23 October 2018

China expands scope of withholding tax deferral treatment on direct reinvestments from foreign investors

China’s Ministry of Finance, State Administration of Taxation and National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Commerce jointly issued Caishui [2018] No. 102 (Circular 102)1 to expand the scope of withholding tax deferral treatment on direct reinvestment to all non-prohibited foreign investments. Circular 102 becomes retroactively effective on 1 January 2018.

Prior to the issuance of Circular 102, the withholding tax deferral policy only applied to foreign investors who directly reinvested their attributable/distributable profits from their Chinese tax resident investees into one of the designated encouraged industries.2

Under Circular 102, the scope of the withholding tax deferral treatment on direct reinvestment is expanded to all foreign investments that are not prohibited for foreign investors.

Circular 102 reflects China’s aim to further attract and facilitate foreign investments. Multinational Companies with excess cash in China from profits may consider redeploying the cash into their Chinese investments.

Endnotes

1. Circular 102 was issued 29 September 2018.

For additional information with respect to this Alert, please contact the following:

Ernst & Young Tax Services Limited, Hong Kong
  • Jane Hui | jane.hui@hk.ey.com
  • Becky Lai | becky.lai@hk.ey.com
Ernst & Young (China) Advisory Limited, Shanghai
  • Walter Tong | walter.tong@cn.ey.com
  • Vickie Tan | vickie.tan@cn.ey.com
Ernst & Young (China) Advisory Limited, Beijing
  • Henry Chan | henry.chan@cn.ey.com
  • Martin Ngai | Martin.Ngai@cn.ey.com
  • Andrew Choy | andrew.choy@cn.ey.com
Ernst & Young (China) Advisory Limited, Shenzhen
  • Clement Yuen | clement.yuen@cn.ey.com
Ernst & Young LLP, China Tax Desk, New York
  • Min Fei | min.fei@ey.com
  • Andrea Yue | andrea.yue1@ey.com
  • Vickie Lin | vickie.lin@ey.com
  • Sherry Cui, Transaction Tax | sherry.cui1@ey.com
Ernst & Young LLP, China Tax Desk, Chicago
  • Lucy Wang | lucy.wang1@ey.com
Ernst & Young LLP, China Tax Desk, San Jose
  • Diana Wu | diana.wu@ey.com
Ernst & Young LLP, Asia Pacific Business Group, New York
  • Chris Finnerty | chris.finnerty1@ey.com
  • Kaz Parsch | kazuyo.parsch@ey.com
  • Bee-Khun Yap | bee-khun.yap@ey.com 

ATTACHMENT

Document ID: 2018-6231