Clarifying “Non-taxable Transactions” under China’s VAT Law: What the 2026 MOF/STA Announcement Changes for Foreign-invested Groups
- The Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration issued Announcement 2026 No. 25 on 27 August 2026, effective 1 September 2026, to clarify value-added tax matters including non-taxable transactions.
财政部、税务总局于2026年8月27日发布《关于明确非应税交易等增值税有关事项的公告》（财政部 税务总局公告2026年第25号），自2026年9月1日起施行。
- Article 1 positively lists six situations that are not “non-deductible non-taxable transactions” as referred to in Article 22 of the implementing regulations of the VAT Law, so the corresponding input tax may be deducted.
第一条规定六种情形不属于增值税法实施条例第二十二条所称”不得抵扣非应税交易”，相应进项税额可以抵扣。
- Article 2 confirms four situations that are “non-deductible non-taxable transactions”: supplies not constituting a taxable transaction within China under Article 4 of the VAT Law; paid equity transfers (excluding securities); dividends from equity holdings and from ordinary shares; and goods-futures trading (excluding physical delivery).
第二条确认四种属于”不得抵扣非应税交易”的情形：销售货物、服务、无形资产、不动产不属于增值税法第四条在境内发生应税交易所列情形的；有偿转让股权（不含有价证券）；持有股权取得的股息红利和持有股份公司普通股取得的股息红利；货物期货交易（不含实物交割环节）。
- Article 3 defines the agricultural-product sales invoice as the ordinary invoice issued by an agricultural producer selling self-produced agricultural products under the VAT exemption policy.
第三条规定，扣税凭证中的农产品销售发票，是指农业生产者销售自产农产品适用免征增值税政策而开具的普通发票。
- Two companion instruments govern withholding VAT on natural persons: Announcement 2026 No. 28 (issued 3 September 2026) and STA Announcement 2026 No. 19 (issued 4 September 2026, effective 1 November 2026), which publishes the relevant return form and attachments.
两份配套文件规范自然人增值税代扣代缴：财政部 税务总局公告2026年第28号（2026年9月3日发布）与国家税务总局公告2026年第19号（2026年9月4日发布，自2026年11月1日起施行），后者公布相关申报表及附列资料。
- The VAT Law and its implementing regulations took effect on 1 January 2026, and Article 22 of the implementing regulations first introduced the concept of a “non-deductible non-taxable transaction”.
《中华人民共和国增值税法》及其实施条例自2026年1月1日起施行，实施条例第二十二条首次提出”不得抵扣非应税交易”概念。
- For foreign-invested groups, the practical exercise is to map each common holding-platform and regional-headquarters flow to the positive or negative list, and to weigh input-VAT treatment when designing transaction structures.
对外资集团而言，实操在于把控股平台与地区总部的常见业务流逐项映射到正面或负面清单，并在设计交易架构时权衡进项税额处理。
Clarifying “Non-taxable Transactions” under China’s VAT Law: What the 2026 MOF/STA Announcement Changes for Foreign-invested Groups | 增值税法下”非应税交易”的边界明确：2026 年财政部、税务总局公告对外资集团的影响
Overview
On 27 August 2026, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the State Taxation Administration (STA) issued the Announcement on Clarifying Value-Added Tax Matters Including Non-taxable Transactions (财政部 税务总局公告2026年第25号). It takes effect on 1 September 2026.
The announcement addresses a boundary question that foreign-invested groups meet constantly: when a receipt or payment is not itself a taxable transaction under the VAT Law, how should the related input tax be treated? The announcement sets out two express lists — six situations on the positive side and four on the negative side — and a definitional clarification on agricultural-product sales invoices.
The legal backdrop: the VAT Law, the implementing regulations and Article 22
The Value-Added Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China and its implementing regulations took effect on 1 January 2026. Article 22 of the implementing regulations first introduced the concept of a “non-deductible non-taxable transaction” — that is, a non-taxable transaction whose related input tax is not deductible.
That concept created the practical difficulty. A group may receive a payment that is plainly outside the scope of VAT (a dividend, an insurance recovery, a policy subsidy), yet still incur input tax on the costs behind it. Whether that input tax can be credited depends on whether the receipt falls inside or outside the Article 22 concept. Announcement 2026 No. 25 draws that line with two lists.
The six situations outside the “non-deductible” category (Article 1)
Article 1 provides that the following six situations do not constitute a “non-deductible non-taxable transaction” as referred to in Article 22 of the implementing regulations, so the corresponding input tax may be deducted:
- Receiving an insurance payout as the insured (作为被保险人获得保险赔付).
- Accepting a donation of monetary or non-monetary assets (接受货币性资产或者非货币性资产捐赠).
- Obtaining income such as liquidated damages because a contract was not performed and no taxable transaction occurred (因合同未履行且未发生应税交易而取得违约金等收入).
- Providing services free of charge, excluding the gratuitous transfer of financial products (无偿提供服务，不含无偿转让金融商品).
- Transferring receivables and similar claims arising from one’s own taxable transactions, excluding securities (转让因自身发生应税交易取得的与之相关的应收账款等债权，不含有价证券).
- Fiscal subsidies obtained under relevant policy provisions and not directly linked to the revenue or quantity of the goods, services, intangible assets or immovable property sold (按照有关政策规定取得，且与其销售货物、服务、无形资产、不动产的收入或者数量不直接挂钩的财政补贴).
The list is a positive enumeration: it tells taxpayers that these six flows do not strand the input tax behind them.
The four situations inside the “non-deductible” category (Article 2)
Article 2 confirms four situations that are “non-deductible non-taxable transactions” as referred to in Article 22, so the corresponding input tax is not deductible:
- Supplies of goods, services, intangible assets or immovable property that do not fall within the situations listed in Article 4 of the VAT Law as a taxable transaction occurring within China (销售货物、服务、无形资产、不动产不属于增值税法第四条在境内发生应税交易所列情形的).
- Paid transfer of equity, excluding securities (有偿转让股权，不含有价证券).
- Dividends from holding equity (excluding securities) and dividends from holding ordinary shares of a joint-stock company (including securities) (持有股权（不含有价证券）取得的股息红利和持有股份公司普通股（含有价证券）取得的股息红利).
- Goods-futures trading, excluding the physical-delivery leg (货物期货交易，不含实物交割环节).
The announcement expressly lists these four situations as non-deductible. It does not state that anything outside the four is deductible; the positive side of the rule is set out separately in Article 1.
Agricultural-product sales invoices (Article 3)
Article 3 provides that the agricultural-product sales invoice among VAT deduction vouchers refers to the ordinary invoice issued by an agricultural producer selling self-produced agricultural products under the VAT exemption policy. This pins down what counts as a qualifying voucher for agricultural-product input deduction.
Companion rules: withholding VAT on natural persons (Announcements 28 and 19)
Two instruments issued in the same period sit alongside Announcement 25:
- The Announcement on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Withholding and Paying VAT on Natural Persons by Domestic Entities (财政部 税务总局公告2026年第28号), issued on 3 September 2026.
- The STA Announcement on Matters Concerning the Filing of VAT Withheld and Paid on Natural Persons by Domestic Entities (国家税务总局公告2026年第19号), issued on 4 September 2026 and effective 1 November 2026, which publishes the *Return Form for VAT and Surcharges Withheld and Paid on Natural Persons by Domestic Entities* and its attachments.
For groups that engage natural persons for services in China, these two instruments define the withholding and filing mechanics that accompany the substantive rules in Announcement 25.
Mapping the lists for foreign-invested groups
Foreign-invested groups in China — holding platforms, regional headquarters and shared-service centres — run a recurring set of flows. The value of the two lists is that each flow can now be mapped to a side.
Holding platforms and regional headquarters
A China holding platform typically holds equity in operating subsidiaries and funds itself partly through dividends. Dividends from holding equity fall within the negative list (Article 2, item 3). The practical consequence is that input tax on costs supporting that dividend flow is not deductible, and the platform’s cost base should be read on that basis.
Equity transfers and dividends
A paid transfer of equity falls within the negative list (Article 2, item 2), as do dividends (Article 2, item 3). Both are expressly enumerated as non-deductible non-taxable transactions. Groups restructuring their China holdings should therefore treat the input tax on related advisory, legal and administrative costs accordingly.
Intra-group gratuitous services
Providing services free of charge falls on the positive list (Article 1, item 4), with the express carve-out for the gratuitous transfer of financial products. Where a group provides a service to an affiliate without charge, this item is the one to read first.
Government subsidies
A fiscal subsidy not directly linked to sales revenue or quantity is on the positive list (Article 1, item 6). The announcement’s wording turns on the linkage test: subsidies tied directly to the revenue or quantity of what is sold sit outside this item, while policy-based subsidies that are not so linked are within it.
Insurance payouts
Insurance payouts received as the insured are on the positive list (Article 1, item 1). A group that recovers on an insured loss can locate that receipt on the positive side.
What this means for transaction-structure design
The operational takeaway is that input-VAT treatment should be considered when a transaction structure is designed, not only when the return is filed. Two design habits follow from the two lists.
First, know which side a flow sits on before the structure is fixed. Dividends and equity transfers are on the negative list; insurance payouts, donations, unperformed-contract penalties, gratuitous services, related receivables transfers and unlinked subsidies are on the positive list. A structure that routes a group’s funding or services through a particular entity will carry the input-VAT consequences of the flows that entity receives.
Second, separate linked from unlinked subsidies at the drafting stage. Because Article 1, item 6 turns on whether a subsidy is directly linked to sales revenue or quantity, the documentation of a subsidy — what it is for and how it is calculated — matters to its treatment.
For foreign-invested groups, the announcement’s contribution is clarity of boundary: it fixes where the two lists begin and end, and leaves the design of the structure to the taxpayer.
Sources
- 兰州市财政局转载 — 财政部 税务总局公告2026年第25号《关于明确非应税交易等增值税有关事项的公告》全文: https://czj.lanzhou.gov.cn/art/2026/9/21/art_10235_1739937.html
- 国家税务总局四川省税务局政策法规库 — 25号/28号/19号公告条目: https://sichuan.chinatax.gov.cn/col/col19973/index.html
- 国家税务总局: https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/
- 财政部: https://www.mof.gov.cn/
增值税法下”非应税交易”的边界明确：2026 年财政部、税务总局公告对外资集团的影响
概述
2026年8月27日，财政部、国家税务总局印发《关于明确非应税交易等增值税有关事项的公告》（财政部 税务总局公告2026年第25号），自2026年9月1日起施行。
该公告回应了外资集团经常遇到的边界问题：当一笔收款或付款本身不构成增值税法下的应税交易时，与之相关的进项税额应如何处理？公告并未把答案留给零散实践，而是明确给出两张清单——正面六项、负面四项——并就对农产品销售发票作出定义性澄清。
制度背景：增值税法、实施条例与第二十二条
《中华人民共和国增值税法》及其实施条例自2026年1月1日起施行。实施条例第二十二条首次提出”不得抵扣非应税交易”概念——即某项非应税交易，其相关进项税额不得抵扣。
这一概念带来了实操难点。集团可能收到一笔显然在增值税范围之外的款项（股息、保险赔款、政策性补贴），但其背后成本仍发生进项税额。该进项税额能否抵扣，取决于该笔收款落在第二十二条概念之内还是之外。2026年第25号公告以两张清单划出这条线。
不属于”不得抵扣”的六种情形（第一条）
第一条规定，下列六种情形不属于实施条例第二十二条所称”不得抵扣非应税交易”，相应进项税额可以抵扣：
- 作为被保险人获得保险赔付。
- 接受货币性资产或者非货币性资产捐赠。
- 因合同未履行且未发生应税交易而取得违约金等收入。
- 无偿提供服务（不含无偿转让金融商品）。
- 转让因自身发生应税交易取得的与之相关的应收账款等债权（不含有价证券）。
- 按照有关政策规定取得，且与其销售货物、服务、无形资产、不动产的收入或者数量不直接挂钩的财政补贴。
该清单为正向列举：它告诉纳税人，这六类业务流不会让背后的进项税额”锁死”。
属于”不得抵扣”的四种情形（第二条）
第二条确认四种属于第二十二条所称”不得抵扣非应税交易”的情形，相应进项税额不得抵扣：
- 销售货物、服务、无形资产、不动产不属于增值税法第四条在境内发生应税交易所列情形的。
- 有偿转让股权（不含有价证券）。
- 持有股权（不含有价证券）取得的股息红利和持有股份公司普通股（含有价证券）取得的股息红利。
- 货物期货交易（不含实物交割环节）。
公告明确列举这四种情形为不得抵扣。公告并未表述四类之外的情形均可抵扣；规则的正向一侧另由第一条单独规定。
农产品销售发票（第三条）
第三条规定，增值税扣税凭证中的农产品销售发票，是指农业生产者销售自产农产品适用免征增值税政策而开具的普通发票。这明确了农产品进项抵扣中何种凭证为合格凭证。
配套规则：自然人增值税代扣代缴（28号与19号公告）
同期还有两份文件与25号公告并行：
- 《境内单位代扣代缴自然人增值税管理办法》的公告（财政部 税务总局公告2026年第28号），2026年9月3日发布。
- 《国家税务总局关于境内单位代扣代缴自然人增值税有关申报事项的公告》（国家税务总局公告2026年第19号），2026年9月4日发布，自2026年11月1日起施行，公布《境内单位代扣代缴自然人增值税及附加税费申报表》及其附列资料。
对在境内聘用自然人提供服务的集团而言，这两份文件确定了与25号公告实体规则相配套的代扣代缴与申报机制。
外资集团的清单映射
在华外资集团——控股平台、地区总部与共享服务中心——存在一组反复出现的业务流。两张清单的价值在于：每一类业务流现在都可以映射到一侧。
控股平台与地区总部
中国控股平台通常持有经营性子公司的股权，并部分以股息为自身提供资金。持有股权取得的股息红利落在负面清单（第二条第（三）项）。其实际后果是：支撑该股息流的成本对应的进项税额不得抵扣，平台的成本基础应按此口径理解。
股权转让与股息红利
有偿转让股权落在负面清单（第二条第（二）项），股息红利同样如此（第二条第（三）项）。二者均被明确列举为不得抵扣的非应税交易。集团重组其在华持股时，应据此对待相关顾问、法律及行政成本对应的进项税额。
集团内无偿提供服务
无偿提供服务落在正面清单（第一条第（四）项），并明确排除无偿转让金融商品。集团向关联方无偿提供服务时，应首先查阅该项。
政府补贴
与销售收入或数量不直接挂钩的财政补贴落在正面清单（第一条第（六）项）。公告的表述取决于挂钩测试：与所销售货物、服务、无形资产、不动产的收入或数量直接挂钩的补贴不在此项之内；不与之挂钩的政策性补贴则在此项之内。
保险赔付
作为被保险人获得保险赔付落在正面清单（第一条第（一）项）。就保险标的损失取得赔付的集团，可将该笔收款定位在正面一侧。
对交易架构设计的含义
实操要义是：进项税额处理应在交易架构设计阶段即予考虑，而非仅在申报时考虑。两张清单引出两点设计习惯。
其一，在架构定型前确认业务流落在哪一侧。股息与股权转让在负面清单；保险赔付、接受捐赠、合同未履行违约金、无偿提供服务、相关应收账款转让与不挂钩补贴在正面清单。集团以某一主体承接资金或服务，该主体所收业务流的进项税额后果随之而来。
其二，在起草阶段就区分挂钩与不挂钩补贴。由于第一条第（六）项取决于补贴是否与销售收入或数量直接挂钩，补贴的文件记录——其用途与计算方式——影响其处理。
对外资集团而言，本公告的贡献是边界清晰：它固定了两张清单的起止，而把架构设计留给纳税人。
来源
- 兰州市财政局转载 — 财政部 税务总局公告2026年第25号《关于明确非应税交易等增值税有关事项的公告》全文: https://czj.lanzhou.gov.cn/art/2026/9/21/art_10235_1739937.html
- 国家税务总局四川省税务局政策法规库 — 25号/28号/19号公告条目: https://sichuan.chinatax.gov.cn/col/col19973/index.html
- 国家税务总局: https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/
- 财政部: https://www.mof.gov.cn/
相关阅读
- 见：增值税改革——外资企业注意事项（vat-reform-foreign-firms）