Update on the COVID-19 Situation in China
How has the pandemic impacted the Chinese economy?
The pandemic brought a negative impact to the Chinese economy, especially on the traditional service industry and some labor-intensive manufacturing industries. However, China’s outstanding disease prevention measures exceeded the international community’s expectations and China has recovered continuously since March 2020. The economic impact on the Chinese market is short-term and temporary. Nowadays, China’s economy is pushing the world economy.
Figures from the General Administration of Customs show that China’s exports and imports both grew by more than 25% from January to May 2021, compared with the same period last year. Even as much of the rest of the world continues to suffer from the epidemic, China’s orders for foreign trade products continue to grow. China continues to export goods abroad, and also introduces a large number of raw materials and products that meet the needs of the Chinese market. Imports of iron ore, oil, and soybeans were no less than in previous years, while imports of mechanical and electrical goods increased 21.8 percent. The demand power of the Chinese market is growing, which will help other economies recover and give a strong boost to the global economy.
Everything You Need to Know About Tax Rebates in China
The Chinese government had many policies on tax rebates to encourage foreign companies to enter China as well as foreign professionals to work in China. These rebates are usually on taxes that have been paid, including income tax, import tax, VAT (value-added tax), and many others. However, in order to know the qualification of a tax rebate/tax treaty benefits and to claim such privileges, companies or individuals must complete certain forms and submit them to local authorities.
For business, you will need to first submit all the required documents including the business license and any other applicable operating license to the local tax authorities. And then you will need to complete several forms (all of the forms are in Mandarin Chinese). To key here is to prove that you have paid tax on an item that could have returned them as a rebate, under the VAT exempt, or having a preferential common tax refund rate.
Tax Bureau
One consistent feature of our business style at Incorp China is the emphasis we put on going the extra mile for our clients. As a boutique, white-glove China consulting firm, Incorp China prioritizes resourcefulness, close communication, and building personal relationships.
This was recently demonstrated when one client who wanted a Consulting WFOE was not able to travel to Shenzhen to meet local government officials in person, as is required during normal times. Even with vaccines being distributed worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic is not yet over, and traveling to China is explicably difficult as a result.
How to Set Up a WFOE in China
Wholly-foreign owned enterprises, or WFOEs (sometimes abbreviated WOFE) is a topic we have written about extensively in this blog series. Unlike most other investment vehicles , a WFOE does not require a foreign company operating in China to have Chinese investors, giving the foreign company the most autonomy over its own affairs.
WFOEs come in three basic forms:
- Consulting WFOE, which is the easiest to acquire;
- Manufacturing WFOE, which allows companies to manufacture in China. Because Incorp China is located in Shenzhen, the famed factory city of the world, we are quite familiar with these;