China further streamlines departure tax refund services

China's State Taxation Administration has introduced new measures to make departure tax refund services more digital and convenient for overseas visitors, according to a recent notice.

These measures will enable the electronic transfer of tax refund applications and sales invoices, supporting paperless processing throughout the entire refund procedure.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2026, participating tax refund stores will be able to upload overseas visitors' valid identification documents when issuing refund-upon-purchase applications, enabling refund agencies at the place of purchase to review departure tax refund documents online. Refund agencies at the point of departure will verify visitors' identity information and process the refunds in accordance with existing regulations. The administration will also promote pilot departure tax refund services at online stores and expand an existing information-entry QR code into a nationwide service code, allowing visitors to submit information and check refund details online.

The notice calls for a severe crackdown on illegal activities such as fraudulent proxy purchasing and the smuggling of tax-refunded goods back into the domestic market. Any tax refund store found to have participated in or organized such activities will be disqualified from offering departure tax refund services.

The U.S. dollar was almost flat in late trading on Friday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, edged up to 100.765 at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro dropped to 1.1436 dollars from 1.1438 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound lost to 1.3454 dollars from 1.3470 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 162.45 Japanese yen, higher than 162.39 Japanese yen in the previous session. The U.S. dollar declined to 0.8075 Swiss francs from 0.8089 Swiss francs, and it decreased to 1.4011 Canadian dollars from 1.4048 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar was down to 9.6497 Swedish kronor from 9.6499 Swedish kronor.