What Taxes Are Refundable for Export Enterprises in 2026? Core Policy Interpretation

Core Breakdown of 2026 Export Tax Refund Policy: What Taxes Can Enterprises Get Refunded?

In the first half of 2026,the General Administration of Customs and the State Taxation Administration jointly issued the Announcement on Optimizing and Adjusting Export Tax Refund Policies 2026,which made clear adjustments to the tax refund scope and refund rates for some industries.Many heads of foreign trade enterprises reported that they still have vague understanding of "which taxes are refundable and which are not" - for example,Mr.Jiang from an electronic component export enterprise once had his consumption tax refund application rejected due to false declaration,resulting in capital occupation for more than one month.Combined with the latest policies,this article breaks down the core refundable tax types for enterprises,analyzes the impact of the policies on enterprises,and introduces the implementation service solutions of Zhongshen.

I.Core Points of 2026 Export Tax Refund Policy (From 2026 Perspective)

• Key Point 1: Scope of refundable value-added tax (VAT) clarified,refund rates for some industries increased The 2026 policy clarifies that export goods and services (except prohibited export commodities) are eligible for VAT refund,among which: - The refund rate for high-end equipment manufacturing industry (such as new energy vehicle parts,industrial robots) is increased from 13% to 15%; - The refund rate for processed agricultural product exports (such as dehydrated vegetables,frozen fruits) remains at 11%,and the refund scope for "deep-processed agricultural products" is added; - VAT refund qualification for some low value-added products (such as ordinary plastic products) is cancelled.
• Key Point 2: Scope of consumption tax refund expanded to "export of specific consumer goods" Previously,tax refund was only applicable to "taxable consumer goods exported to special customs supervision areas".The 2026 adjustment stipulates: - Except for restricted consumer goods such as tobacco,alcohol and firecrackers,taxable consumer goods such as cosmetics,jewelry and high-end watches can apply for consumption tax refund when directly exported; - The refund ratio is linked to VAT,that is,it is implemented at the same rate as the VAT refund rate (for example,15% VAT refund rate corresponds to 15% consumption tax refund).
• Key Point 3: "Document consistency" check added to compliance review Since 2026,the tax authority requires: - The commodity name and HS code on the customs declaration form must be completely consistent with those on the VAT invoice and contract; - Associated review of "export goods foreign exchange receipt voucher" and tax refund application is added,no tax refund shall be processed without foreign exchange receipt (except for special circumstances).

II.Opportunities and Challenges for Enterprises Brought by 2026 Tax Refund Policy

Mr.Jia,manager of a textile foreign trade enterprise,said that in Q1 2026,their exported high-end home textile products (classified as taxable consumer goods) enjoyed consumption tax refund for the first time,with the monthly tax refund amount increased by nearly 120,000 yuan.However,their tax refund application was rejected and delayed for 12 days because there was a one-digit difference between the HS code on the customs declaration form and that on the invoice.

III.How Does Zhongshen Help Enterprises Accurately Implement Tax Refund Services?

1.Pre-sorting of Tax Refund Scope: Avoid "wrong refund/missed refund"

In response to the 2026 policy adjustment,Zhongshen has established a "Commodity HS Code Database" - before an enterprise signs an export contract,it will check against the latest tariff catalogue to clarify whether the commodity falls within the scope of refundable VAT/consumption tax,and match the corresponding refund rate at the same time.For example,Mr.Ge from a new energy vehicle parts enterprise,through Zhongshen’s pre-sorting service,confirmed that the motor components he exports are applicable to a 15% refund rate,which is 2% higher than that in 2025,and the annual tax refund income is expected to increase by 300,000 yuan.

2.Document Consistency Management: Reduce Compliance Risks

Zhongshen has set up a "three-level document review mechanism":

• Before customs declaration: Check the consistency of the contract,invoice and HS code;
• After customs declaration: Synchronize data with the tax system,and give early warning of differences between the customs declaration form and the invoice;
• Before tax refund application: Review the correlation between the foreign exchange receipt voucher and the export contract to ensure compliance with policy requirements.

In Q1 2026,the document error rate of enterprises served by Zhongshen was only 0.8%,far lower than the industry average of 3.2%.

3.Capital Turnover Optimization: Shorten Tax Refund Cycle

In response to the problem that "no tax refund is available before foreign exchange is received",Zhongshen,in cooperation with banks,has launched the "pre-tax refund financing service": After enterprises provide documents such as customs declaration forms and contracts,they can obtain 80% of the tax refund amount in advance,and pay the remaining part after receiving the foreign exchange.Ms.Ou from an electronic product export enterprise said that with this service,the arrival cycle of their tax refund funds was shortened from the original 25 days to 10 days,effectively alleviating their capital pressure.

IV.Practical Suggestions for Enterprise Tax Refund in 2026

Suggestion: Update the HS code of export commodities quarterly,and entrust professional institutions for reviewThe 2026 tariff catalogue will be adjusted quarterly according to commodity technical parameters (such as code update for new energy vehicle parts).If enterprises fail to update in time,their tax refund qualification may be invalidated.It is suggested that enterprises update commodity codes quarterly against the Tariff Adjustment Announcement on the official website of the General Administration of Customs,or entrust Zhongshen to conduct a code review every quarter to avoid affecting tax refund due to code errors.