeon responsible for this place..."
Before he could finish, a carriage rushed up and stopped in front of them. A very young officer, supported by his attendant, stepped out and said anxiously to the French soldiers, "I am Felinc from the Seventh Cavalry Regint. My leg is injured, and I hope to be treated here."
Perna looked at the epaulettes, noting that he was also a major, and said hesitantly, "Sir, there's only one bed left in the war hospital now."
Felinc glanced at her without response and also said to the disinfecting officer, "I have a signed application from Marshal Lacy, you should let have priority..."
Heidewig imdiately retorted annoyed, "I also have a docunt signed by the Marshal. Perhaps you should be behind ."
Felinc looked at the bandage on Heidewig's shoulder and forced a smile, "Major, your injury doesn't seem that serious."
He then gestured to his own leg, "As for , look, my calf was penetrated by a bayonet. If I don't get treatnt soon, it might..."
"No, no, I'm also severely injured," Heidewig said, starting to unwrap his bandage, "See for yourself."
The two quickly started arguing outside the war hospital, neither willing to back down, for they both knew that staying in their own battalions would probably lead to wound infection, and then eting God.
But at the French war hospital, they could achieve a 70% wound cure rate, the only place where they could save their own lives!
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