China tax guide

People’s Republic of
China Tax Profile
Produced in conjunction with the
KPMG Asia Pacific Tax Centre
Updated: November 2012

Contents
1

Corporate Income Tax

1

2

Income Tax Treaties for the Avoidance of Double Taxation

6

3

Indirect Tax (e.g., VAT/GST)

8

4

Personal taxation

9

5

Other Taxes

10

6

Free Trade Agreements

12

7

Tax Authorities

13

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1

Corporate Income Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Corporate income tax (“CIT”)

Tax Rate

25 percent
There is also a 15 percent rate applicable to certain Chinese enterprises with “New and High Technology” status or those operating in the western region of China.

Residence

A company is considered to be resident in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) if it is established under PRC law, or is an enterprise that is established under the laws of foreign countries (regions), but its place of effective management is located in PRC.
A resident enterprise is taxed on its worldwide income.

Compliance requirements

The tax return system is one of self-assessment, subject to audit by the tax authorities.
Annual CIT returns are due on the 31 May after the end of the tax year.
Quarterly (or monthly) returns are due 15 days after the end of the quarter (or month).

International Withholding Tax
Rates

Dividends paid to a non-resident are subject to withholding tax at 10 percent (this rate may be reduced under certain treaties). Royalties paid to a non-resident are subject to withholding tax at 10 percent (this rate may be reduced under certain treaties). In addition, 5 percent Business Tax (or 6 percent Value Add Tax (“VAT”)) and local levies will apply.
Interest paid to a non-resident is subject to withholding tax at 10 percent (this rate may be reduced under certain treaties). In addition, 5 percent Business Tax and local levies will apply.

Holding rules

Dividend distribution from a PRC resident enterprise to another PRC resident enterprise is exempt from PRC CIT.
Dividend distribution from a non-resident enterprise to a PRC resident enterprise is subject to 25 percent CIT, but foreign tax credits may be available.
CIT at 25 percent also applies to capital gains derived by a PRC resident enterprise. China does not have a participation exemption regime.
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Tax Losses

Tax losses may be carried forward for 5 years. No carry-back is allowed.

Tax Consolidation / Group relief There is no tax consolidation regime in PRC in general.

Transfer of shares

Stamp duty applies on the transfer of shares.

Transfer of assets

Business tax, stamp duty, deed tax and land appreciation tax may apply on the transfer of land and buildings.
Transfers of inventory and fixed assets may be subject to VAT and stamp duty.
Transfers of intangible assets may be subject to business tax (or VAT) and stamp duty.
Gains resulting from transfers of assets are subject to CIT.
Certain corporate asset reorganizations may be eligible to tax relief, including from both income tax and turnover taxes.

CFC rules

Yes − PRC has a CFC regime.

Transfer Pricing

PRC tax law contains a set of rules that allows for income adjustment by tax authorities on related party transactions if transfer prices are not at arm's length.
Contemporaneous documentation is required if certain threshold conditions are met. The documentation is due to be lodged on 31 May after the tax year.
A company can enter into an Advance Pricing Agreement with the tax authorities for transfer pricing purposes.
Taxpayers can request that the competent authorities activate the Mutual Agreement Procedure process, pursuant to the relevant tax treaties, to seek relief from double taxation.

Thin Capitalisation

Yes − CIT law effectively restricts the deductibility of interest paid to related entities if the company is excessively financed with related party debt. In general, this will be the case where the related party debt-to-equity ratio of the company exceeds 2:1 (or 5:1 for financial institutions).

General Anti-avoidance

PRC tax law includes general anti-avoidance provisions.

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2

Anti-treaty shopping

PRC requires that a treaty applicant must be a beneficial owner of certain passive income derived in PRC in order to qualify for treaty benefits. Normally, a beneficial owner needs to possess commercial substance and bear risk at the residence jurisdiction.

Other specific anti-avoidance rules PRC tax law contains anti-avoidance rules with respect to the indirect disposal of shares in a PRC enterprise (Circular
698).

Rulings

There is no formal ruling system for PRC taxes currently, although a pilot program is being considered by the
Government.
Informal rulings can be sought with tax officials. However, the rulings are given orally and reflect the personal views of the officials consulted.

Intellectual Property
Incentives

PRC resident enterprises that own independent intellectual property used in products or services of prescribed high-tech fields supported by the State, may be recognized as high-tech enterprises if other qualification criteria are also met.
These companies can enjoy a reduced 15 percent CIT rate, instead of the 25 percent standard CIT rate.

R&D Incentives

Qualifying R&D expenses enjoy a 50 percent supplementary deduction for CIT purposes.

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Other incentives

Companies located in PRC’s western region, that conduct business in encouraged industries or projects (with revenue from the encouraged business representing more than 70 percent of its total revenue in a tax year), are eligible for the reduced 15 percent CIT rate, instead of the 25 percent standard CIT rate, subject to approval by tax authorities.
From 1 July 2010 to 31 December 2013, recognized technologically-advanced service enterprises in 21 Chinese cities can pay enterprise income tax at the reduced rate of 15 percent, instead of the 25 percent standard CIT rate, subject to approval by tax authorities.
Income earned from major state-supported public infrastructure facility projects can be approved by the relevant authorities to be exempt from CIT for the first to the third year, and subject to 50 percent reduction in CIT for the fourth to the sixth year, commencing from the first year of generating the project revenue.
Income earned from qualifying environment protection projects, and water or energy saving projects is exempt from CIT for the first to the third year, and subject to a 50 percent reduction in CIT for the fourth to the sixth year, commencing from the first year of generating the project revenue.
Companies purchasing prescribed equipment which aids in the advancement of various environmental or other goals, such as protecting the environment, conserving water or reducing energy usage, and enhancing production safety, are eligible for a CIT credit equivalent to 10 percent of the equipment investment cost. This credit is applied against the current year’s CIT payable, with any unutilized credit to be carried forward for the following five tax years.
Income of up to RMB 5 million earned from the transfer of qualifying technology by a PRC company is exempt from CIT, while the excess income amount is subject to a 50 percent reduction in CIT.

Hybrid Instruments

There are no specific rules regarding hybrid instruments in PRC. However, PRC tax authorities are empowered to follow the “substance over form” principle to make an adjustment if tax avoidance is detected.
A hybrid loan document needs to be registered with the foreign exchange authorities. If the terms are different from a traditional loan document it will be questioned and challenged. Taxpayers should be prepared to negotiate with the local government. Hybrid entities

Foreign characterization generally does not affect the tax determination of a Chinese entity from the PRC tax perspective.
For a foreign entity, China may look at whether that entity has a separate legal person status under local law, or is a tax resident for treaty purposes, to determine whether to view that entity as an independent legal person.

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Special tax regimes for specific industries or sectors

Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fisheries
Income earned by PRC resident enterprises from activities in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fisheries may be entitled to CIT exemptions and reductions, dependent on the categories of business the companies are engaged in.
Income from preliminary processing of certain agricultural products may also be entitled to CIT exemptions.
Integrated circuit and software industry
A qualifying software manufacturing company is entitled to the preferential treatment of two years exemption from CIT, followed by three years with a 50 percent reduction in CIT, commencing from its first profit-making year. A reduced CIT rate of 10 percent is also available to certain key software companies as designated by the Government.
Chinese enterprises producing integrated circuits with particular product specifications are eligible for different preferential CIT treatments depending on the product sophistication. The available preferential treatments include a reduced 15 percent CIT rate, two years exemption from CIT followed by three years with a 50 percent reduction in CIT commencing from its first profit-making year, and five years exemption from CIT followed by five years with a 50 percent reduction in CIT commencing from its first profit-making year.

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2
In Force

Income Tax Treaties for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
Albania

Georgia

Malta

Slovenia

Algeria

Germany

Mauritius

South Africa

Armenia

Greece

Mexico

Spain

Australia

Hong Kong

Moldova

Sri Lanka

Austria

Hungary

Mongolia

Sudan

Azerbaijan

Iceland

Morocco

Sweden

Bahrain

India

Nepal

Switzerland

Bangladesh

Indonesia

Netherlands

Syria

Barbados

Iran

New Zealand

Tajikistan

Belarus

Ireland

Nigeria

Thailand

Belgium

Israel

Norway

Trinidad and Tobago

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Italy

Oman

Tunisia

Brazil

Jamaica

Pakistan

Turkey

Brunei

Japan

Papua New Guinea

Turkmenistan

Bulgaria

Kazakhstan

Philippines

Ukraine

Canada

Korea (Republic of)

Poland

United Arab Emirates

Croatia

Kuwait

Portugal

United Kingdom

Cuba

Kyrgystan

Qatar

United States

Cyprus

Laos

Romania

Uzbekistan

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6

Czech Republic

Russia

Venezuela

Denmark

Lithuania

Saudi Arabia

Vietnam

Egypt

Luxembourg

Serbia and Montenegro

Zambia

Estonia

Macau

Seychelles

Finland

Macedonia

Singapore

France
Negotiated, not yet in force at time of publication

Latvia

Malaysia

Slovak Republic

New treaties or amendment protocols have been negotiated with Belgium, Denmark, Ethiopia, Korea (Republic of) and the United Kingdom.
Source: IBFD

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3

Indirect Tax (e.g., VAT/GST)

Indirect Tax(es)

Value Added Tax (VAT); Business Tax and Consumption Tax

Standard Rate

The standard VAT rate in PRC is 17 percent.
VAT applies to the supply of goods, provision of services and importation of goods in PRC. Certain products may be taxed at 13 percent or are exempt from VAT. Exports are generally free from VAT.

VAT Reform

China is currently undertaking a VAT reform which, broadly speaking, is seeking to extend the scope of the VAT to encompass the services that are currently subject to business tax (refer to section 5) in China. The VAT reforms began with a pilot programme in Shanghai on January 1, 2012 and initially covered the transportation, asset leasing and modern services industries. The programme was expanded to Beijing on September 1, 2012, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces on
October 1, 2012, Fujian and Guangdong provinces on November 1, 2012, Tianjin, Zhejiang and Hubei provinces on
December 1, 2012, and is expected to progressively spread to other cities and provinces in China throughout 2013 and beyond. Those with businesses operating across China should ensure that they stay abreast of the latest developments and have carefully considered the possible implications for their contracts with their major customers, suppliers and their overall supply chain strategy.

Further information

For more detailed indirect tax information, refer to:
KPMG's VAT/GST Essentials

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4

Personal taxation

Income Tax

Individual income tax

Top Rate

The top tax rate for individuals’ employment income is 45 percent (applies on monthly taxable salary income of greater than RMB 80,000).
Different tax rates apply depending on the sources of income.

Social Security

Employers and Employees must both make contributions to Social security insurance (SSI). Rates of both employer and employee contributions vary depending on the fund category and location in the PRC.
Employer contributions to SSI apply to the pension, medical, unemployment, maternity, and injury funds.
Employee contributions to SSI apply to the pension, medical, and unemployment funds.

Further information

For more detailed personal taxation information, refer to:
KPMG’s Thinking Beyond Borders

International Social Security
Agreements



Germany



Korea (Republic of)

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5

Other Taxes

Business tax (BT)

The standard BT rate in PRC is generally between 3 and 5 percent (although it can be as high as 20 percent for certain services), and applies to the provision of services (not covered by VAT), the transfer of intangible assets, and the sale of immovable property in China. BT is a turnover tax and certain exemptions apply.
PRC is commencing a VAT pilot program to integrate BT into the VAT system. The VAT reforms began with a pilot programme in Shanghai on 1 January 2012 and initially cover the transportation, asset leasing, and modern services industries. The programme was expanded to Beijing on 1 September 2012, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces on 1 October 2012, Fujian and Guangdong provinces on 1 November 2012, Tianjin, Zhejiang and Hubei provinces on 1 December 2012, and is expected to progressively spread to other cities and provinces in China during and after 2013.

Consumption tax (CT)

CT applies to the manufacturing, processing, importation or selling of 14 different kinds of goods in China, principally luxury goods.
No standard rate applies as CT rates differ depending upon factors such as the stage of production at which the sale occurs, type, weight, or capacity.

Stamp duty

PRC stamp duty is imposed at rates ranging from 0.005 percent to 0.3 percent with respect to documents executed or used in the PRC.

Land appreciation tax (LAT)

The Land Value Appreciation Tax imposes tax on the appreciated value arising from the transfer of land-use rights, after the deduction of certain specified items.

Real estate tax

The urban real property tax is a local tax imposed on the owner or user of a building at the rate of either:


1.2 percent of assessed value (calculated as the original value, less a discount of between 10 to 30 percent, as determined by the local government)



12 percent of rentals in the case of leased property.

The tax is imposed on an annual basis and collected periodically as determined by local government.

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Other taxes

There is a vast array of other forms of taxation applicable to various business or investment activities in China, including
Urban Maintenance & Construction Tax, Education Levy, Cultural Business Levy, and Deed Tax.
In addition, PRC has various mining taxes and motor vehicle taxes.

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6

Free Trade Agreements

In force

Regional Multilateral Free Trade Agreements
Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement
Member countries:

China

Bangladesh

India

Laos

Korea

Sri Lanka

China

Brunei

Indonesia

Malaysia

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Cambodia

Laos

Myanmar

Vietnam

China and ASEAN Free Trade Area Trade Agreement
Member countries:

Bilateral Free Trade Agreements
Chile

Macau

Pakistan

Singapore

Costa Rica

New Zealand

Peru

Taiwan

Hong Kong
In negotiation

New bilateral free trade agreements are in negotiation with Australia, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
New multilateral free trade agreements are in negotiation with Gulf Cooperation Council (member countries include the
United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia), and Southern Africa Customs Union (member countries include Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, and South Africa).
Source: China FTA Network (http://fta.mofcom.gov.cn/index.shtml)
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7

Tax Authorities

Tax Authorities

The State Administration of Taxation (SAT) is the national tax authority, which provides guidance to various local tax authorities. Link to State Administration of Taxation
Depending on the region within China, there is often a State Tax Bureau responsible for taxes such as Income Tax and
VAT and a Local Tax Bureau which manages taxes such as the Business Tax within their area.

Tax audit activity

The tax authorities historically conduct audits on a random selection basis. However, they have increasingly adopted a risk based approach to the selection of returns for audit. A tax audit may be commenced on any tax return filed. In
KPMG PRC’s experience, the majority of companies can expect to be audited by the tax authorities every 5 to 6 years.
The tax audit process can be lengthy, and usually involves the following steps:


The tax authority’s initial review of questionnaires or forms completed by taxpayers at the request of the tax authority 

Visits to the taxpayer’s office and examination of financial, accounting, tax and other related documents



Discussions and negotiations between the taxpayer and tax authorities regarding the issues raised in the course of the tax audit



Internal review and approval by the tax authorities of a proposed settlement, or additional assessment, as appropriate 

Issuance of a determination notice by the tax authority.

Taxpayers are advised to contact their tax advisor immediately when a tax audit commences or any audit related correspondence is received from a tax authority.

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Key focus areas for tax authorities in tax audits conducted in recent years have included:


Capital transactions such as equity investment and disposition



Enterprises that are issued with VAT special invoices for finished oil products



Enterprises that claim VAT refunds on exports of electronic products, garments, and furniture



Trading companies that undertake export business on behalf of their clients



Cross-border intercompany transactions.

Under the guidance of the SAT, local tax authorities sometimes use data analysis methodology technology to enhance the targeting and focus of their tax audit activity. Various local tax authorities have developed their own systems to identify red flags and select targets.
Appeals

If a taxpayer disagrees with a tax assessment from a tax authority it may submit an appeal to a higher-ranking tax authority for reconsideration. However, before submitting the appeal application, the tax payment must be settled first.
Applications for an appeal must be made within 60 days of receipt of the tax assessment notice. If the taxpayer is dissatisfied with the decision of the higher ranking tax authority, it may file legal proceedings with the People’s Courts.

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International. KPMG International provides no client services. No member firm has any authority to obligate or bind KPMG International or any other member firm visà-vis third parties, nor does KPMG International have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm. All rights reserved.

14

Tax governance

In 2011, the Chinese tax authorities introduced a new tax management process called the tax compliance agreement
(TCA). The TCA system is similar to the horizontal monitoring system in the Netherlands, and is developed from the notion that a well-established tax risk control framework for enterprises will reduce tax non-compliance risks.
In short, a TCA is a legal agreement entered into between a taxpayer and its in-charge tax bureau. The agreement normally states the obligations of the tax bureau and the taxpayer, at least in broad terms. For example, the tax bureau may promise that it will:


Respond to the taxpayer’s inquiries with more definitive responses



Assist the taxpayer with improving their internal tax risk control system



Eliminate repetitive tax inspections

The taxpayer may promise to:


Maintain good tax compliance status



Build an effective internal tax risk control system



Make timely disclosures to the tax bureau on significant tax matters

Under a TCA, the tax authorities still supervise taxpayers. However, such supervision will be conducted with a higher level of understanding and trust.

© 2013 KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. Member firms of the KPMG network of independent firms are affiliated with KPMG
International. KPMG International provides no client services. No member firm has any authority to obligate or bind KPMG International or any other member firm visà-vis third parties, nor does KPMG International have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm. All rights reserved.

15

Contact us
Khoonming Ho
Partner in Charge, Tax
China & Hong Kong SAR
KPMG in China
T 86 (10) 8508 7082
E [e-mail]
Abe Zhao
Partner, International Tax
KPMG in China
T 86 (10) 8508 7096
E [e-mail] www.kpmg.com/tax This profile was provided by professionals from KPMG’s member firm in China.
The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.
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