China Tourist Tax Refund: Percentage, Calculator & How to Claim (2026)

How much tax refund can you get in China?

The refund rate is 11% or 8% of the eligible VAT-inclusive invoice amount, before agency fees. Shanghai tax authorities publish a 2% fee on that same invoice amount: this leaves 9% or 6% net. Confirm the applicable rate and fee with your participating store. The amounts below are estimates, subject to eligibility and Customs verification.

Complete the claim at your departure port, usually the international airport you fly out of, using the designated tax-refund service zone or counter. These service zones are also being set up at major expos, including the China International Import Expo, Canton Fair and China International Consumer Products Expo.

If a participating store has already paid an instant refund, you still need to complete departure verification. The nationwide window is 28 days, with cross-region recognition, so you can buy in one region and depart from another.

• The 2% fee uses the invoice amount as its base, not the gross refund.
• Ask the store for the actual refund amount, not a generic percentage.
• Claim at the airport or port you depart from.
• For instant refunds, complete verification at departure within 28 days.

What a departure tax refund covers

Eligible visitors can recover part of the value-added tax included in goods bought at participating stores when taking those goods out of China. Check the expected refund before deciding whether the amount is worth claiming, particularly for larger purchases.

The refund applies to foreign visitors and to residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who meet the eligibility conditions, buying at stores that are part of the scheme and leaving China within the permitted period.

From 1 July 2026, applications covering goods valued under RMB 10,000 undergo random physical inspection at a set ratio. Applications at or above that amount receive item-by-item checks. Customs and refund agencies can verify forms and invoices online; the STA says a paper channel may also remain available.

Who and what qualifies

An overseas visitor must have stayed in the Chinese mainland for no more than 183 consecutive days before departure. The same visitor must spend at least RMB 200 at the same participating store on the same day, and leave with the qualifying goods within 90 days of purchase.

Not every store or item participates. Look for the departure tax refund sign or ask before buying, and confirm that the store can issue or transmit the required purchase record for the process you will use.

Keep the goods unused and available for inspection. The refund covers goods you take out of the country, excluding items consumed during the trip.

• Check that the store is part of the scheme before you buy.
• Buy goods for your own use and take them with you when you leave.
• Keep the goods unused and available for inspection.

How to claim

Use the designated tax-refund counter at your departure port, usually an airport. Participating instant-refund stores may pay the refund after purchase, with verification still required at departure.

The instant refund now allows cross-region recognition: you can buy at an instant-refund store in one region and complete the process at a departing port in another. The nationwide departure window for instant refunds is 28 days.

Digital verification is expanding, but do not discard anything the store gives you. Bring the same valid travel document used for the purchase and keep the goods and purchase record accessible until Customs and the refund agency complete the process.

Prepare for the departure counter

The RMB 200 minimum applies to the same visitor at the same participating store on the same day. Use only eligible goods in the calculator and confirm the rate and agency fee before purchase; the calculation above uses the published 2% fee.

Leave time before your flight for the refund counter, queue and inspection. If you must leave to board before finishing, you may miss the refund.

From 1 July 2026, goods valued under 10,000 yuan are subject to random spot checks rather than inspection of every application. This can speed up processing, but keep the goods accessible in case yours are selected.

Use the official refund process, whether at a participating instant-refund store or the departure counter. Walk away from anyone asking for an unofficial fee to speed up the process.

• Consider the refund when comparing prices, without buying extra goods just to claim it.
• Allow extra time at the airport for the refund counter.
• Keep the goods accessible in case of a spot check.

What can go wrong

A claim can fail if the store or goods do not qualify, the goods were used or consumed, the travel document does not match, or you miss the 90-day purchase-to-departure window. Confirm eligibility at purchase and keep the goods available.

An instant refund is an advance payment secured by a card pre-authorization. The guarantee may be charged if you do not complete departure verification as agreed. A resulting charge can reflect unmet verification conditions, including more than a document mismatch.

Use only participating stores, Customs and authorized refund agencies. An instant refund can be paid at a participating store, while the departure process is completed through the official port channels.

• Confirm scheme eligibility at the point of purchase.
• Keep the purchase record and travel document together.
• Use only participating stores and official port channels, never an unofficial agent.