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I believe everyone has heard about housing pensions recently. Readers who are a little behind may have heard some rumors such as "charges of more than 100 yuan per square meter", while readers who are a little more informed should have seen the "rumor-busting" by relevant experts:

They said that housing pension is not equal to property tax, personal account is established by housing maintenance fund, public account is borne by government finance, and collected through various means. No fees will be charged to residents, and no additional burden will be imposed on residents.

They were spreading rumors vigorously while refuting them vigorously. Their modus operandi can be said to be quite sophisticated.

But I'm sorry, I'm a person who likes to speak the truth, there's nothing I can do about it.

I want to tell you clearly:

Housing pensions are not taxes now, but they will become taxes in the future. Don't worry about what it is called, the name can be changed in 72 ways, but the essence of the monkey will not change.

Before discussing the nature of housing pension, let us first look at the employee pension insurance that everyone is familiar with, which is what we usually call "social security."

Is Social Security really insurance?

Think back, before you bought social insurance, did the salesperson make harassing phone calls to you? Did the social insurance broker in your circle of friends send you blessing messages during festivals and holidays to ask about your well-being? Were there various insurance packages and different insurance companies for you to choose from?

These features of insurance that you are familiar with in your life are not found in social security, because the essence of social security is tax, not insurance.

Taxation has three main characteristics:

Compulsory, gratuitous, and fixed.

Social security, as long as you are in a formal company, if you want to enjoy public services such as housing, education, driving, etc. in a city, you must pay social security. Even if you don't want to pay, your company dare not not pay for you, because it will be illegal if found.

Social security must be paid, it is mandatory.

Some people say that the money in the social security account is mine after all, and it will be paid to me monthly when I get old, so it is not a tax. This is too naive.

There are two things to remember: First, the rules for when and how much you can receive are set by the government, and they can change without your consent. Second, money depreciates, and 10,000 yuan today is not the same as 10,000 yuan 30 years later. This is basic common sense in economics. The pension you pay now is used up by the elderly today, and there is a number accumulating in your account. When it is paid to you 30 years later, you won't even be able to afford cabbage.

The social security you pay for is not used for yourself, this is called gratuitousness.

The fixity is easier to understand. There is a minimum standard (consumption) for the social security contribution base. There are several levels of social security contribution ratios to choose from, but there is a minimum standard. If you want to pay only 1% as a token of your appreciation and voluntarily receive less pension in the future, that’s impossible.

Taking Guangzhou where I live as an example, the minimum monthly payment for five social insurances and one housing fund has exceeded 1,000 yuan (company + individual).

Social security is compulsory, free and fixed. Do you think it is insurance or a tax?

Let’s talk about housing pensions:

First, obviously, when the system is fully rolled out, all town houses must have an account and a sum of money. This is mandatory.

Second, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has said that housing pensions are divided into public accounts and personal accounts. Obviously, no matter which account it is, you have no say in how the money is spent, and it is not certain whether it is always spent on your house. This is the gratuitous nature.

Third, money does not come out of thin air, and neither does the government's fiscal money. In the end, a certain payment ratio must be determined according to the housing situation, whether it is paid when buying a house or paid every year when holding a house. In short, there will be a fixed ratio. This is fixity.

So, you ask, is housing pension a tax?