At Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, a traveler from Laos recently cleared his tax refund without unpacking his luggage for a physical check, thanks to a quick QR code scan by customs officers.
This streamlined process is part of a nationwide upgrade to the departure tax refund policy that took effect on July 1. This innitiative aims to simplify shopping for overseas visitors and stimulate inbound consumption.
Under the new rules, tax refund applications for purchases under 10,000 yuan are subject to random physical checks, while those involving purchases of 10,000 yuan or more still require a full inspection. The updated policy also introduces paperless processing, improves refund-upon-purchase services, and expands the network of participating stores.
At Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, travelers whose applications are not selected for inspection can clear customs without presenting their goods. Instead of submitting paper documents, they only need to present a QR code for electronic customs verification. Additionally, customs officials have integrated tax refund verification with baggage check-in and now offer multilingual assistance.
In the first half of this year, Guangzhou Customs processed over 80,000 tax refund applications at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, covering more than 460 million yuan in eligible purchases. The number of applications surged more than ninefold year on year, with the value of tax-refundable purchases up by roughly 130 percent.
With over 1,700 tax refund stores across the city, Guangzhou continues to improve the shopping experience for overseas visitors. The Baiyun Airport Office of Guangzhou Customs will keep coordinating with tax authorities and banks to further streamline the refund process and make shopping in the city even more convenient for overseas visitors.
Author | Huang Xinying
Photo | Nanfang Plus
