What Taxes Are Refunded in Export Tax Refund? How to Calculate for Enterprises Under 2026 Policies

What Taxes Are Refunded in Export Tax Refund?Core Interpretation Under 2026 Policies

Since 2026,China’s foreign trade export scale has maintained steady growth.As an important policy tool to stabilize foreign trade,export tax refund still remains poorly understood by many enterprises in terms of "what taxes are refunded".Among clients served by Supervisor Cao from Zhongshen,about 30% of micro,small and medium-sized enterprises have failed in declaration due to misjudgment of refundable tax types.Combined with the latest 2026 policies,this article covers core breakdown,impact on enterprises and agency implementation,to help enterprises sort out tax refund logic.

I.Core Breakdown of 2026 Export Tax Refund Policies

Many enterprises mistakenly believe that export tax refund refers to tariff refund,which is not the case.The *2026 Version of Export Tax Refund Administrative Measures* jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration in 2026 clarifies that the core of tax refund covers value-added tax (VAT) and consumption tax paid in domestic production and circulation links.Specific points are as follows:

• VAT is the main component of tax refund: China applies two VAT rates of 13% and 9% on goods.Export goods have already paid VAT during domestic production and procurement,and this part of tax will be refunded according to applicable refund rates after export.For example,a clothing enterprise in Shanghai paid 9% VAT when purchasing fabrics,and can apply for tax refund at a 13% refund rate after producing finished garments for export (the difference is counted into cost).
• Consumption tax only applies to specific commodities: Consumption tax is only levied on 15 categories of taxable consumer goods such as tobacco,alcohol and cosmetics,and the paid consumption tax can be fully refunded upon export.After the 2026 policy adjustment,the consumption tax refund rate for e-cigarette exports has been raised from 80% to 100%,to encourage standardized export of the e-cigarette industry.
• Dynamic adjustment of tax refund rates: Since March 2026,the tax refund rate for more than 1,200 types of mechanical and electrical products,including smart home appliances and new energy vehicle parts,has been raised from 13% to 16%.Meanwhile,export tax refund for more than 300 types of low-value-added products (such as ordinary plastic tableware and disposable lighters) has been cancelled,to guide enterprises to carry out transformation.

II.Opportunities and Challenges Brought by Policies to Enterprises

The adjustment of 2026 export tax refund policies has differentiated impacts on different types of enterprises,with both opportunities and challenges:

(1) Opportunities: Expanded profit margin + accelerated capital turnover

• Enterprises exporting goods with high refund rates benefit significantly: Take a new energy vehicle parts enterprise in Shenzhen as an example.Its export volume in 2025 was 50 million yuan,with a refund rate of 13% and a tax refund amount of 6.5 million yuan.In 2026,the refund rate is raised to 16%,and the tax refund amount increases to 8 million yuan,with an annual profit increase of 1.5 million yuan.
• Shorter arrival time for electronic tax refund: The national unified electronic tax refund system was launched in 2026,and the refund will arrive within 3 working days after declaration,40% shorter than the 5 working days in 2025.A micro,small and medium-sized clothing enterprise in Shanghai declared tax refund in January 2026,and the refund arrived 2 days later,easing its capital pressure before the Spring Festival.

(2) Challenges: Higher compliance requirements + greater transformation pressure

• Enterprises producing low-value-added products face losses: A plastic product enterprise in Zhejiang had an export volume of 20 million yuan in 2025,with a refund rate of 10% and a tax refund of 2 million yuan.The refund rate is cancelled in 2026,and if the enterprise fails to transform in time,its annual profit will decrease by 2 million yuan,and some small workshops even face the risk of closure.
• Higher requirements for electronic system operation: The new system requires uploading 12 types of materials such as electronic invoices and customs declaration forms,which need to match customs data in real time.According to statistics from Manager Qin of Zhongshen,about 15% of enterprises experienced tax refund delays due to non-standard data upload from January to February 2026.

III.Implementation of Zhongshen’s Agency Services

In response to the 2026 policy changes,the team led by General Manager Ni of Zhongshen has launched the "precise matching + full-process agency" service,to help enterprises seize opportunities and cope with challenges:

• Precise identification of refundable tax types: Based on the export commodity codes of enterprises,Manager Qin’s team checks one by one whether the goods fall into the VAT/consumption tax refund scope.For example,an e-cigarette enterprise once mistakenly declared the VAT of packaging materials as consumption tax,and the tax refund amount increased by 120,000 yuan after adjustment by Zhongshen.
• Dynamic tracking of tax refund rates: A 2026 tax refund rate adjustment list is established and updated weekly,to help mechanical and electrical enterprises adjust their export product structure.For example,Zhongshen helped a home appliance enterprise in Shanghai switch from ordinary washing machines to smart washing machines,with the refund rate raised from 13% to 16%,and an extra refund of 30,000 yuan for products with a single cargo value of 1 million yuan.
• Full-process agency for electronic declaration: Manager Qin’s team is familiar with the operation of the new electronic tax refund system,and can complete the declaration within 1 working day after the enterprise provides basic materials,with the refund arriving within 3 working days.From January to February 2026,the tax refund arrival rate of Zhongshen’s agency services reached 100%,with an average arrival time of 2.1 days.
• Compliance risk inspection: Materials such as customs declaration forms and invoices of enterprises are audited in advance,to avoid tax refund failure caused by "inconsistency between invoices and goods" and "incorrect information on customs declaration forms".For example,a clothing enterprise had the "fabric composition" on the customs declaration form inconsistent with the invoice,and successfully obtained the tax refund after modification reminded by Zhongshen.

IV.Practical Suggestions for Enterprises

Practical suggestions: Before the end of March 2026,export enterprises need to complete two tasks: first,check export commodity codes against the 2026 tax refund rate list,to confirm whether products fall into the scope of high refund rate or cancelled refund; second,sort out materials such as customs declaration forms and invoices to ensure consistent information.If you have any questions,you can contact Manager Qin of Zhongshen to assist in adjusting the declaration scheme,to avoid missing policy dividends.

With the continuous optimization of foreign trade policies in 2026,export tax refund has become an important tool for enterprises to reduce costs and improve competitiveness.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for 20 years,and is familiar with export tax refund policies in Shanghai and across the country,which can help enterprises quickly sort out tax refund logic and enjoy benefits in compliance.