The Number of Departure Tax Refund Stores in Chongqing Has Risen to 320, While the Total Amount of Actual Departure Tax Refunds in the First Quarter Has Doubled Year on Year

On April 20, the Chongqing Municipal Tax Service announced that in the first quarter of this year, the number of departure tax refund stores in Chongqing has risen to 320, while the total amount of actual departure tax refunds in the city has doubled year on year.

According to reports, Chongqing launched the Departure Tax Refund Policy for Overseas Visitors in March 2018 and began piloting the "Refund-Upon-Purchase" (RUP) service in January 2024. Compared with the traditional approach of processing refunds at departure ports, the RUP service allows overseas visitors to receive refunds on the spot at pilot stores, encouraging repeat consumption. In the first quarter, more than 137,000 overseas visitors entered via Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, up 106% year on year, driving continued growth in inbound consumption.

On April 9, Mr. Huang, a Malaysian visitor, purchased a camera at MixC Mall in Jiulongpo District, Chongqing. Presenting his passport and value-added tax invoice, he directly received a refund of over RMB 300 at the Centralized Refund Counter for “Refund-Upon-Purchase” in the Mall. “You can get your tax refund right after shopping - it's very convenient. I'm planning to buy local specialties as gifts for my friends,” he said.

Last year, Florentia Village Chongqing - Luxury Designer Outlets, located in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, applied to become a "Refund-Upon-Purchase" store. It has not only made tax refunds more convenient for overseas visitors but also boosted sales. According to its retail manager, Xu Heng, the Outlets has introduced shopping guidance and tax refund instructions to further enhance the consumption experience for overseas visitors. In the first quarter of 2026, the total amount of departure tax refunds increased by about 3.2 times year on year.

▲At the Nike shop of High Wave Chongqing Sporting Goods Co., Ltd. Ying Li IMIX Park Store, overseas visitors complete the "RUP" procedure on site after shopping. (File Photo)

The director from the Export Tax Refund Service and Administration Bureau of the Chongqing Municipal Tax Service said that Chongqing tax authorities, together with commerce, customs and other departments, have continued to upgrade facilitation measures for departure tax refund, including expanding the coverage of departure tax refund stores, adding centralized refund counter for “RUP”, and piloting cross-regional mutual recognition of the “RUP” service, providing stronger support for inbound tourism.

Up to now, Chongqing has established 320 departure tax refund stores, including 71 stores operating under the "RUP" model; There have been four centralized refund counters for “RUP”; It has implemented cross-regional mutual recognition of the “RUP” service with tax authorities in Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Shang Kewen, a professor at the School of Economics of Chongqing Technology and Business University, said that the departure tax refund policy and related facilitation measures have upgraded inbound tourism consumption, turning visitor “flow” into consumption “growth” and enhancing Chongqing's appeal as an international consumer destination.

The above director said that efforts will continue to encourage more merchants of distinctive cultural products in Chongqing to register as departure tax refund stores. Coordination with tax authorities in provinces along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor will also be strengthened to expand cross-regional mutual recognition of the “RUP” service to all provinces along the Corridor, further stimulating inbound tourism consumption with convenient service and supporting Chongqing's goal of becoming a globally influential international consumption center city.

Source: Chongqing Daily