v2.3.0.11
Income Tax Expenses
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2010
Income Tax Expenses [Abstract]  
INCOME TAX EXPENSES
17.   INCOME TAX EXPENSES
 
    Cayman Islands, British Virgin Island, and Hong Kong
 
    Under the current laws of Cayman Islands, British Virgin Island and Hong Kong, the Group is not subject to tax on its income or capital gains. In addition, upon payments of dividends by the Group to its shareholders, no Cayman Islands, British Virgin and Hong Kong withholding tax will be imposed.
 
    In accordance with the new PRC Enterprise Income Tax Laws (the “PRC Income Tax Laws”) effective from January 1, 2008, enterprises established under the laws of foreign countries or regions and whose “place of effective management” is located within the PRC territory are considered PRC resident enterprises, subject to the PRC income tax at the rate of 25% on worldwide income. The definition of “place of effective management” shall refer to an establishment that exercises, in substance, overall management and control over the production and business, personnel, accounting, properties, etc. of an enterprise. The Company, if considered a PRC tax residence enterprise for tax purpose, would be subject to the PRC Enterprise Income Tax at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income.
 
    Based on the assessment of facts and circumstances available at December 31, 2009 and 2010, management believes that the Company, Eddia International and Giant HK are more likely than not non-PRC tax resident enterprises. It is possible the assessment of tax residency status may change in the next twelve months, pending announcement of new PRC tax rules in the future. The Group will continue to monitor its tax status.
 
    China
 
    The Group’s subsidiaries and VIE subsidiaries that are each incorporated in the PRC are subject to Corporate Income Tax (“CIT”) on the taxable income as reported in their respective statutory financial statements adjusted in accordance with the PRC Income Tax Laws, respectively. Pursuant to the PRC Income Tax Laws, the Group’s PRC subsidiaries and VIE subsidiaries are subject to a CIT statutory rate of 25%.
 
    Zhengtu Information was granted a 5-year tax holiday in 2006 which entitles it to enjoy a two-year CIT exemption followed by three-year 50% CIT reduction starting from the year 2006 to 2010. Under the PRC Income Tax Laws, it should be entitled to transitional rules whereby the CIT rate could gradually increase from 15% (which was the Zhengtu Information’s applicable tax rate in 2007) to 25% from the year 2008 to 2012 (i.e. 18%, 20%, 22%, 24% and 25% for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and onwards, respectively) and the 5-year tax holiday could be retained until exhausted.
 
    Zhengtu Information had also been approved as a “High and New Technology Enterprise” (the “NHTE”) and obtained the NHTE certificate (valid from 2008 to 2010) on November 25, 2008 issued by Shanghai Science and Technology Commission. In accordance with the PRC Income Tax Laws, an enterprise awarded with the NHTE status may enjoy a preferential CIT rate of 15% and the status is renewable.
 
    However, Zhengtu Information is not allowed to enjoy the preferential CIT rate of 15% and reduced tax rate under the transitional rules as described above at the same time. Zhengtu Information has adopted the transitional rules tax treatment for its remaining 3-year tax holiday (i.e. 9% , 10% and 11% for 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively).
 
    Giant Network, a VIE to which Zhengtu Information is deemed the primary beneficiary, has been recognized as a NHTE effective from 2008, and therefore enjoys a preferential tax rate of 15% from 2008 to 2010. Giant Network is more likely than not to qualify for a renewal of its NHTE status in 2011.
 
    Zhengduo Information, Zhuhai Zhengtu, Wuxi Network, Jujia Network, Juhuo Network, Juhe Network, Snow Wolf Software, Juyan Network, Juxi Network , Juxian Network, Haoji Network, Juquan Network, Jufan Network, Zhengju Information, Tiema Network, Juxin Network, Julun Network and Juren Zhengtu Information are not entitled to enjoy any preferential tax rate for year 2010 and their applicable CIT rate is 25%.
 
    The PRC Income Tax Law also imposes a 10% withholding income tax for dividends distributed by a foreign invested enterprise to its immediate holding company outside China, which were exempted under the previous income tax and rules. A lower withholding tax rate will be applied if there is a tax treaty arrangement between mainland China and the jurisdiction of the foreign holding company. The foreign invested enterprise will be subject to the withholding tax starting from January 1, 2008. There were no distribution of dividends from the Group’s PRC subsidiaries in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
 
    The Company had minimal operations in jurisdictions other than the PRC. Income before income tax expenses consists of:
                                 
    For the year ended December 31,  
    2008     2009     2010  
    (RMB)     (RMB)     (RMB)     (US$)  
PRC
    1,059,433,640       936,154,635       881,077,042       133,496,522  
Non-PRC
    93,522,322       7,924,628       16,518,504       2,502,804  
 
                       
 
                               
Total
    1,152,955,962       944,079,263       897,595,546       135,999,326  
 
                       
     
(a)   Current Tax
    Income tax expenses consist of:
                                 
    For the year ended December 31  
    2008     2009     2010  
    (RMB)     (RMB)     (RMB)     (US$)  
Current income taxes
    96,381,254       83,328,105       121,303,259       18,379,282  
Deferred income tax (benefits)/expenses
    (57,013,446 )     1,731,905       (31,980,857 )     (4,845,585 )
 
                       
 
                               
Taxation for the year
    39,367,808       85,060,010       89,322,402       13,533,697  
 
                       
 
    A reconciliation of the differences between the statutory tax rate and the effective tax rate for CIT is as follows:
                                 
    For the year ended December 31  
    2008     2009     2010  
    (RMB)     (RMB)     (RMB)     (US$)  
Expected taxation at PRC CIT statutory rate of 25%
    288,238,991       236,019,816       224,398,887       33,999,831  
Favorable tax rate
    (68,388,694 )     (49,059,531 )     (25,488,282 )     (3,861,860 )
Tax holiday
    (90,293,820 )     (71,351,432 )     (105,110,278 )     (15,925,800 )
Non-deductible expenses (non-taxable income), net
    4,666,318       (4,718,414 )     7,679,477       1,163,557  
Additional 50% tax deduction for qualified research and development expenses
    (14,351,366 )     (10,380,859 )     (15,257,615 )     (2,311,760 )
Tax exempted VAT refund
          (12,779,323 )            
Change in valuation allowance
    (26,065,094 )                  
Unrecognized tax benefits
    (30,911,888 )                  
Deferred tax benefits on future tax rate difference
    (23,526,639 )     (2,670,247 )     (3,659,750 )     (554,508 )
Provision-to-return adjustment
                6,759,963       1,024,237  
 
                       
 
                               
Taxation for the year
    39,367,808       85,060,010       89,322,402       13,533,697  
 
                       
    The benefit of tax holiday per basic and diluted earnings per share is as follows:
                                 
    For the year ended December 31  
    2008     2009     2010  
`   (RMB)     (RMB)     (RMB)     (US$)  
Basic
    0.38       0.32       0.46       0.07  
Diluted
    0.36       0.30       0.45       0.07  
     
(b)   Deferred Tax
    The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax at December 31, 2009 and 2010 are as follows:
                         
    December 31,  
    2009     2010  
    (RMB)     (RMB)     (US$)  
Current deferred tax assets
                       
Deferred revenue and advance from distributors
    61,303,813       77,208,660       11,698,282  
Accrued expenses
    9,029,988       12,142,057       1,839,706  
Allowance for doubtful debt
    1,020,217       1,127,960       170,903  
Share-based compensation expense
    4,074,986       8,117,107       1,229,865  
Tax loss
    464,061       7,149,387       1,083,240  
Less: valuation allowance
                 
 
                 
Net deferred tax assets
    75,893,065       105,745,171       16,021,996  
 
                 
Non-current deferred tax assets
                       
Intangible assets amortization
    8,021,489       11,069,031       1,677,126  
Share-based compensation expense
    2,819,268       2,076,457       314,615  
Less: valuation allowance
                 
 
                 
Net deferred tax assets
    10,840,757       13,145,488       1,991,741  
 
                 
                         
    December 31,  
    2009     2010  
    (RMB)     (RMB)     (US$)  
Current deferred tax liabilities
                       
Intangible assets amortization
    214,339       624,770       94,662  
 
                 
Non current deferred tax liabilities
                       
Intangible assets amortization
    420,947       186,496       28,257  
 
                 
 
    As of December 31, 2009 and 2010, the Group did not record a valuation allowance as management has assessed that it is more likely than not that all of the Group’s deferred tax assets will be realized.
 
    As of December 31, 2010, the Company had net operating tax losses in the total amount of RMB 28,597,548 in the PRC, which can be carried forward to future years and utilized by respective Chinese subsidiaries of the Company according to the prevailing PRC CIT rules and regulations. The balance of net operating tax losses of the Company as of December 31, 2010 will expire between the years 2015 and 2016.
 
    The Company intends to permanently reinvest all undistributed earnings of its foreign subsidiaries, as of December 31, 2010, to finance its future operations. The amount of unrecognized deferred tax liabilities for temporary differences related to investments in foreign subsidiaries is not determined because such a determination is not practicable.
  (c)   Unrecognized Tax Benefits
    The following table summarizes the activity related to the Group’s unrecognized tax benefits from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010:
         
    RMB  
Balance as of January 1, 2009
    4,812,724  
Increases related to current year tax positions
    5,142,414  
 
     
 
Balance as of December 31, 2009 and January 1, 2010
    9,955,138  
Increases related to current year tax positions
    4,803,660  
 
     
 
Balance as of December 31, 2010
    14,758,798  
 
     
Balance as of December 31, 2010 (US$)
    2,236,182  
 
     
    As of December 31, 2009 and 2010, the Group recorded an unrecognized tax benefit of RMB9,955,138 and RMB14,758,798 (US$2,236,182), respectively, related to excess share-based compensation expense deductions. The unrecognized tax benefit resulting from the difference between the share-based compensation expense deduction and the cumulative amount of compensation cost would be recorded to additional paid-in capital, when recognized. It is possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits will change in the next twelve months, pending clarification of current tax law or audit by the tax authorities. However, an estimate of the range of the possible change cannot be made at this time.
    For the years ended December 31, 2008, 2009 and 2010, no interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions were recognized.
    The Group’s subsidiaries and VIE subsidiary registered in the PRC are subject to PRC CIT on the taxable income as reported in their PRC statutory accounts adjusted in accordance with relevant PRC Income Tax Laws. The Group’s tax years 2004 through 2010 remain subject to examination by tax authorities.