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Shanghai has seen a sharp increase in overseas visitors utilizing tax refund services this year, according to local tax authorities.
Data from the Shanghai Municipal Tax Service of the State Taxation Administration shows that the number of international travelers claiming tax refunds surged by 156.3 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months. During the same period, both tax-refundable commodity sales and the total amount of tax refunded rose by about 80 percent year-on-year.
The increase has been partly driven by China's streamlined departure tax refund policy, which allows "immediate tax refund upon purchase".
The new model simplifies tax refund procedures and spares tourists the trouble of queuing at airports before departure.
In the first 11 months, Shanghai added more than 1,000 tax-refund stores, bringing the total number of registered outlets to over 1,700 and significantly expanding the tax refund service's coverage.
For example, iapm Mall on the Huaihai Road shopping area opened a centralized instant tax refund outlet in September, offering one-stop refund services for overseas shoppers.
The outlet has already processed more than 100 transactions, with tax-refundable sales totaling about 900,000 yuan ($128,000). More than 40 retailers in the mall are now registered as tax-refund stores.
In the East Nanjing Road commercial area, the new tax refund policy has also benefited local brands. The flagship store of domestic down jacket firm Bosideng, which opened in October, immediately registered as a tax-refund store.
According to the company, overseas shoppers have accounted for 13 percent of the sales of the outlet since its opening.
