Tax system reform helps drive investment

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China's tax system has opened wider to the world, actively drawing in foreign investment while helping domestic enterprises expand their global footprint, official data showed.

According to data released by the State Taxation Administration on Monday, the number of foreign-invested business entities with tax obligations in China increased by 12.7 percent from 2020 to the end of June 2025, showing growing confidence among global investors in China's business environment.

In terms of inbound investment, over 630 billion yuan ($87.8 billion) in profits from foreign-funded enterprises have benefited from tax incentives for reinvestment during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, coupled with new policy allowing foreign investors to offset their reinvestment amounts against tax liabilities, further strengthening the appeal of the China market for global investors, said Wang Daoshu, deputy commissioner of the State Taxation Administration, during a news conference on Monday.

Inbound consumption has also seen a significant boost, a result of nationwide efforts to streamline tax refund procedures for overseas tourists. In particular, the "refund-upon-purchase" model rolled out across the country this year has improved tax refund efficiency by over 40 percent, said the administration.

One recent case involved a Dutch tourist in Chengdu, who purchased a product worth over 17,000 yuan at a tax refund store.

"Within just five minutes of applying for a tax refund, he received more than 1,500 yuan — which he immediately used for additional purchases," the senior official said.

According to the administration, from January to June, the number of tax refund shops nationwide more than doubled to over 7,200. The number of international visitors receiving tax refunds surged by 186 percent year-on-year, while both the sales volume of tax-refunded goods and the total refund amount rose by about 94 percent, indicating the growing popularity of "travel in China "among foreign tourists.

In addition, to support Chinese enterprises in expanding globally, tax authorities have also continued to provide tailored tax guidance for overseas operations, helping outbound companies better understand international tax environments and enhance compliance, Wang said, adding that to date, a total of 110 country and region-specific tax guides have been published.

STA data on export tax rebates also showed that from 2021-24, China's tax authorities processed export tax refunds with an average annual growth rate of 6.6 percent, and the growth accelerated to 7.1 percent on a comparable basis in the first half of the year.

A comprehensive set of tax and fee reduction policies has also been deployed to provide tangible benefits to businesses and households operating in the market.

From 2021 to the end of the first half of this year, the country delivered a cumulative total of 9.9 trillion yuan in tax and fee cuts. The figure is expected to reach 10.5 trillion yuan by the end of this year, according to the STA.

lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn