Attached below this clause is a sample declaration form.
In addition to filling in the basic information of the merchant, it seems necessary to indicate the sales of goods. Viktor carefully examined it several times, and a flash of lightning suddenly flashed in his mind.
So that's it! His eyes moved quickly on the fourth and fifth articles, gradually capturing the intention of these two rules – taxation!
Like most cities, Neverwinter City does not explicitly exempt commercial tax, but the actual situation is not that taxes must be paid. He has always paid taxes in full, but among merchants, tax evasion is commonplace, and people like him are the exception.
Those merchants who bought fixed shops still pay a symbolic amount, while merchants who rent shops or travel around basically don't pay anything. Compared to the past when there were extortionate patrols, the stable and relaxed environment of Neverwinter City is no different from the tax-free Golden Ear City and Eagle City for small merchants, and even better—it is this condition that has allowed the new capital to develop a prosperous market in a very short period of time.
But it seems that this situation will not continue forever.
Although declaration can exempt handling fees, the source of income must also be presented. If the Administrative Office deducts tax accordingly, no one can say anything.
So, is there no way to avoid it?
Obviously, there is still a way. As long as you don't exchange the new currency back to gold royals, and directly use the income to purchase goods in Neverwinter City and then sell them to other places, you can make up for this loss.
But this is just making up for it.
Viktor is very familiar with this situation. No one can guarantee that income and expenditure can be exactly equal. To keep the business going, the new currency is generally more than the old currency. They either go to the Administrative Office to exchange them into gold royals or save them for later use.
Over a long period of time, this situation will gradually occur: many merchants will hold a certain amount of paper money. Since it can indeed buy things and is easy to carry, merchants will eventually exchange it with each other—at first, it was just exchanging for gold royals at the same price, but later they might directly use it to purchase goods.
This also means that no matter which choice the merchant makes, it is beneficial to Neverwinter City!
However, the key is that it is not difficult to do this, but it is very difficult to take into account the feelings of the merchants. There are countless overlords who used to kill everything, but these policies of Neverwinter City have not substantially damaged the interests of the merchants.
Registered declaration can provide tax revenue for the city, thereby creating a better trade environment. Considering that legal operators often receive policy preferences, the overall situation is not too bad.
And merchants who have been holding paper money don't feel much different from the past. They can still avoid taxes and, at the same time, spread paper money to farther places in disguise. As long as the goods in Neverwinter City are irreplaceable, the new currency will gradually occupy the position of gold royals, even in areas not under the jurisdiction of the King of Graycastle!
Viktor noticed that the fact is not just the last two articles. The entire new policy reveals a kind of gentle taste, and subtle influence is its biggest feature.
Without a doubt, as long as the King of Graycastle controls the grain trade in the territory for one day, the new currency must have value. Even if there are factors in policy promotion, the main reason is still the vast market of Neverwinter City.
The fleeing merchants probably never thought deeply about the meaning of these clauses—giving up such a potentially powerful market because of fear of currency reform can only be said to be shortsighted.
What he thought was a pipe dream before now seems not as absurd as he had imagined. As long as it is controlled properly, His Majesty Roland Wimbledon might really be able to accomplish this.
Thinking further along this line of thought, Viktor couldn't help but shudder.
Replacing the gold royal is just the beginning...
Once everyone accepts the new currency, His Majesty will have infinite wealth, and any business plan will seem insignificant compared to it.
If the news reaches the Kingdom of Dawn, I am afraid that those great nobles who pride themselves on their business acumen will be shocked.
The only problem now is whether others can counterfeit His Majesty's new currency.
When the salary was paid two days later
, Viktor immediately asked Linglong to buy back a set of paper money from the residents at a price of 1.5 times.
At the first glance of it, the jeweler's doubts completely disappeared.
"These pieces of paper... are so beautiful." Linglong admired a brand new piece of paper money, admiring it non-stop.
"Indeed," Viktor agreed. The new currency looks valuable, and it is very different from the "paper money" he had expected. It feels soft and resilient when he touches it in his hand. Obviously, it is not an effect that ordinary paper can achieve.
And the most special thing is the pattern on it.
There are six types of paper money in total, with denominations ranging from ten to one thousand. The largest is equivalent to a gold royal, which can also be seen from its golden lines. The remaining ones are five hundred, one hundred, fifty, twenty, and ten. His Majesty uniformly replaced the original division with the new unit "Yuan". According to the different denominations, the colors and patterns are also different. For example, the front of the one thousand Yuan note is printed with the portraits of the King and Queen, which looks lifelike. Below it is marked with the words Graycastle Royal Bank. Although it only occupies a small area, the outline is very clear.
Zooming in, you will find that both the handwriting and the portraits are pieced together by countless tiny stripes. Those lines are even thinner than hair strands, and there is no trace of immersion or adhesion between the two. This alone is enough to cut off the idea of others counterfeiting.
Viktor looked at the other new currencies in turn. The five hundred Yuan note is printed with the Witches' Union, one hundred is a factory and workers, and the rest are all new things in Neverwinter City, such as the Miracle Building, trains, etc... And the back is uniformly the Graycastle emblem of the high tower and double guns. He couldn't help but raise the corner of his mouth. Obviously, the patterns on the new currency were carefully designed and repeatedly considered. Judging from the appearance alone, it is no different from ordinary works of art. Even if it does not have the value of currency, some Fjord collectors would probably be willing to spend money to collect them.
This is indeed a very smart approach. Printing such gorgeous and colorful paper money will undoubtedly increase costs, but it will also subconsciously increase public confidence. If it is just an ordinary piece of paper, saying that it can replace the gold royal, I am afraid that no one would easily believe it, but if it is replaced with a glamorous thing, the effect will be much better - even if they have no essential difference.
Viktor put down the paper money and breathed a sigh of relief.
"What's wrong?" Linglong asked curiously.
"The entire business community is going to change drastically," he replied in a low voice.