Shenzhen to Collect Local Education Surcharge

July 11, 2011 Posted by China Briefing Reading Time: 2 minutes

Jul. 11 – On October 18, 2010, China’s State Council issued the “Circular on Unifying Urban Construction Tax and Educational Surcharge on Chinese and Foreign-funded Enterprises and Individuals” (guofa [2010] No. 35), which expanded the coverage of the urban construction tax (UCT) and education surcharge (ES) to include foreign invested enterprises, foreign enterprises and foreign individuals in addition to domestic enterprises. The ES rate is 3 percent while the UCT rate is 1 percent, 5 percent or 7 percent depending on location of the taxpayer. Subsequently, in November 2010, the Ministry of Finance issued another circular (caizong [2010] No. 98, “Circular 98”), which unified the local education surcharge (LES) to 2 percent for all enterprises and individuals (including FIEs).

Following the promulgation of Circular 98, various major municipalities have promulgated their own regulations on LES collection. For example, the local tax bureau of Qingdao started collecting the tax from December 2010 soon after the promulgation of the circular, while Shanghai issued its Circular on LES collection in January, 2011. Guangdong Province promulgated its circular in February 2011, which also imposed LES from January 1, 2011 and required the LES for January to March 2011 to be paid no later than June 30, 2011.

Shenzhen, on the other hand, has just issued its circular on LES collection in July 2011, but provides in the circular that the collection of LES would apply retroactively from January 1, 2011.

Beijing has yet to promulgate its regulation mandating LES collection. We anticipate it to do so soon, and it remains to be seen whether the collection would apply retroactively as in Shenzhen. Foreign invested enterprises in China should nonetheless be prepared to pay the LES starting from this fiscal year.

This article was originally published on the Dezan Shira & Associates online business resources library. To view the original article, and other regulatory updates, please click here.

Dezan Shira & Associates is a boutique professional services firm providing foreign direct investment business advisory, tax, accounting, payroll and due diligence services for multinational clients in China. For advice, please email tax@dezshira.com, visit www.dezshira.com, or download the firm’s brochure here.

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