China's departure tax refund up 97.4% in Jan-Sept

BEIJING - The number of overseas tourists claiming China's departure tax refund surged 229.8 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2025, while the total tax refund rose by 97.4 percent, according to data released by the State Taxation Administration on Tuesday.

China has introduced a series of measures since April to optimize its tax refund system for overseas visitors. Tax authorities nationwide have improved processing efficiency and enabled cross-region refund services, making the procedure more convenient and boosting tourists' spending.

The policy optimization included the establishment of instant tax refund counters in major shopping districts in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu and Guangzhou. Cities such as Shanghai and Hangzhou have also introduced online refund options, making the process more efficient.

China first implemented the departure tax refund policy for overseas travelers in 2015. Since then, the scale of departure tax refunds has continued to grow year by year, benefiting an increasing number of overseas travelers.