Guangzhou upgrades tax refund services for visitors

Tax authorities in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, have upgraded their tax refund services for departing visitors, following an increased number of overseas buyers visiting the China Import and Export Fair.

In collaboration with Alipay and the Agricultural Bank of China, the Guangzhou Taxation Bureau has launched the tap for tax refund services to enhance the shopping and travel experience for global visitors.

China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, kicked off its 138th session on Wednesday. According to the fair's organizers, more than 240,000 buyers from 218 countries and regions, an increase of 10 percent from the previous session, have pre-registered for the fair.

The tax refund service was first implemented in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. International guests who shop at tax refund stores and complete their refund registration can bring their refund forms to the airport's tax refund counter upon departure.

By simply tapping or scanning the tax refund card and presenting their personal tax refund code on Alipay, they can quickly verify and process their tax refunds.

Additionally, international visitors arriving in Guangzhou can view the tax refund guide on the Alipay homepage, check the map of tax refund store locations, and navigate to their destinations.

Data from Alipay shows that from January to September this year, the amount spent by inbound tourists using Alipay in Guangzhou surged by over 180 percent year-on-year, with popular shopping categories including clothing, DJI drones, and smartphones.