China's tax revenue reached 1.1 trillion yuan (US$147 billion) in the first quarter of 2007, up a hefty 230 billion yuan - or 25.5 percent - on the same period last year, the State Administration of Taxation said Friday.

With the national economy performing robustly and expected to grow no less than 10.5 percent in the first quarter, the industrial sector chipped in 310.2 billion yuan in value-added tax, up 19.7 percent on the same period last year, said SAT official Shu Qiming.

Tax from the real estate industry jumped 35.3 percent in the first quarter, with investment in the sector, frequently cited as one of the engines of the country's economic growth, rising 24.3 percent in the January-March period.

With Chinese companies reporting higher profits, the country's tax revenue from foreign-invested enterprises, domestic enterprises and individuals amounted to 283.6 billion yuan in the first three months, an increase of 26 percent on the same period last year.

The stock market frenzy saw stamp duties on share trading grow to 12.2 billion yuan in the first quarter, a 516 percent rise year on year.

Chinese investors opened 4.79 million new accounts for China's A-share stock exchanges in the first quarter in a race to cash in on the bullish equity markets, which was a 56 percent increase from the 3.08 million in the whole of 2006.

Increased revenue from import duties and motor vehicle purchase taxes also contributed to the growth, the SAT figures show.

Chinese customs collected 141.9 billion yuan in import duties in the first quarter, up 27 percent from the same period last year.

The growth in imports was a notable positive factor behind the increasing tax revenues, said Zhang Peisen, an analyst with the research arm of the SAT.

The country's imports increased 14.5 percent to US$76.6 billion in March this year.

This dragged down the trade surplus by 38 percent year on year, compared with US$11.2 billion for March in 2006.

Zhang noted that the country's new measure requiring high-income earners to file personal income tax returns might have helped a bit in ensuring more tax revenue.

He also disclosed that the government will initiate reforms of value-added tax in July.

Growing tax revenue will certainly help satisfy the needs for funds in such sectors as agriculture and education, which have been the great concerns of the government, Zhang said. The SAT official said strict implementation of tax policies had also played a role in increasing tax revenue.

China cracked 10 criminal networks that were selling fake tax receipts and retrieved 868 million yuan.

A campaign aimed at breaking up criminal gangs that forge tax invoices kicked off in 2006 and under the code named "Thunder First."

According to the police, 1,374 enterprises were involved in the crimes and 684 of them had been punished. Eighty-eight of 116 suspects have been arrested, according to the police.