Tag Archives: Foreign-Invested Enterprises

Foreign Individuals’ Dividends From Foreign-Invested Enterprises: Withholding and Filing After the Exemption Ends

  • Announcement No. 27 of 2026, issued and effective on 1 September 2026, ends the exemption on dividends paid by Foreign-Invested Enterprises to foreign individuals and taxes them at 20 per cent.
    2026 年第 27 号公告自 2026 年 9 月 1 日发布并执行,外籍个人从外商投资企业取得股息红利的免税待遇终止,改按 20% 税率征税。
  • The exemption came from Article 2(8) of Cai Shui Zi [1994] No. 20; the same announcement repeals that item, so this is the withdrawal of a preference, not a new tax.
    免税依据是财税字〔1994〕20 号第二条第(八)项的”暂免征收”,该公告同时废止该项,因此这是优惠退出,不是新设税种。
  • Dividend Withholding sits with the paying enterprise, which withholds at payment and files and pays within 15 days of the following month.
    股息扣缴义务在支付方企业:支付时代扣,次月 15 日内申报缴纳。
  • Where the enterprise has not withheld, Foreign Individual Shareholders must pay by 30 June of the following year, or within the period set by a tax authority notice.
    企业未扣缴的,外籍个人股东应在次年 6 月 30 日前缴纳,或在税务机关通知的期限内缴纳。
  • Tax Treaty Relief is unaffected: where the treaty with the individual’s state of residence sets a dividend rate below 20 per cent, the individual may apply for that treatment.
    协定待遇不受影响:居民国与中国的税收协定对股息规定的税率低于 20% 的,个人可按规定的程序申请享受。
  • Groups with foreign individual shareholders, foreign director shareholdings or family holding vehicles should map distribution dates against 1 September 2026.
    存在外籍自然人股东、外籍董事持股或家族持股平台的集团,应在分红决议前把分配时点与 2026 年 9 月 1 日对齐。

Foreign Individuals’ Dividends From Foreign-Invested Enterprises: Withholding and Filing After the Exemption Ends | 外籍个人从外商投资企业取得股息红利:免税待遇停止后的扣缴与申报

Overview

On 1 September 2026 the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration issued Announcement No. 27 of 2026 on the individual income tax treatment of dividends that foreign individuals receive from foreign-invested enterprises. It took effect the same day.

It is a current, effective rule, not a November 2026 measure, and it contains no retroactive provision. Dividends exempt for three decades are now taxed as interest, dividends and bonuses at 20 per cent.

What changed

Article 2(8) of Cai Shui Zi [1994] No. 20, the 1994 notice on several individual income tax policy questions, made dividends and bonuses obtained by foreign individuals from foreign-invested enterprises temporarily exempt. Announcement No. 27 repeals that item and applies the ordinary treatment.

From 1 September 2026 the income falls within the interest, dividends and bonuses category at 20 per cent. No new category is created and nothing reaches backwards. A distribution made before that date and one made after it sit on opposite sides of the line, and no transitional rule is set. Read literally, the date of distribution governs.

Who it affects

Foreign individual shareholders, including founders holding equity directly rather than through an offshore company. A corporate shareholder resident outside China falls under the non-resident enterprise rules and the treaty.

Foreign directors and senior managers holding equity in the Chinese subsidiary as part of their package; their dividends now carry the same 20 per cent treatment as any other individual investor’s.

Family structures in which an individual, not a company, sits at the top of the chain; where it runs through a foreign company, enterprise income tax and treaty questions take over.

The withholding chain

The mechanism is ordinary withholding applied to a payment that used to be exempt. The paying enterprise withholds at payment and files and pays within 15 days of the following month. Resolution, payment instruction and filing therefore need sequencing; a resolution passed in the last week of a month leaves a short window.

If the enterprise fails to withhold, the liability does not disappear. The individual must pay by 30 June of the year following the year in which the income was obtained, and within any shorter deadline set by a tax authority notice. The fallback is a second route to the same liability, with late-payment exposure attached.

Treaty relief is still available

The 20 per cent rate is the domestic rate, not necessarily the final one. Where the treaty between the individual’s state of residence and China provides a lower rate on dividends, the individual may apply to enjoy treaty treatment under the prescribed procedure. The announcement neither closes that route nor sets out treaty rates; those come from the treaty and the rules on enjoying treaty benefits.

Residence is a question of fact and documentation, so a certificate of residence must come from the competent authority of the residence state. Relief is claimed, not granted automatically, so the file is built before the distribution.

Structures that need review

An enterprise that has never withheld on a dividend should treat the next distribution as a process change, not a calculation change. The resolution states the gross amount and the tax withheld; the payment run carries a tax line; finance works to a calendar that starts on the payment date.

Groups that wrote the exemption into their policy — a fixed net amount to a foreign founder, for instance — will find the net no longer equals the gross. Either the gross rises to preserve the net, raising the cost, or the net falls. That is a shareholder-relations decision as much as a tax one.

One boundary: the separate policy allowing foreign investors to reinvest distributed profits directly is a different regime with its own conditions, and this announcement does not alter it.

Practical steps

  • Confirm each shareholder’s residence status and keep the certificate on file; treaty relief depends on it.
  • Put the distribution date on the board agenda: the effective date, not the resolution date, is what matters.
  • Build the withholding into the payment instruction so tax is withheld at source.
  • Prepare the treaty relief file before the resolution, not after the payment.
  • Keep the filing, the tax receipt and the remittance documents in one file.
  • Review policies that promised a net amount, and decide whether to gross up.

Outlook

Preferences designed when foreign capital was scarce are being retired as the tax system is consolidated. For a foreign individual investor, the after-tax return on a distribution from a Chinese subsidiary is now 80 per cent of the gross before treaty relief — a figure that belongs in the model before the next resolution.

Related reading

  • *Reinvesting Distributed Profits in China* (Article 464) — the regime this announcement does not touch.

Sources

  • 天津市税务局·公告 2026 年第 27 号全文:https://tianjin.chinatax.gov.cn/11200000000/0300/030004/03000418/20260902152018507.shtml
  • 深圳市税务局·外籍个人股息红利问答:https://shenzhen.chinatax.gov.cn/sztax/zcwj/rdwd/202610/ac9b32b9cf034206bde37c358ea403b0.shtml
  • 江苏省税务局·12366 热点问答:https://jiangsu.chinatax.gov.cn/art/2026/10/12/art_8353_1791332.html
  • 国家税务总局:https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/

外籍个人从外商投资企业取得股息红利:免税待遇停止后的扣缴与申报

概述

2026 年 9 月 1 日,财政部、税务总局发布《关于外籍个人从外商投资企业取得股息红利有关个人所得税政策的公告》,即财政部 税务总局公告 2026 年第 27 号,自发布之日起执行。

需要先把定性说清楚:这是一项现行有效的政策,不是 2026 年 11 月出台的新政;执行日期就是 2026 年 9 月 1 日,公告未就追溯适用作出规定。变化范围不大,后果却很实在。三十年来,外籍个人从中国的外商投资企业取得股息,可以依赖一项”暂免征收”的规定;如今这项规定已被废止,同一笔所得按”利息、股息、红利所得”缴纳个人所得税,适用 20% 税率。

对许多在华经营多年的外资企业而言,这不是一条陌生规则,而是一条被重新启用的老规则。税目、税率、扣缴方式都没有创新,变的是”这类所得可以免税”这个前提不再成立。理解这一点,比记住税率更重要。

另一个容易被忽略的维度是时间:公告 9 月 1 日发布当日即执行,没有留出过渡期。这意味着在 9 月 1 日前后排期分派的公司几乎没有调整空间,只能在执行层面把扣缴补上。对分红节奏固定在中秋、春节前后的企业,这一点尤其值得提前核对。

变了什么

财税字〔1994〕20 号《关于个人所得税若干政策问题的通知》第二条第(八)项规定,外籍个人从外商投资企业取得的股息、红利所得暂免征收个人所得税。第 27 号公告废止该项,改按一般规则处理。

自 2026 年 9 月 1 日起,同一笔所得落入”利息、股息、红利所得”这一税目,适用 20% 税率。公告没有新设税目,没有改变税率结构,也没有任何溯及既往的内容。2026 年 9 月 1 日之前作出的分派与之后作出的分派,分处生效日划出的这条线的两侧;公告对该日之后的过渡处理未作规定。按文义理解——这也是读一份税收公告唯一稳妥的方式——以分派时点为准。

这一点之所以重要,是因为它把问题从”要不要缴”变成了”哪天分派”。同一笔利润,决议在八月、付款在九月,与决议和付款都在八月,结果并不相同。把时点当成一个需要单独管理的变量,是这份公告带来的第一个流程变化。

还有一点需要说明:公告废止的是”暂免征收”这一优惠条款,而不是财税字〔1994〕20 号整份文件。该通知中的其他条款,凡未被后续规定替代的,仍然有效。把废止范围读成”整份文件作废”,是实务中另一种常见误读,也会让本来与该公告无关的安排被不必要地改动。

影响谁

有三类主体会最先感受到变化。

一是外商投资企业的外籍自然人股东,包括直接持股、而非通过境外公司间接持股的创始人。境外法人股东适用非居民企业规则与税收协定,那是另一套分析,本公告针对的是个人。

二是以外籍董事、高管身份在中国子公司持股、并将其作为薪酬安排一部分的人群。其股息所得如今与其他个人投资者适用同样的 20% 处理,过去那种因身份不同而处理不同的空间已经不存在。

三是家族持股结构中由个人而非公司处在链条顶端、从中国运营公司取得分配的情形。若链条经由境外公司,则分析转向企业所得税与协定问题,本公告不适用。

还有一类容易被遗漏:通过员工持股平台或信托安排间接持有中国子公司权益的外籍个人。形式上股东是平台,实质受益人是个人,所得性质的判断要看安排的具体结构,不能只看登记名义。

此外,外籍个人通过合伙企业取得的分配,适用规则与直接持股并不相同,需要按合伙企业的税收规则单独判断,不宜一概而论。

需要提醒的是,不要把这三种情形混为一谈。同一位自然人,可能既是董事、又是股东,还通过一家境外公司间接持股;三种身份对应的所得适用规则并不相同,申报时要分开处理,不能因为”都是同一个人的钱”就合并计算。

扣缴链条

机制本身是普通的代扣代缴,只是被用在了一笔过去免税的支付上。

支付方企业是扣缴义务人。外商投资企业向外籍个人支付股息红利时,应当在支付时代扣税款,并于支付所得的次月 15 日内申报缴纳。实务上这意味着分红决议、付款指令与纳税申报必须有意排好顺序;若决议在月末最后一周才通过,留给申报的窗口会非常短。把三者放进同一张时间表,比事后解释为什么晚缴要省事得多。

企业未扣缴的,纳税义务并不消失。取得股息红利的外籍个人应当在取得所得的次年 6 月 30 日前缴纳税款;税务机关通知限期缴纳的,应当在通知确定的期限内缴纳。这条兜底路径不是免罚选项,而是通向同一笔税款的第二条路,并附带滞纳金与逾期风险。换言之,扣缴只是征收方式,不改变税负归属;企业没有扣,不等于个人没有义务。

举个时间顺序的例子:若董事会在一月下旬通过分红决议、企业当月付款,扣缴义务在一月付款时发生,申报与缴款应在二月十五日前完成。若决议通过后迟迟不付款,纳税义务并不因未付款而提前发生;但一旦付款,十五日的窗口即开始计算。财务排期应以付款日为准,而不是以决议日为准。

另一个常见情形是分期支付:同一笔分红分两次付,扣缴义务按每次支付分别发生,申报也应按次对应,而不是合并到最后一笔。

协定待遇仍然可用

20% 是国内法税率,不必然是最终税率。

如外籍个人居民国与中国的税收协定对股息规定的税率低于 20%,该个人可按规定的程序申请享受协定待遇。公告既未关闭这条路径,也未列出协定税率;具体税率来自协定文本,以及享受协定待遇的行政规定。

由此有两点实务提示。其一,居民身份是事实与凭证问题,不是国籍或护照问题,须向居民国主管当局取得居民身份证明,并在每次分配前确认其仍然有效。其二,协定待遇是”申请享受”,不是自动给予,因此材料要在分配之前备齐,而不是在分配之后补。

还有一点常被忽略:协定待遇解决的是税率,不解决程序。即便最终适用协定税率,扣缴、申报、完税凭证这些环节一个都不能少,只是计算基础换成协定税率。

需要区分的是,协定待遇针对的是”利息、股息、红利所得”这一税目下的征税权分配,与居民身份的认定是两件事。前者决定税率,后者决定是否有资格主张协定。二者都要求凭证,但需要的凭证不同。

需要复核的架构

对从未就股息代扣过税款的外商投资企业而言,下一次分配应当被当作流程变更来处理,而不仅是计算变更。董事会决议需载明含税金额与应扣税款;付款流程需要增加税款一行;财务团队需要一份从付款日起算、而非从决议日起算的申报日历。

把免税写进分配政策的集团——例如约定向外籍创始人支付固定净额的安排——会发现净额不再等于含税金额。要么提高含税金额以维持净额,从而抬高分配成本;要么接受净额下降。这既是股东关系决策,也是税务决策,在决议之前定下来,比在付款之后处理好。

有一条边界值得注意。允许境外投资者以分配利润直接投资、并给予递延或免税待遇的政策,是另一套有自身条件的制度,本公告未予改动。某一笔分配是否符合该制度,属于那套制度的问题,不属于本公告的适用范围。

对集团层面而言,还有一个常被推迟的问题:是否调整持股层级。把个人直接持股改为通过境外公司持股,会改变所得的性质与适用规则,涉及企业重组、跨境架构与协定资格等多重考量,不是单纯为了应对这 20% 就能决定的事。这类调整应当由税务、法务与投资方共同评估,并把调整本身可能产生的税负计入比较。

操作清单

  • 逐一确认每位个人股东的居民身份,并将居民身份证明归档;协定待遇以此为基础。
  • 把分配日期明确列入董事会议程,因为公告看的是生效日,而不是决议日。
  • 把代扣计算嵌入付款指令,使税款在源头扣下,而不是事后追缴。
  • 在决议之前准备协定待遇材料,而不是在付款之后。
  • 将扣缴申报表、完税凭证与跨境付汇单据归入同一档案。
  • 复核承诺净额的旧分配政策,有意识地决定是否由企业承担税负以提高含税金额。
  • 对通过平台或信托间接持股的外籍个人,单独梳理受益人与所得的对应关系。

上述清单中最容易漏掉的是第二项。分配日期通常由董事会决定,而董事会议程由公司秘书安排;两个环节分属不同的人,时点管理因此常常断在中间。

展望

方向是一致的:为外资稀缺年代设计的优惠,正随着税制整合逐步退出。对外籍个人投资者而言,实际后果是中国子公司分派的税后回报,在适用协定待遇之前,为含税金额的八成。

这个数字应当出现在下一份分红决议之前的模型里,而不是之后。

对准备引入外籍个人股东的初创企业而言,这一点也应进入投资条款的讨论:同样的分红,落到个人与落到公司,税后结果并不相同,条款设计应当把这个差异写进去。

更实际的做法,是把”税后可得”作为分红方案的一栏固定字段,而不是每次临时计算;把它放进董事会材料正文,比放在脚注里有用。

延伸阅读

  • 《境外投资者以分配利润直接投资:递延待遇与直接投资路径》(第 464 篇)——本公告未触及的另一套再投资制度。

来源

  • 天津市税务局·公告 2026 年第 27 号全文:https://tianjin.chinatax.gov.cn/11200000000/0300/030004/03000418/20260902152018507.shtml
  • 深圳市税务局·外籍个人股息红利问答:https://shenzhen.chinatax.gov.cn/sztax/zcwj/rdwd/202610/ac9b32b9cf034206bde37c358ea403b0.shtml
  • 江苏省税务局·12366 热点问答:https://jiangsu.chinatax.gov.cn/art/2026/10/12/art_8353_1791332.html
  • 国家税务总局:https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/