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Can the tax authorities disqualify a venture capital enterprise from enjoying the 15% preferential tax rate for western development on the grounds of failure to file?
According to the Interim Measures for the Administration of Venture Capital Enterprises, Venture Capital Enterprises that have not completed the filing procedures in accordance with the provisions of the Measures are not entitled to policy support. Meanwhile, the "Catalogue of Encouraged Industries in the Western Region" in China's preferential policies for the development of the western region includes "Venture Capital", which stipulates that qualified enterprises can enjoy the tax incentives of corporate income tax at a rate of 15%. Recently, a number of Venture Capital companies in a certain province have been requested by the tax bureau to conduct self-examination and pay back the tax, the reason is that they849Views
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Big Case Released: Can Tax Authorities Recover Taxes from Partners after Partnership Approved Levy is Written Off?
For a long time, some local governments have been granting partnership enterprises the approved levy policy as a condition for attracting investments, and many investors have enjoyed the policy dividend of low tax burden through equity transfer and other premium transactions through partnership enterprise shareholding platforms. The Announcement on the Administration of Collection of Individual Income Tax on Income from Equity Investment and Operation (Announcement No. 41 of 2021 by the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation) stipulates that partnerships with shareholding platforms are subject to individual tax in accordance with the method of account-checking levy, which effectively curbed this kind of tax avoidance operation. Recently, some investors have been notified by the tax authorities in their place of residence that they have been investigated and asked to pay back taxes and penalties in respect of the authorized collection of partnership share transfers in a foreign place several years ago. Whether the authorized tax payment for partnership equity transfer is necessarily illegal, whether the tax authority of the investor's place of residence has the right to investigate and deal with the matter retrospectively, and how the investor should properly deal with such risks? This article analyzes the above practical issues.1450Views
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MCN Agency Involved in Major Tax Case Again, Live Streaming Emerges as High-Risk Sector
In March 2022, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the State Taxation Administration, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the "Opinions on Further Regulating Profit-Making Activities in Live Streaming to Promote Healthy Industry Development" (STA Income Tax Notice [2022] No. 25), which explicitly states that "intermediary agencies and related personnel who plan or assist live streamers in illegal tax evasion activities shall be severely punished and publicly exposed." Recently, a major tax-related case involving an MCN agency colluding with illegal intermediaries was reported by CCTV. According to the disclosure, the case involves numerous parties and highly typical tax evasion methods. This article will use this case as a starting point to analyze the causes behind such phenomena in light of current tax administration practices, while clarifying the responsibilities and legal consequences for all parties involved, for the benefit of readers.1966Views
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Hwuason's Major Case Announcement: Export Tax Fraud Case Sentence Reduced from Over 10 Years to 5 Years
On April 2, 2025, the Hwuason team, through close collaboration and representation by attorney Jiang Zhenghe, secured a favorable judgment in an export tax fraud case. The company's principal, accused of defrauding nearly RMB 9 million in tax refunds with no mitigating factors such as voluntary surrender or meritorious conduct, initially faced a potential sentence exceeding 10 years. After a thorough review of the case files, Hwuason's lawyers presented a defense to the procuratorate, arguing that certain transactions did not constitute tax fraud. The procuratorate ultimately accepted the defense, reducing the alleged fraud amount from the figures determined by the tax and public security authorities to approximately RMB 4 million. Accordingly, the procuratorate recommended the minimum statutory sentence of 5 years for the adjusted amount. The People's Court adopted the sentencing recommendation, and the Hwuason team successfully secured a 5-year prison term for the client—an optimal outcome under the circumstances.1093Views
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China's Common Reporting Standard rules are working effectively, and tax compliance for overseas income is urgent
China's version of the CRS rules has been implemented for years, and the mechanism of automatic exchange of information on the offshore financial accounts of China's tax residents has helped China's tax authorities to significantly improve their effectiveness in detecting tax evasion on overseas income. In the process of global tax transparency, the tightening of tax regulations has imposed stricter tax compliance requirements on Chinese tax residents with offshore income and assets. This article suggests that HNWIs should pay great attention to the tax compliance of overseas income, proactively comply with the trend of upgrading global tax regulation, and accurately identify and properly deal with the potential risks hidden in overseas financial accounts.1326Views
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Frequent Cases of Surplus Invoice Fraud in the Internet Sector: Both Issuers and Recipients Face Severe Criminal Risks
Surplus invoices, as one of the primary sources of invoice-related illegal activities, have persisted for years despite repeated crackdowns. The internet industry, which directly connects a large number of individual consumers and service providers, hosts both supply and demand sides for invoices. Due to the intangible nature of internet products and the concealability of such crimes, the sector has gradually evolved into a new hotspot for surplus invoice fraud. Recently, three high-profile cases involving fraudulent issuance of surplus invoices by online recharge platforms have erupted, involving massive amounts and drawing widespread public attention. For both issuers and recipients of surplus invoices, the unique characteristics of the internet industry introduce tax risks distinct from those in traditional sectors. In this article, the author analyzes the differing circumstances faced by issuers and recipients based on observed patterns and emerging practices in the industry, shedding light on potential tax risks.1165Views
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Proposed Revisions by Hua Shui Law Firm on the Tax Collection and Administration Law (Revised Draft for Public Consultation)
On March 28, 2025, the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) issued the Law of the People's Republic of China on Tax Collection and Administration (Revised Draft for Public Consultation) and publicly solicited comments from the public. Ten years since the revision of the Tax Collection and Administration Law was publicly solicited for opinions in 2015, the State has restarted the revision of the Tax Collection and Administration Law, which will surely have a far-reaching impact on the construction of the rule of law in China's taxation. From the perspective of protecting the legitimate rights and interests of taxpayers, regulating tax collection by tax authorities in accordance with the law, and promoting the establishment of a tax collection and payment relationship of equality, mutual trust and cooperation, Hua Shui's legal team, through the interspersed analysis of the current tax collection and administration law, the 2015 revision of the tax collection and administration law and the key provisions of the 2025 public consultation, and combining with its own experience of tax practice, has put forward a number of modification suggestions for some of the important provisions in the revision of the Taxation Collection and Administration Law. The text of the amendments submitted by Hua Shui is now forwarded as follows, and we hope to discuss them with the readers.1028Views
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Frequent Cases of Surplus Invoice Fraud in the Internet Sector: Both Issuers and Recipients Face Severe Criminal RisksFrequent Cases of Surplus Invoice Fraud in the Internet Sector: Both Issuers and R
Surplus invoices, as one of the primary sources of invoice-related illegal activities, have persisted for years despite repeated crackdowns. The internet industry, which directly connects a large number of individual consumers and service providers, hosts both supply and demand sides for invoices. Due to the intangible nature of internet products and the concealability of such crimes, the sector has gradually evolved into a new hotspot for surplus invoice fraud. Recently, three high-profile cases involving fraudulent issuance of surplus invoices by online recharge platforms have erupted, involving massive amounts and drawing widespread public attention. For both issuers and recipients of surplus invoices, the unique characteristics of the internet industry introduce tax risks distinct from those in traditional sectors. In this article, the author analyzes the differing circumstances faced by issuers and recipients based on observed patterns and emerging practices in the industry, shedding light on potential tax risks.709Views