BEIJING, April 8 (Reporter Zhao Jianhua) On April 8, China's State Taxation Administration issued the "Announcement on Promoting the 'Instant Refund upon Purchase' Service
for Departing Tourists' Shopping Tax Refund" (hereinafter referred to as the "Announcement"),which clearly stipulates the main content,processing procedures, and
implementation time of the "Instant Refund upon Purchase" tax refund, and promotes this service from pilot areas to the whole country.
Departing tourists' shopping tax refund refers to the refund of value-added tax on tax refund items purchased by foreign tourists at tax refund shops when they depart
from a port of exit. Foreign tourists refer to foreigners and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao,and Taiwan who have resided in China for no more than 183 days consecutively.
The "Announcement" states that foreign tourists can receive an equivalent tax refund on the spot after purchasing tax refund items at "Instant Refund upon Purchase" shops
and processing a credit card pre-authorization; tax refund shops willing to provide the "Instant Refund upon Purchase" service can become "Instant Refund upon Purchase"
shops after reaching an agreement with local tax refund agents.
Before nationwide promotion, the "Instant Refund upon Purchase" for departing tourists' shopping tax refund has been piloted in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Sichuan, Zhejiang,
and other places. A person in charge of the Value-Added Tax and Consumption Tax Department of the State Taxation Administration introduced that since the pilot of the
"Instant Refund upon Purchase" policy, the overall operation has been stable, and it has been well-received by foreign tourists. It is now ready for nationwide promotion.
Compared to the traditional tax refund process, "Instant Refund upon Purchase" advances the tax refund, allowing foreign tourists to receive the refund at the shopping stage,
more intuitively feel the benefits of the refund,and use the refund for further consumption.
Li Xuhong, Vice President of Beijing National Accounting Academy, believes that promoting the "Instant Refund upon Purchase" for departing tourists' shopping tax refund nationwide
will help enhance China's tourism service level,create a "friendly, efficient, and convenient" tourism environment, further stimulate the vitality of inbound consumption among foreign
tourists, and provide support for high-quality economic development.
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