International visitors in China will now be able to claim tax refunds on goods purchased from now on, the Ministry of Finance announced.
All overseas tourists can claim a 11% refund for consumer goods for a minimum spend of 500 yuan (about US$82) in any single designated department store per day.
Visitors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are also eligible for the rebate provided they stay in mainland China no more than six months.
The rebate will be paid in local currency or transferred to the buyer’s bank account.
The nationwide roll-out follows a trial in Hainan in 2011 for a limited number of consumer items.
"The expansion of the program will spur inbound trips and boost the export of China-made commodities," said Liu Shangxi, a senior researcher with the MOF.
Although outbound Chinese travelers have a global reputation for spending big overseas, it is not the same case for foreign tourists travelling to China, and the MOF hopes the move will spur higher consumption of Chinese made products.
