- China’s VAT became statutory law on 1 January 2026 (President Order No. 41), codifying—but not changing—the 13%/9%/6% rates and the 3% small-scale levy rate.
中国增值税于 2026 年 1 月 1 日上升为法律（主席令第四十一号），将 13%/9%/6% 税率与 3% 小规模征收率成文化但未改变。- Retained tax rebates (留抵退税) are now a statutory, recurring right: excess input tax may be carried forward or refunded at the taxpayer’s choice.
留抵退税现已法定化、常态化（第二十一条）：进项税大于销项税的部分可由纳税人选择结转或申请退还。- Input VAT on purchased catering/daily/entertainment services is now deductible unless “purchased and directly used for consumption.”
购进餐饮/居民日常/娱乐服务的进项税，除购进并直接用于消费外，现可抵扣。- Mixed-use long-term assets with original value ≤ RMB 5 million get full upfront input credit; above that, credit is adjusted yearly for the non-deductible portion.
原值不超过 500 万元的混合用途长期资产可全额 upfront 抵扣进项；超过的先全额抵扣，再按年对不得抵扣部分调整。- Services and intangibles are taxable in China if consumed in China or supplied by a China party; exports and specified cross-border supplies are zero-rated.
服务与无形资产若在中国境内消费或销售方为境内方，即属中国增值税范围；出口及指定跨境服务/无形资产适用零税率。- VAT is confirmed as a price-excluded tax with tax stated separately—tightening four-streams (invoice, contract, funds, logistics) consistency and fapiao discipline.
增值税明确为价外税、税额单独列示——强化了发票、合同、资金、物流四流一致与发票纪律。
VAT reform: what foreign firms should note | 增值税改革：外资企业注意事项
Overview
China’s value-added tax (VAT)—the country’s largest tax by revenue—moved from provisional regulation to statutory law on 1 January 2026, when the VAT Law (Order of the President No. 41) and its implementing regulations (State Council Order No. 826) took effect, replacing the 1993 VAT Provisional Regulations. The reform is not a rate overhaul: the headline rates (13%/9%/6%) and the 3% levy rate for small-scale taxpayers are carried over and, for the first time, fixed in law. What changed is structural—the legalisation of retained tax rebates, an expanded input-credit chain, clarified territorial scope, and a more certain, codified framework. For foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), these changes affect cash flow, input deductibility, and compliance design.
This note focuses on the elements that most directly touch FIEs: the new statutory right to a retained-tax refund, the relaxation of input-credit restrictions on purchased catering/daily/entertainment services and on mixed-use long-term assets, and the practical steps foreign operators should take now that VAT is law.
From regulation to law: the 2026 baseline
The VAT Law was adopted on 25 December 2024 and came into force on 1 January 2026, with the implementing regulations effective the same day. The law codifies the core mechanics that had previously lived in regulations and circulars: the general credit method (output tax minus input tax), the simplified method for small-scale taxpayers, the scope of “taxable transactions” (sales of goods, services, intangibles, immovables, and imports), and the exemption/zero-rate framework. By elevating VAT to statutory status, the reform reduces reliance on transient circulars and gives taxpayers a more stable, citable legal basis.
Importantly for FIEs, the rates are unchanged and the small-scale 3% levy rate is now fixed in law (so the relief described in the companion small-scale-taxpayer article rests on a statutory footing). The law also expressly provides that VAT is a price-excluded tax (价外税) and that the tax amount should be stated separately on transaction documents—reinforcing the invoice-centric compliance model that foreign groups must respect.
Retained tax rebate becomes statutory
The single biggest cash-flow change is the legalisation of retained tax rebates (留抵退税). Under the prior regime, when input tax exceeded output tax in a period, the excess was carried forward; refunds existed but were delivered through temporary, policy-driven programmes. The VAT Law now states that where current input tax exceeds current output tax, the taxpayer may choose, pursuant to State Council rules, either to carry the excess forward or to apply for a refund. This makes the refund a statutory, recurring right rather than a discretionary temporary measure.
For FIEs—especially capital-intensive manufacturers, heavy-asset operators, and firms in ramp-up phases—this is material. Large upfront VAT on imported equipment, construction, and raw materials can now be recovered as cash rather than sitting as a frozen credit, easing working-capital pressure during expansion. The practical caveat is that refunds remain subject to eligibility and verification; an FIE should model its input/output profile and register for the refund pathway where it qualifies.
Input-credit expansion: services and mixed-use assets
The reform also widens the input-credit chain in two ways that help service- and asset-heavy FIEs. First, on purchased services: previously, input tax on purchased catering services, resident daily-life services, and entertainment services was wholly non-deductible. Under the new rules, only the input tax on such services that are “purchased and directly used for consumption” is non-deductible. If a travel agency, event organiser, or integrated business buys catering as part of its taxable supply (not for its own consumption), the related input tax is now deductible. This is a clear benefit to tourism, hospitality, business-services, and integrated-operations FIEs.
Second, on mixed-use long-term assets: where a single long-term asset (fixed asset, intangible, or immovable) is used both for deductible and non-deductible purposes, the new rules distinguish by original value. Assets with an original value not exceeding RMB 5 million may be credited in full upfront; assets above RMB 5 million are credited upfront but then adjusted year by year during the mixed-use period for the non-deductible portion. This balances investment incentive with neutrality and is relevant to FIEs making large capital outlays.
Territorial scope, zero-rating, and the credit chain
The law refines when a transaction is “within China” for VAT purposes—notably, services and intangibles are taxable in China if consumed in China or supplied by a China party. This clarity helps FIEs structure cross-border service, licensing, and royalty arrangements and determine where VAT attaches. Export goods and specified cross-border services/intangibles are zero-rated, supporting FIEs engaged in export and offshore service delivery (with export rebates governed by State Council rules).
The broader theme is a more complete and certain credit chain, which the authorities explicitly link to building a unified domestic market and supporting factor mobility. For FIEs, a cleaner chain means fewer irrecoverable input costs buried in overheads, and more predictable tax treatment of intercompany and cross-border flows—provided the entity maintains proper VAT fapiao (发票) discipline.
Worked examples and practical notes
Retained refund in practice: a new EV-components FIE imports RMB 80m of equipment and builds a RMB 50m plant in year one, generating input VAT far exceeding its (low, ramp-up) output VAT. Under the old temporary programme the refund was uncertain; under the VAT Law it is a statutory right—the FIE can apply to recover the trapped credit as cash, easing ramp-up working capital.
Catering input credit: a Hainan tourism FIE buys RMB 1m of catering from local restaurants to provision its packaged tours—a taxable supply, not its own consumption. Previously 100% non-deductible, the input VAT is now deductible, lowering the cost of the tour product. A manufacturer’s canteen meals for staff, by contrast, remain non-deductible as consumption.
Mixed-use asset: the same FIE buys a RMB 6m shared building used partly for taxable operations and partly for staff dormitories (non-deductible). Because original value exceeds RMB 5m, it credits the input tax upfront but adjusts yearly for the dormitory portion; had the building cost RMB 4m, the whole input credit would stand immediately.
Planning note: because VAT is now law, FIEs should revisit template contracts and fapiao workflows to reflect the price-excluded, separately-stated-tax requirement and the new credit rules, and should brief finance teams that refunds and broader credits are now statutory rights worth claiming proactively rather than leaving on the table.
Another illustration of the new certainty: before the law, many FIEs hesitated to claim retained refunds for fear of temporary programmes and later recovery; now the refund is a predictable, plannable right that belongs in the cash-flow model and improves the IRR of capital-intensive, long-cycle projects. But the authorities, through e-invoicing and cross-department data sharing, also police input-output authenticity more tightly, so four-streams consistency—invoice, contract, funds, and logistics—is essential; otherwise the credit is not only denied but false-invoice risk arises. For digital and platform businesses, the clarified China-consumption test matters: a service delivered and consumed offshore generally is not China VAT, but ambiguous cases such as remote software subscriptions or data analytics should specify delivery and consumption location in the contract and seek advice before assuming no China liability.
The headline takeaway for foreign operators is that VAT in China is now stable law, not shifting circulars: plan around a permanent retained-refund right, a broader credit chain, and stricter but fairer input treatment. Groups that modernise their invoicing and fapiao discipline will capture the savings; those that treat the reforms as paperwork will leave cash on the table and risk adjustment.
Treat the new VAT law as an opportunity to modernise your tax operating model, not merely a compliance chore to file away and forget.
What to do next
- Re-model your cash flow: quantify potential retained-tax refunds on equipment, construction, and ramp-up inputs, and enrol in the refund process where eligible.
- Review purchased catering/daily/entertainment spend: separate “for own consumption” from “for taxable supply” so the deductible portion is captured.
- For large capital projects, plan the mixed-use asset input-credit treatment (full credit under RMB 5 million; yearly adjustment above it).
- Confirm your cross-border service/licensing/royalty flows against the clarified “consumed in China” test and the zero-rating rules.
- Upgrade fapiao and contract templates to the law’s price-excluded, separately-stated-tax requirements, and train finance staff on the 2026 framework.
Sources
- 国家税务总局上海市税务局 — 中华人民共和国增值税法全文（主席令第四十一号）: https://shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn/sjtax/ztzl/yshj/ldjj/202412/t474700.html
- 国家税务总局 — 增值税抵扣链条更优化: https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/chinatax/n810219/n810780/c5248293/content.html
- 国家税务总局 — “护航”增值税法顺利实施 配套实施条例出台: https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/chinatax/n810219/n810780/c5246504/content.html
Related reading
- see also: Small-scale taxpayer VAT relief (19-small-scale-taxpayer-vat-relief)
- see also: R&D super-deduction for foreign-invested firms (18-rd-super-deduction)
- see also: Corporate income tax at a glance (15-corporate-income-tax-overview)
增值税改革：外资企业注意事项
概述
增值税是中国收入规模最大的税种，已于 2026 年 1 月 1 日由暂行条例上升为法律——《增值税法》（主席令第四十一号）及其实施条例（国务院令第八百二十六号）同步施行，取代 1993 年的《增值税暂行条例》。本次改革并非税率重构：13%/9%/6% 等主要档率与小规模纳税人 3% 征收率均予沿用，并首次以法律形式固定。真正变化的是结构层面——留抵退税法定化、进项税额抵扣链条扩大、境内外征税范围厘清，以及更确定、成文化的制度框架。对外商投资企业（FIE）而言，这些变化影响现金流、进项可抵扣性与合规设计。
本文聚焦与外资企业最直接相关的要素：留抵退税的新法定权利、购进餐饮/居民日常/娱乐服务及混合用途长期资产抵扣限制的放宽，以及增值税法定化后外国运营者应采取的实务步骤。
从条例到法律：2026 基准
《增值税法》于 2024 年 12 月 25 日通过，2026 年 1 月 1 日起施行，实施条例同日生效。该法将原先散见于条例与通知的核心机制成文化：一般计税方法（销项减进项）、小规模纳税人简易计税、应税交易范围（销售货物、服务、无形资产、不动产及进口），以及免税/零税率框架。增值税升格为法律，减少了对临时性通知的依赖，赋予纳税人更稳定的可援引法律依据。
对外资企业重要的是，税率保持不变，小规模纳税人 3% 征收率现由法律固定（因此姊妹篇所述小规模优惠有了法定基础）。法律还明确增值税为价外税，税额应在交易凭证上单独列明——强化了外资企业必须遵循的、以发票为中心的合规模式。
留抵退税法定化
最重大的现金流变化是留抵退税的法定化。在旧制下，某一期进项税大于销项税时，差额结转下期；退税虽存在，但多通过临时性、政策驱动的项目实施。增值税法（第二十一条）现规定：当期进项税额大于当期销项税额的部分，纳税人可按照国务院规定选择结转下期继续抵扣或者申请退还。这使退税由临时性裁量措施，转变为法定的、常态化权利。
对资本密集的制造商、重资产运营者及处于爬坡期企业，这意义重大。进口设备、工程建设与原材料形成的大额前期增值税，现在可以现金形式回收，而非冻结为 credit，从而缓解扩张期的营运资金压力。实务 caveat 是，退税仍须符合资格并受核验；外资企业应建模自身进销项结构，并在符合条件时登记退税路径。
进项抵扣扩大：服务与混合用途资产
改革还从两方面拓宽抵扣链条，惠及服务密集与资产密集的外资企业。其一，就购进服务而言：此前购进餐饮服务、居民日常服务、娱乐服务的进项税额一律不得抵扣。新规则下，仅”购进并直接用于消费”的该类服务进项税额不得抵扣；若旅行社、活动策划方或综合性企业将餐饮作为应税供给的一部分（而非自身消费）购进，相关进项税现可抵扣。这明显利好旅游、酒店、商务服务及综合运营类外资企业。
其二，就混合用途长期资产而言：单项长期资产（固定资产、无形资产或不动产）既用于可抵扣、又用于不得抵扣用途的，新规则按原值区分。原值不超过 500 万元的，进项税额可全额 upfront 抵扣；原值超过 500 万元的，先全额抵扣，再在混合用途期间按年对不得抵扣部分作调整。这兼顾了投资激励与中性，对有大额资本开支的外资企业尤为重要。
征税范围、零税率与抵扣链条
法律厘清了”在境内发生应税交易”的判定——尤其服务与无形资产，若在中国境内消费或销售方为境内单位/个人，即属中国增值税范围。这一清晰化有助于外资企业设计跨境服务、许可与特许权安排，并判定增值税的附着点。出口货物及指定的跨境服务/无形资产适用零税率，支撑从事出口与离岸服务交付的外资企业（出口退免税按国务院规定办理）。
更宏大的主题是更完整、更确定的抵扣链条——当局明确将其与建设全国统一大市场、促进要素流动相联系。对外资企业，更干净的链条意味着更少埋在 overhead 中无法回收的进项成本，以及关联与跨境流动更可预期的税务处理——前提是实体维持良好的发票纪律。
实务示例与操作要点
留抵退税实务：一家新设的新能源汽车零部件外资企业，第一年进口 8,000 万元设备并建设 5,000 万元厂房，形成的进项税远超其（爬坡期较低的）销项税。在旧制下退税并不确定；在增值税法下它成为法定权利——该企业可申请将冻结的留抵以现金回收，缓解爬坡期营运资金压力。
餐饮进项抵扣：一家海南旅游外资企业向本地餐厅采购 100 万元餐饮，用于打包旅游产品——属于应税供给，而非自身消费。此前 100% 不得抵扣，现该项进项税可抵扣，降低了旅游产品的成本。相比之下，制造企业供员工食堂的餐食，仍作为消费不得抵扣。
混合用途资产：同一外资企业购置 600 万元共享楼宇，部分用于应税经营、部分用于员工宿舍（不得抵扣）。因原值超过 500 万元，其进项税先全额抵扣，再按年对宿舍部分作调整；若该楼原值为 400 万元，则全部进项税可立即抵扣。
规划提示：由于增值税已法定化，外资企业应当重新审视合同模板与发票流程，以体现价外税、税额单独列示的要求及新抵扣规则，并应告知财务团队：退税与更广的抵扣已是法定权利，值得主动申领，而非搁置不用。
再举一例说明制度确定性：改革前，许多外资企业因担心政策临时性与后续追缴，对留抵退税”不敢申、不愿申”；法定化后，退税成为可预期、可规划的权利，企业可将之纳入现金流模型，而非视为例外。对重资产、长周期项目，这一变化直接改善内部收益率（IRR）测算。与此同时，税务机关借助发票电子化与跨部门信息共享，对进销项真实性的监管也更强，企业更须确保发票、合同、资金、物流”四流一致”，否则不仅抵扣被否，还可能触发虚开风险。对从事跨境数字服务、平台业务的外资企业，境内外征税边界的厘清尤为重要：同一项服务，若被认定为”在境内消费”，即在中国产生增值税义务并可能需代扣；若由境外主体完全在境外交付且不属于境内消费，则一般不在中国征增值税。界限模糊地带（如远程软件订阅、数据分析）应在合同中明确交付地与消费地，并咨询专业意见，避免在中国被认定有应税交易而遗漏申报。
对外国运营者的核心结论是：中国的增值税如今是稳定法律，而非飘移的通知——应围绕永久化的留抵退税权利、更广的抵扣链条，以及更严却更公平的进项处理来做规划。及时现代化发票与 fapiao 纪律的集团，将收获节省；仅把改革当作文书工作的集团，则既流失现金，又面临调整风险。
增值税法定化之后，主动合规即主动收益，拖延与应付只会把红利留在桌上、把风险请进门。
下一步建议
- 重做现金流建模：量化设备、工程与爬坡期投入可能形成的留抵退税，并在符合条件时登记退税流程。
- 审视购进的餐饮/居民日常/娱乐支出：区分”自身消费”与”用于应税供给”，以captured可抵扣部分。
- 对大型资本项目，规划混合用途资产的进项抵扣处理（500 万元以下全额抵扣；以上按年调整）。
- 依据厘清后的”在境内消费”测试与零税率规则，核验你的跨境服务/许可/特许权流动。
- 将发票与合同模板升级至法律要求的价外税、税额单独列示，并对财务团队就 2026 框架开展培训。
来源
- 国家税务总局上海市税务局 — 中华人民共和国增值税法全文（主席令第四十一号）: https://shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn/sjtax/ztzl/yshj/ldjj/202412/t474700.html
- 国家税务总局 — 增值税抵扣链条更优化: https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/chinatax/n810219/n810780/c5248293/content.html
- 国家税务总局 — “护航”增值税法顺利实施 配套实施条例出台: https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/chinatax/n810219/n810780/c5246504/content.html
相关阅读
- 见：小规模纳税人增值税优惠（19-small-scale-taxpayer-vat-relief）
- 见：外资企业的研发费用加计扣除（18-rd-super-deduction）
- 见：企业所得税概览（15-corporate-income-tax-overview）