Sichuan Surpasses 400 Tax Refund Stores for Outbound Tourists
Updated:
2025.04.14
On April 8, the State Taxation Administration announced that the refund-upon-purchase policy for shopping by overseas tourists will be expanded nationwide, following successful pilot programs in multiple locations. Prior to this, the initiative has been piloted in regions such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang. As of now, Sichuan has over 400 tax refund stores for outbound tourists, making it second only to Beijing and Shanghai in terms of the number of such stores.
As a convenient service measure, the refund-upon-purchase model represents an optimization and upgrade of the departure tax refund scheme. On April 10, the reporter learned from the Sichuan Provincial Taxation Service of the State Taxation Administration that during the first quarter of this year, Sichuan Province witnessed a substantial year-on-year growth of 204.78 percent in the number of overseas tourists applying for departure tax refunds, accompanied by a 200.91 percent increase in sales revenue from tax refund stores and a remarkable 211.64 percent surge in the total amount of tax refunds processed.
A leading official from the Chengdu Municipal Taxation Service of the State Taxation Administration introduced that Chengdu started piloting the refund-upon-purchase service measure in 2023 and has now expanded the program to include 49 designated retail establishments across the city offering such service. Overseas tourists purchasing tax-refundable goods at refund-upon-purchase stores may obtain immediate equivalent tax refunds on-site following credit card pre-authorization processing. All 49 refund-upon-purchase stores in Chengdu are currently concentrated within the Chunxi Road commercial district. In July 2023, Sichuan Province inaugurated its first dedicated departure tax refund zone—the Chunxi Road Departure Tax Refund Specialized Commercial Block. The province's first centralized refund point for refund-upon-purchase service was landed last year at Chengdu IFS in the Chunxi Road commercial district. Overseas tourists can conveniently process their tax refunds at Chengdu IFS immediately after shopping at adjacent refund-upon-purchase stores. The centralized refund-upon-purchase service points have relocated departure tax refund windows directly within commercial complexes. This enhanced convenience better stimulates overseas tourists' consumption engagement.
In a bid to boost the consumption enthusiasm of overseas tourists in Sichuan, the provincial taxation authorities have implemented a comprehensive suite of service initiatives, including creating and pushing the "Dynamic Electronic Map for Departure Tax Refund" and "Guide on Handling Departure Tax Refund", collaborating with customs departments to optimize airport tax refund signage and compile electronic guidelines, among others.
