Is Agency Export Tax Refund a Trap?

"Mr. Zhang recently exported a batch of goods through an agency company. He thought he could enjoy the tax refund policy, but was informed by the finance department that he didn't meet the conditions..." Such confusion is not uncommon in the foreign trade circle. Today, let's unveil the mystery of agency export tax refund.

Agency export is mainly divided into two forms: Consignment Agency and Buyout Agency:

• Consignment Agency: The manufacturing enterprise retains the ownership of the goods, and the agency is only responsible for the export process.
• Buyout Agency: The agency first purchases the goods and then exports them, becoming the actual trading subject.

According to the current policy, whether tax refund can be obtained depends on three key factors:

• The authenticity and integrity of the special VAT invoice.
• The declaring entity of the export goods customs declaration form.
• The attribution relationship of the foreign exchange collection voucher.

Ms. Li's company lost the tax refund last year due to the following operations:

• The agency contract did not clearly stipulate the tax refund subject.
• There were differences between the declared name of the goods on the customs declaration form and the content of the invoice.
• The foreign exchange collection account used was the agency's offshore account.
• No foreign exchange collection filing was done within 90 days after export.
• The agency's qualifications were incomplete and it was listed as a risky enterprise.

To obtain the tax refund smoothly, the following measures are recommended:

• Clearly define the tax refund subject and rights and obligations in the agency agreement in advance.
• Ensure that the goods flow, invoice flow, and capital flow are strictly consistent.
• Choose a regular agency company with import and export rights.
• Establish a complete document storage system (keep at least for 5 years).

With the development of cross-border e-commerce, an innovative mode of "Integrated Industry and Trade Agency" has emerged:

The manufacturing enterprise authorizes the agency to use its own brand for export, which not only maintains the consistency of the trading subject but also enables it to enjoy professional foreign trade services. After a clothing enterprise adopted this mode, the tax refund cycle was shortened from 6 months to 45 days.

The tax refund policy seems complicated, but actually has its internal logic. Whether choosing agency export or self-operated export, doing tax planning in advance is of crucial importance. Welcome to share your experiences in the comment section or leave the specific questions you care about.