To accommodate the increasing demand for foreign-related tax consultations, the Shenzhen Tax Service of the State Taxation Administration has recently introduced the 12366 multilingual message consultation service on its official website and mobile app. This initiative is designed to cater to the needs of enterprises, expat taxpayers, and fee payers in Shenzhen.

The service, which currently provides online consultations in Chinese, French, Russian, Japanese, and English, can be accessed by visiting the taxation bureau's official website and EyeShenzhen multilingual portal, or scanning the QR code provided below.

Messages about taxes and fee issues will be replied to within five working days, according to the tax authority. After successfully leaving a message, users can access status updates and responses through the inquiry function in the consultation module. If any issues arise, users can call 0755-12366 for troubleshooting.

According to the tax authority, the multilingual consultation service had received 13 inquiries within the three working days following its launch. Among them, an expat named Sena reported via message that her employer was unable to submit her personal information and declare her personal income tax within the system. The service team swiftly responded to her message, identifying the cause of the issue as a misordering of her name. With their prompt assistance, the matter was successfully resolved. Sena then sent the team a thank-you message.

Tax officers provide consultation to an expatriate visitor at the Longhua International Tax Service Center in April. Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

From January to August, the sales of commodities involving departure tax refunds for international travelers in Shenzhen exceeded 222 million yuan (US$31 million), a 20-fold year-on-year increase, the tax authority said. A cumulative tax of 20 million yuan had been refunded to international shoppers.

Since December last year, Shenzhen’s tax authority has been piloting an instant tax refund service for overseas shoppers at 23 stores in the MixC mall in Luohu District. Under this initiative, international buyers can get their value-added tax refunded in RMB cash immediately after showing their sales receipts and completing the necessary paperwork.