京沪启动“离境退税” 境外游客来消费

Beijing and Shanghai will offer tax refunds on purchases madeby overseas visitors starting on July 1. The two cities were chosen as the first Chinese mainlandcities to start the program after a tax refund trial in Hainan province. “The tax refund policy is anew step in building Beijing as an internationalized tourism destination,” said Wang Yue, deputydirector of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development.

Tourists from overseas, as well as those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who have lived onthe Chinese mainland for no more than 183 days, will be eligible for an 11 percent rebate onconsumer goods bought at designated stores.

So far, 86 stores in Beijing and 27 in Shanghai have qualified for the program. The minimumpurchase to obtain a tax refund is 500 yuan at any one store in a day.

【Key Points】

所谓离境退税，指的是境外旅客在离境时，对其在退税商店购买的退税物品退还增值税(VAT,即Value Added Tax)。离境退税因为能够降低购物成本，在吸引境外游客及刺激消费方面作用明显。

Offering tax refunds has long been an important way for cities and countries to attract overseastourists. More than 50 countries and regions have tax refund polices, including the United States,Japan, South Korea, Canada, Brazil and Thailand.

有分析认为，离境退税政策扩围，将增加中国作为旅游目的地的吸引力，也有望增加外国游客在中国购物金额。