300 products in six categories: mobile phones, digital devices, home appliances. Online application, hotel delivery and real-time refund

As reported by CCTV+, Beijing has opened China’s first online departure tax refund shop, and several centralised tax refund points have begun operating in various hotels across the city, according to the Beijing Municipal Tax Service and the State Taxation Administration.

Tourists staying in hotels with access to centralised tax refund points can order tax-free goods through the online platform. Their orders will be delivered directly to the hotel. The entire online purchase refund process can be completed in one go, with the refund credited in real time.

Angela, a tourist from Indonesia, shared her experience: “I bought a mobile phone and didn’t expect to get a tax refund online. My hotel had a centralised refund point, so I was able to get my refund in advance. It was a very good experience.”

The first online departure tax refund shop was jointly developed by Beijing’s tax and commerce authorities and an online platform. When placing an order, foreign tourists must register their relevant information online, such as passport numbers and entry dates. The system will automatically generate an electronic tax refund application form for them.

Currently, the online shop offers about 300 products in six categories, including mobile phones, digital devices, computer office equipment and home appliances. This fully meets the diverse shopping needs of foreign tourists.

Liu Li, Director of the Second Tax Division of the Beijing Municipal Tax Service, noted: “The emergence of China’s first online departure tax refund shop expands the scope of consumer tax refunds from offline stores to online platforms, allowing the benefits of government policy to translate into the convenience of tax refunds that foreign travellers will feel.”

Note: The departure tax refund system (Tax Free) allows foreign tourists to claim back VAT on goods purchased in the country and taken out. The online format simplifies and speeds up the procedure.

Foreign tourists no longer have to queue at the airport with a stack of receipts. They order a phone in their hotel, fill in a couple of fields online, and the tax is refunded instantly. 300 products, six categories, no bureaucracy. Beijing is turning tax refunds from a chore into a service. The question is not whether tourists will appreciate the convenience. They already have. The question is how quickly other Chinese cities will follow the capital’s example. While they are testing, Beijing has already implemented. And foreign guests feel not just like shoppers, but like welcome customers. And that is worth a lot.