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July 1, 2015

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27 shops, malls chosen for VAT-free shopping

OVERSEAS visitors to Shanghai will from today be able to claim VAT refunds on selected purchases at 27 shopping malls and stores.

Payments can be claimed on presentation of a valid receipt at either of the city’s two airports on departure from the country.

Tourists are entitled to an 11 percent refund for every invoice of 500 yuan (US$80) or more.

However, they must also pay a 2 percent administration fee, meaning the actual refund is just 9 percent.

Most of the outlets selected to take part in the scheme are in downtown areas near Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, Xujiahui and Yuyuan Garden.

All participating stores will display a “Tax Free” sign, the Shanghai Finance Bureau said.

The outlets chosen to take part in the scheme provide visitors with a broad choice of local goods, covering arts and crafts, silk, porcelain, traditional Chinese medicine and tea, Wu Xingbao, deputy director of the Shanghai Commission of Commerce, told a press conference yesterday.

Jing Ying, deputy director of the Shanghai Tourism Administration, said he hopes the new policy “will help boost consumption among overseas visitors to Shanghai.”

The tax can be claimed at the city's two airports, namely, Pudong and Hongqiao.

The city will research on the expansion of the policy to the Shanghai Railway Station, the Wusong International Cruise Ship Terminal and the Shanghai Port International Passenger Center, and more shops are expected to be included as well based on the effect of the policy, said Yuan Baiwei, an official with the city’s finance bureau.

The departure tax rebate applies to 500-yuan-or-above purchase at a single shop in one day made by one tourist. Foreigners and people from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan who live in China no more than 183 consecutive days will be eligible for the value added tax refund if they leave China within 90 days after buying the goods, according to a notice by the Ministry of Finance.

The city will step up efforts to let more overseas tourists know about the policy with plurilingual details on how to claim the tax refund put on the websites of the city government, tourism, tax and customs authorities and pamphlets available at hotels, airports and tourist attractions, Yuan said.

Jollyn Nolan, a tourist from the United States on a four-day trip in Shanghai, said the policy is attractive.
"Tax free is a good incentive, especially for young tourists," she said while shopping on the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall. 
Nolan said she had bought a lot of food, silk scarf and electronics in Shanghai.

"This will be good for the country’s economy, for tourists and particularly for the tourism industry to set up standards,” said Miklos Szegeda, a Hungarian tourist who came to Shanghai for a business trip.

"Many shops won’t give you receipts and overcharge you if they think you’re a tourist or not an Asian. This move will push more shops to provide invoices to tourists. And tax free signs will also help shoppers to tell which are good shops.”

A full list of the participating outlets is available on the Shanghai Daily website at: http://t.cn/RLPMkCv.




 

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