Is the tax refund received more than the payment for goods? The financial management skills that foreign trade bosses are secretly learning

Mr. Zhang recently received an unexpected bank account arrival notice, and the amount was 13% higher than the payment for goods he had estimated. Ms. Li, the chief financial officer, explained with a smile: "This is the tax refund for the exported goods of the last quarter that has been credited to the account." Scenes like this are happening every day in tens of thousands of foreign trade enterprises across the country. The export tax refund policy, which seems simple, actually holds the key to affecting corporate profits.

The essence of the export tax refund is to maintain the integrity of the VAT chain. When goods are circulated domestically, VAT is generated at each link; but when goods are sold overseas, the importing country will levy its own taxes. To avoid double taxation, the exporting country allows goods to participate in international competition at a "zero tax rate" through tax refunds.

• Policy intention: To maintain the price competitiveness of domestic products
• International practice: A legal means allowed by WTO rules
• Enterprise benefits: Directly increase the net profit margin by 1 - 17% (different tax refund rates for different goods)

Ms. Li once encountered the "soul question" from a novice accountant: "Why don't the customs declaration amount and the tax refund amount match?" This involves the core logic of the export tax refund:

• Misunderstanding 1: Tax refund rate = VAT rate (actually a separately formulated stepped tax rate)
• Misunderstanding 2: All exported goods can be refunded (except for special methods such as processing trade)
• Misunderstanding 3: Tax refund is a government subsidy (actually it is the refund of taxes already paid by enterprises)

With the launch of the Golden Tax Phase IV system, export tax refunds are undergoing digital transformation:

• Electronic documentation: The customs declaration form and VAT invoice need to complete information matching within 30 days.
• Risk control in advance: Professional institutions such as Zhongshitong recommend that enterprises establish a tax refund risk list.
• Time management: The tax refund for Class I enterprises will be credited to the account within 5 working days, and it will take 20 working days for Class III enterprises.

The expansion of the cross-border e-commerce B2B export pilot, the adjustment of the tax refund rate for "carbon neutrality" products, and other new policies are the profit model of foreign trade enterprises. A certain mechanical and electrical export enterprise has increased its profit margin by 2.3 percentage points year-on-year by laying out product lines with high tax refund rates in advance.

Standing at the intersection of globalization and digitalization, the export tax refund has been upgraded from a simple financial operation to a strategic management tool. Has your enterprise established a dynamic tax refund management mechanism? Welcome to share your practical experience in the comment section.