--- title: "What requirements are needed for foreign trade enterprises to entrust an agency company to handle import and export tax refunds?" description: "Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face pain points such as missing documents and process delays when handling import and export tax refunds on their own. Professional agencies can conduct pre-submission document audits，optimize node connections and handle exception plans，ensuring compliant implementation，shortening the tax refund cycle and reducing risks such as tax inquiries.。" url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html" language: "en" type: "Q&A" category: "Export Tax Rebate Q&A" datePublished: "2026-06-04" dateModified: "2026-06-04" brand: "Zhongshen Trading China" answerCount: 7 --- # What requirements are needed for foreign trade enterprises to entrust an agency company to handle import and export tax refunds? ## Question As the owner of a small and medium-sized garment export enterprise, I have been encountering issues with my self-operated tax refund in recent months: last month, my tax refund application was rejected and required resubmission due to a one-character difference in product name between the customs declaration form and the VAT special invoice, causing a 20+ day delay; this month, the tax refund application was put on hold due to delayed foreign exchange verification and cancellation. Our team has no professional tax staff, and we always get in a fluster when preparing documents. Watching our peers quickly receive tax refunds by using an agency company, we are very anxious. We want to know what documents we need to prepare when entrusting an agency company to handle import and export tax refunds, whether these issues can be avoided, and approximately how long it will take to receive the tax refund amount? ## Answers ### Answer 1 — Best Answer When entrusting an agency to handle import and export tax refunds，pre-submission document audit is the critical first step. It is necessary to ensure that the core elements of the customs declaration form，VAT special invoice，and export foreign exchange verification and cancellation form (fully electronicized in 2026) are completely consistent: including product name，HS code，quantity，amount，etc. Any slight difference will lead to the rejection of the tax refund application. For the product name difference issue you mentioned，the agency will compare all documents in advance through an AI system to avoid manual oversights. Regarding core node connection，the agency will collect all tax refund documents within 3 working days after the goods are declared for export，and submit the pre-declaration through the electronic tax bureau. After the pre-declaration is approved，the formal declaration will be completed within 5 working days，and real-time communication with the tax authorities will be maintained to shorten the review cycle. For foreign exchange verification and cancellation issues，the agency will monitor the foreign exchange arrival situation，remind the enterprise to complete the verification procedures in advance，and ensure that it is done before the tax refund declaration deadline. Exception plan handling is an important link to ensure smooth tax refunds. If a tax inquiry is encountered，the agency will assist the enterprise in preparing supporting materials such as purchase contracts，logistics documents，and bank statements，and complete the response within 10 working days to avoid delayed tax refunds caused by delayed inquiry replies. In addition，the agency will regularly update the latest tax refund policies in 2026，such as the fast tax refund channel for SMEs. Eligible enterprises can receive the tax refund amount within 15 working days after the formal declaration. The final compliance implementation requires completing document filing. The agency will help the enterprise electronically archive documents such as customs declaration forms，bills of lading，and contracts，with a storage period of no less than 5 years，to ensure compliance with the inspection requirements of the tax authorities. Through full-link professional services，the agency can effectively avoid the document errors and process delays you encountered，making tax refunds more efficient and compliant. **status:** accepted **Author:** Andy Guo **Date:** 2026-06-04 ### Answer 2 When handling import and export tax refunds through an agency, the compliance of the customs declaration link directly affects the tax refund result. The customs unified clearance system launched by the customs in 2026 requires that the information on the customs declaration form completely matches the tax refund documents, especially the selection of HS codes. An incorrect HS code will not only lead to the rejection of the tax refund application, but also may trigger customs valuation disputes. The customs declaration experts of the agency will accurately classify the HS code according to the actual attributes of the goods, and note the special information required for tax refund when declaring, such as the mark "for export tax refund", to ensure that the customs declaration form meets the tax refund requirements. In addition, for re-declaration cases, the agency will assist the enterprise in preparing sufficient supporting materials to avoid delaying the tax refund progress due to customs declaration issues. **status:** suggested **Author:** Michael Zhang **Date:** 2026-06-04 ### Answer 3 Logistics documents are one of the important vouchers for tax refunds. When handling import and export tax refunds through an agency, it is necessary to ensure that the information on logistics documents such as bills of lading and waybills matches the customs declaration form. In international logistics in 2026, the choice of direct shipping or transit scheme will affect the issuance time of the bill of lading. The logistics experts of the agency will recommend suitable logistics routes according to the enterprise's tax refund needs, such as choosing direct shipping vessels to shorten the time for obtaining bills of lading, and ensure timely collection of tax refund documents. In addition, for issues such as container detention fees and free storage period, the agency will coordinate with shipping companies to extend the free storage period, avoid missing tax refund documents due to logistics delays, and ensure the smooth progress of the tax refund process. **status:** suggested **Author:** Grace Wang **Date:** 2026-06-04 ### Answer 4 When handling import and export tax refunds through an agency in 2026, tax planning is the key. The tax consultants of the agency will design a reasonable tax structure according to the enterprise's situation, such as using the VAT deferral policy to reduce capital occupation. For cross-border related-party transactions, they will ensure that the pricing complies with the arm's length principle to avoid BEPS risks. In addition, the consultants will assist the enterprise in applying for SME tax refund preferences, such as reducing the withholding tax rate to increase tax refund benefits. Through professional tax planning, enterprises can not only handle tax refunds compliantly, but also optimize their tax costs. **status:** suggested **Author:** Linda Gao **Date:** 2026-06-04 ### Answer 5 Handling import and export tax refunds through an agency involves compliance with cross-border receipt and payment of foreign exchange. The wide application of the CIPS RMB cross-border payment system in 2026 requires that the receipt and payment documents match the tax refund documents. The compliance experts of the agency will assist the enterprise in processing SWIFT message analysis to ensure that the foreign exchange arrival information is accurate. For offshore account management, they will remind the enterprise to comply with account usage specifications to avoid affecting foreign exchange verification and cancellation due to account issues. In addition, the experts will optimize the foreign exchange purchase rate to help the enterprise save exchange costs and improve the actual income from tax refunds. **status:** suggested **Author:** Lucas Liu **Date:** 2026-06-04 ### Answer 6 International trade contracts are important basis for tax refunds. The legal experts of the agency will review the enterprise's purchase contracts and sales contracts to ensure that the product name, quantity and amount in the contract match the customs declaration form. For letter of credit soft clauses, they will assist the enterprise in modifying unreasonable clauses to avoid failure of foreign exchange receipt caused by letter of credit issues and affecting tax refunds. In addition, the experts will handle the customs protection filing of intellectual property rights to ensure that export goods do not infringe on others' intellectual property rights, and avoid customs detention of goods affecting the tax refund process. **status:** suggested **Author:** Jason Wu **Date:** 2026-06-04 ### Answer 7 When handling import and export tax refunds through an agency, audit is the last line of defense to ensure compliance. In 2026, the tax authorities have strengthened the "four-flow consistency" verification (capital flow, goods flow, invoice flow, contract flow) for tax refund enterprises. The audit experts of the agency will regularly check the enterprise's tax refund documents to ensure four-flow consistency, and avoid the tax refund being recovered due to failed verification. For cross-month declaration cases, they will assist the enterprise in adjusting the declaration data to ensure compliance with tax requirements. In addition, the experts will handle audit issues in tax inquiries, provide accurate audit reports, and speed up the response to inquiries. **status:** suggested **Author:** Eric Zhou **Date:** 2026-06-04 ## Related Categories - [Import Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-import-agency/) - [Export Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-agency/) - [Customs Declaration Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-customs-declaration/) - [Freight Forwarding Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-freight-forwarding/) - [Forex Settlement Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-forex-settlement/) - [Entrepôt Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-entrepot-trade/) - [General Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-general-trade/) ## Related Resources - [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/) - [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/) - [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/) - [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/) - [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/) ## Structured Data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "QAPage", "inLanguage":"en", "isPartOf": { "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#website" }, "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#organization" }, "mainEntity": { "@type": "Question", "name": "What requirements are needed for foreign trade enterprises to entrust an agency company to handle import and export tax refunds?", "text": "As the owner of a small and medium-sized garment export enterprise, I have been encountering issues with my self-operated tax refund in recent months: last month, my tax refund application was rejected and required resubmission due to a one-character difference in product name between the customs declaration form and the VAT special invoice, causing a 20+ day delay; this month, the tax refund application was put on hold due to delayed foreign exchange verification and cancellation. Our team has no professional tax staff, and we always get in a fluster when preparing documents. Watching our peers quickly receive tax refunds by using an agency company, we are very anxious. We want to know what documents we need to prepare when entrusting an agency company to handle import and export tax refunds, whether these issues can be avoided, and approximately how long it will take to receive the tax refund amount?", "answerCount": 7, "upvoteCount": 5, "datePublished": "2026-06-04T05:29:28Z", "dateModified": "2026-06-04T05:41:49Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zhongshen Trading China", "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html" } ,"acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When entrusting an agency to handle import and export tax refunds，pre-submission document audit is the critical first step. It is necessary to ensure that the core elements of the customs declaration form，VAT special invoice，and export foreign exchange verification and cancellation form (fully electronicized in 2026) are completely consistent: including product name，HS code，quantity，amount，etc. Any slight difference will lead to the rejection of the tax refund application. For the product name difference issue you mentioned，the agency will compare all documents in advance through an AI system to avoid manual oversights. Regarding core node connection，the agency will collect all tax refund documents within 3 working days after the goods are declared for export，and submit the pre-declaration through the electronic tax bureau. After the pre-declaration is approved，the formal declaration will be completed within 5 working days，and real-time communication with the tax authorities will be maintained to shorten the review cycle. For foreign exchange verification and cancellation issues，the agency will monitor the foreign exchange arrival situation，remind the enterprise to complete the verification procedures in advance，and ensure that it is done before the tax refund declaration deadline. Exception plan handling is an important link to ensure smooth tax refunds. If a tax inquiry is encountered，the agency will assist the enterprise in preparing supporting materials such as purchase contracts，logistics documents，and bank statements，and complete the response within 10 working days to avoid delayed tax refunds caused by delayed inquiry replies. In addition，the agency will regularly update the latest tax refund policies in 2026，such as the fast tax refund channel for SMEs. Eligible enterprises can receive the tax refund amount within 15 working days after the formal declaration. The final compliance implementation requires completing document filing. The agency will help the enterprise electronically archive documents such as customs declaration forms，bills of lading，and contracts，with a storage period of no less than 5 years，to ensure compliance with the inspection requirements of the tax authorities. Through full-link professional services，the agency can effectively avoid the document errors and process delays you encountered，making tax refunds more efficient and compliant.", "upvoteCount": 5, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html#acceptedAnswer", "datePublished": "2026-06-04T06:53:12Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Andy Guo","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/andy-guo/"} } ,"suggestedAnswer": [ { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When handling import and export tax refunds through an agency, the compliance of the customs declaration link directly affects the tax refund result. The customs unified clearance system launched by the customs in 2026 requires that the information on the customs declaration form completely matches the tax refund documents, especially the selection of HS codes. An incorrect HS code will not only lead to the rejection of the tax refund application, but also may trigger customs valuation disputes. The customs declaration experts of the agency will accurately classify the HS code according to the actual attributes of the goods, and note the special information required for tax refund when declaring, such as the mark "for export tax refund", to ensure that the customs declaration form meets the tax refund requirements. In addition, for re-declaration cases, the agency will assist the enterprise in preparing sufficient supporting materials to avoid delaying the tax refund progress due to customs declaration issues.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-2", "datePublished": "2026-06-04T06:50:19Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Michael Zhang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/michael-zhang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Logistics documents are one of the important vouchers for tax refunds. When handling import and export tax refunds through an agency, it is necessary to ensure that the information on logistics documents such as bills of lading and waybills matches the customs declaration form. In international logistics in 2026, the choice of direct shipping or transit scheme will affect the issuance time of the bill of lading. The logistics experts of the agency will recommend suitable logistics routes according to the enterprise's tax refund needs, such as choosing direct shipping vessels to shorten the time for obtaining bills of lading, and ensure timely collection of tax refund documents. In addition, for issues such as container detention fees and free storage period, the agency will coordinate with shipping companies to extend the free storage period, avoid missing tax refund documents due to logistics delays, and ensure the smooth progress of the tax refund process.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-3", "datePublished": "2026-06-04T06:48:04Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Grace Wang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/grace-wang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When handling import and export tax refunds through an agency in 2026, tax planning is the key. The tax consultants of the agency will design a reasonable tax structure according to the enterprise's situation, such as using the VAT deferral policy to reduce capital occupation. For cross-border related-party transactions, they will ensure that the pricing complies with the arm's length principle to avoid BEPS risks. In addition, the consultants will assist the enterprise in applying for SME tax refund preferences, such as reducing the withholding tax rate to increase tax refund benefits. Through professional tax planning, enterprises can not only handle tax refunds compliantly, but also optimize their tax costs.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-4", "datePublished": "2026-06-04T06:38:04Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Linda Gao","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/linda-gao/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Handling import and export tax refunds through an agency involves compliance with cross-border receipt and payment of foreign exchange. The wide application of the CIPS RMB cross-border payment system in 2026 requires that the receipt and payment documents match the tax refund documents. The compliance experts of the agency will assist the enterprise in processing SWIFT message analysis to ensure that the foreign exchange arrival information is accurate. For offshore account management, they will remind the enterprise to comply with account usage specifications to avoid affecting foreign exchange verification and cancellation due to account issues. In addition, the experts will optimize the foreign exchange purchase rate to help the enterprise save exchange costs and improve the actual income from tax refunds.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-5", "datePublished": "2026-06-04T06:31:11Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Lucas Liu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/lucas-liu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "International trade contracts are important basis for tax refunds. The legal experts of the agency will review the enterprise's purchase contracts and sales contracts to ensure that the product name, quantity and amount in the contract match the customs declaration form. For letter of credit soft clauses, they will assist the enterprise in modifying unreasonable clauses to avoid failure of foreign exchange receipt caused by letter of credit issues and affecting tax refunds. In addition, the experts will handle the customs protection filing of intellectual property rights to ensure that export goods do not infringe on others' intellectual property rights, and avoid customs detention of goods affecting the tax refund process.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-6", "datePublished": "2026-06-04T06:16:11Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Jason Wu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/jason-wu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When handling import and export tax refunds through an agency, audit is the last line of defense to ensure compliance. In 2026, the tax authorities have strengthened the "four-flow consistency" verification (capital flow, goods flow, invoice flow, contract flow) for tax refund enterprises. The audit experts of the agency will regularly check the enterprise's tax refund documents to ensure four-flow consistency, and avoid the tax refund being recovered due to failed verification. For cross-month declaration cases, they will assist the enterprise in adjusting the declaration data to ensure compliance with tax requirements. In addition, the experts will handle audit issues in tax inquiries, provide accurate audit reports, and speed up the response to inquiries.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/foreign-trade-company-conditions-for-import-export-tax-refund-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-7", "datePublished": "2026-06-04T05:41:49Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Eric Zhou","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/eric-zhou/"} } ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ {"@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Export Tax Rebate Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-tax-rebate/"} ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What requirements are needed for foreign trade enterprises to entrust an agency company to handle import and export tax refunds?"} ] } ] ```