Starting from April 1, overseas travelers using the Instant In-store Tax Refund service at designated stores in Guangdong and Fujian provinces will be able to depart from any eligible tax refund port in either province, no longer restricted to the point of purchase.
In recent years, Guangdong's tax authorities have rolled out a series of facilitation measures. Previously, the province (including Shenzhen) had already enabled province-wide mutual recognition of the Instant In-store Tax Refund policy. In key commercial hubs such as Tianhe Road, Beijing Road, and Haizhu Wanguo Outlets in Guangzhou, centralized service points for the Instant In-store Tax Refund have been established.
In terms of procedures, tax authorities have supported intermediary agencies in developing multiple service scenarios for refund stores, improving the efficiency of fund circulation and enabling refunds to be credited in as quickly as five minutes. Staff members can now use portable mobile devices to scan overseas travelers' tax refund documents, allowing the system to automatically fill in personal information. This has significantly reduced processing time, with invoices issued in as little as three minutes.
Data shows that since the implementation of the new departure tax refund policy, the number of tax refund stores in Guangdong has surged. As of 2025, the province (excluding Shenzhen) had 1,763 such stores, covering most cities. More than 90,000 refund application forms were issued, with a year-on-year sales increase of 163%.
In addition, one year after the rollout of the Instant In-store Tax Refund policy, Guangdong (excluding Shenzhen) saw more than 130 stores offering the service, generating sales exceeding 12 million yuan.
Reporter: Dai Bosi
Photo by: Nanfang Plus
