China to Make Contactless Tax Systems Permanent

Systems introduced during the new coronavirus pandemic to allow no-contact tax dealings will become permanent, China’s tax authority said Tuesday.

A ramping up of technology, combined with new policies that have digitalized more than 90% of tax-related businesses in most regions of the country, are “not a temporary measure,” Han Guorong, head of the Tax Service Department, told a press briefing this morning.

• More tax services will go online before the end of the year, he added.
• Tax authorities will increase their cooperation with third-party online payment platforms, including Alipay and Wechat.
• New preferential tax policies are being considered to boost economic recovery following the pandemic, added Wang Daoshu, chief auditor of the State Taxation Administration.
• The authorities also plan to take a tougher line on tax fraud, said Ren Rongfa, deputy director of the SAT.