Nanjing currently has 31 stores offering departure tax refund services to enhance the shopping experience for overseas travelers, the city’s Taxation Bureau announced on April 28.

China has been steadily facilitating inbound spending. On 8 April, the State Taxation Administration announced updates to the tax refund policy for foreign tourists, shifting from a refund-upon-departure model to a refund-upon-purchase model. Then on April 27, the Ministry of Commerce and five other government departments issued a circular introducing further measures to optimize the policy, such as lowering the minimum purchase threshold from 500 yuan ($68.5) to 200 yuan and raising the upper limit for cash refunds from 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan. To implement the policy, a dedicated tax refund service counter has been set up at Deji Plaza, a major shopping mall in Nanjing. Overseas consumers can review the refund-upon-purchase procedures via an electronic screen or receive their refunds through a mini-program without leaving the store.

In the first quarter, overseas travelers spent a total of 21.76 million yuan at tax refund stores. The 31 stores cover a wide range of brands across sectors such as apparel and jewelry.