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Enterprise Income Tax Law of the
People's Republic of China
(Adopted at the 5th Session of the 10th National People's Congress of
the P. R. of China on March 16, 2007)
Contents
Chapter I General Rules
Chapter II Taxable Income Amount
Chapter III Payable Tax Amount
Chapter IV Preferential Tax Treatments
Chapter V Withholding by Sources
Chapter VI Special Adjustments to Tax Payments
Chapter VII Administration of Tax Levy
Chapter VIII Supplementary Rules
Chapter I General Rules
Article 1 The enterprises and other organizations which have incomes
(hereinafter referred to as the enterprises) within the territory of the
People's Republic of China shall be payers of the enterprise income tax
and shall pay their enterprise income taxes according to the present
Law. The sole individual proprietorship enterprises and partnership
enterprises are not governed by the present law.
Article 2 Enterprises are classified into resident and non-resident
enterprises. The term "resident enterprise" as mentioned in the present
Law means an enterprise which is set up under Chinese law within the
territory of China, or set up under the law of a foreign country
(region) but whose actual management organ is within the territory of
China. The term
"non-resident enterprise" as mentioned in the present Law means an
enterprise which is set up under the law of a foreign country (region)
and whose actual management organ is not within the territory of China
but who has organs or establishments within the territory of China, or
who does not have any organ or establishment within the territory of
China but who has incomes sourced in China.
Article 3 For its incomes sourced from both inside and outside the
territory of China, a resident enterprise shall pay the enterprise
income tax. In case a non-resident enterprise sets up an organ or
establishment within the territory of China, it shall pay enterprise
income tax on its incomes sourced inside the territory of China and
incomes sourced outside the territory of China but actually connected
with the said organ or establishment. In case a non-resident enterprise
has no organ or establishment within the territory of China, or its
incomes have no actual connection to its organ or establishment inside
the territory of China, it shall pay enterprise income tax on the
incomes sourced inside the territory of China.
Article 4 The enterprise income tax shall be levied at the rate of 25%.
In case a non-resident enterprise obtains incomes as mentioned in
Paragraph 3, Article 3 of the present Law, the tax rate shall be 20%.
Chapter II Taxable Income Amount
Article 5 The balance after the tax-free and tax-exempt incomes, each
deduction item as well as the permitted remedies
for losses of the previous year(s) being deducted from an enterprise's
total income amount of each tax year shall be the
taxable income amount.
Article 6 An enterprise's total income amount refers to the monetary and
non-monetary incomes from various sources and
includes: (1) income from selling goods; (2) income from providing labor
services; (3) income from transferring
property; (4) equity investment gains, such as dividend, bonus; (5)
interest incomes; (6) rental income; (7) royalty
income; (8) income from accepting donations; and (9) other incomes.
Article 7 The tax-free income refers to the following incomes which are
included in the total income amount: (1) The treasury appropriations;
(2) The administrative fees and the governmental funds which are levied
in accordance with the law and fall under the treasury administration;
and (3) Other tax-free incomes as prescribed by the State Council.
Article 8 When calculating the taxable income amount, the reasonable
expenditures which actually happened and have
actual connection with the business operations of an enterprise,
including the costs, expenditures, taxes, losses,
etc. may be deducted.
Article 9 As regards an enterprise's expenditures for public welfare
donations, the portion within 12% of the total annual
profits is permitted to be deducted.
Article 10 When calculating the taxable income amount, none of the
following expenditures may be deducted: (1) Such equity investment gains
as dividend, bonus paid to the investors; (2) Payment for enterprise
income tax; (3) Late fee for taxes; (4) Pecuniary punishment, fines, and
losses of confiscated properties; (5) Expenditures for donations other
than those prescribed in Article 9; (6) Sponsorship expenditures; (7)
Unverified reserve expenditures; (8) Other expenditures in no relation
to the obtainment of revenues;
Article 11 An enterprise's depreciations of fixed assets, which are
calculated pursuant to the related provisions, are permitted to be
deducted in the calculation of the taxable income amount. As regards any
of the following fixed assets, no depreciation may be calculated for
deduction: (1) The fixed assets which have not yet been put into use,
among which houses and buildings are not included; (2) The fixed assets
which are rented in through commercial lease; (3) The fixed assets which
are rented out through finance leasing; (4) The fixed assets for which
depreciation has been fully allocated but which are still in use; (5)
The fixed assets in no relation to the business operations; (6) The land
which is separately evaluated and entered into account as an item of
fixed asset; and (7) Other fixed assets for which no depreciation may be
calculated for deduction.
Article 12 An enterprise is allowed to deduct the amortized expenditures
of intangible assets calculated under the related
provisions when calculating the taxable amount of incomes. For the
following intangible assets, no amortized expense may be
calculated: (1) The intangible assets, which are developed by the
enterprise itself and the expenditures have been deducted
when calculating the taxable income amount; (2) The self-created
business reputation; (3) The intangible assets in
no relation to the business operations; and (4) Other intangible assets
for which no amortized expense may be
calculated for deduction.
Article 13 The following expenditures incurred by an enterprise shall be
deemed as long-term deferred expenditures
when calculating the taxable income amount. Those amortized pursuant to
the related provisions are permitted to be
deducted: (1) The expenditures for rebuilding a fixed asset, for which
depreciation has been fully allocated; (2) The
expenditures for rebuilding a rented fixed asset; (3) The expenditures
for heavily repairing a fixed asset; and (4)
Other expenditures which shall be deemed as long-term deferred
expenditures.
Article 14 When calculating the taxable income amount, an enterprise may
not deduct the costs of the investment assets
during the period of external investment.
Article 15 In case an enterprise uses or sells its inventories, it is
permitted to deduct the costs of the
inventories calculated pursuant to the related provisions when
calculating the taxable income amount.
Article 16 In case an enterprise transfers an asset, it is permitted to
deduct the net value of the asset when
calculating the taxable income amount.
Article 17 An enterprise may not offset the losses of its overseas
business organs against the profits of its domestic
business organs in the consolidated calculation of its enterprise income
taxes.
Article 18 The losses suffered by an enterprise during a tax year may be
carried forward and made up by the incomes during
subsequent years, however, the carry-forward period may not exceed 5
years.
Article 19 In case a non-resident enterprise obtains incomes as
prescribed in Paragraph 3, Article 3 of the present Law,
the following approaches shall be adopted in calculation of its the
taxable income amount: (1) As regards dividends,
bonuses and other equity investment gains, interests, rentals and
royalties, the taxable income amount shall be the total
income amount; (2) As regards incomes from assigning property, the
taxable income amount shall be the balance of the total
income amount less the net value of the property; and (3) As regards
other incomes, the taxable income amount shall be
calculated according to the approaches as mentioned in the preceding two
items by analogy.
Article 20 The specific scope and standards of revenues and deductions,
as well as the concrete tax treatment methods of
assets as prescribed in this Chapter shall be constituted by the
treasury and tax administrative departments under the
State Council.
Article 21 If the enterprise's financial or accounting treatment method
does not comply with any tax law or
administrative regulation when calculating the taxable income amount,
the tax law or administrative regulation shall
prevail.
Chapter III Payable Tax Amount
Article 22 The payable tax amount shall be the balance of the taxable
amount multiplied by the applicable tax rate minus the
tax amounts deducted and exempted as prescribed in the present Law.
Article 23 In case an enterprise has already paid overseas the
enterprise tax for the following incomes, it may deduct it
from the payable tax amount of the current period. The limit of tax
credit shall be the payable tax amount on such incomes
calculated under the present Law. The part exceeding the limit of tax
credit may, during the five subsequent years, be offset
from the balance of the limit of tax credit of each year minus the tax
amount which ought to be offset in the current year:
(1) A resident enterprise's taxable incomes sourced from outside the
territory of China; and (2) Taxable incomes
obtained outside the territory of China by a non-resident enterprise
having organs or establishments inside the
territory of China, but having actual connection with such organs or
establishments.
Article 24 As regards the dividends, bonuses and other equity investment
gains earned outside the territory of China by a resident enterprise
from a foreign enterprise which it controls directly or indirectly, the
portion of income tax on this income paid outside the territory of China
by the foreign enterprise the territory of China may be treated as the
allowable tax credit of the resident enterprise's overseas income tax
amount and be deducted within the limit of tax credit as provided for in
Article 23 of the present Law.
Chapter IV Preferential Tax Treatments
Article 25 The important industries and projects whose development is
supported and encouraged by the state shall enjoy the preferential
treatments in enterprise income tax.
Article 26 An enterprise's following incomes of shall be tax-free ones:
(1) The interest incomes from treasury bonds; (2) Dividends, bonuses and
other equity investment gains generated between qualified resident
enterprises; (3) Dividends, bonuses and other equity investment gains
which are obtained from a resident enterprise by a non-resident
enterprise with organs or establishments inside the territory of China
and have actual connection with such organs or establishments; and (4)
Incomes of qualified not-for-profit organizations.
Article 27 As regards the following incomes, the enterprise income tax
may be exempted or reduced:
(1) The incomes generated from the engagement in agriculture, forestry,
husbandry and fishery;
(2) The incomes generated from investment in and business operations of
the important public infrastructure projects supported by the state;
(3) The income generated from the projects of environmental protection,
energy and water saving and satisfying the related requirements;
(4) The incomes generated from transferring technologies and satisfying
the related requirements; and
(5) The income as provided for in Paragraph 3, Article 3 of the present
Law.
Article 28 As regards a small meagre-profit enterprise satisfying the
prescribed conditions, the enterprise income tax shall be levied at a
reduced tax rate of 20%. As regards important high-tech enterprises
necessary to be supported by the state, the enterprise income tax shall
be levied at the reduced tax rate of 15%.
Article 29 The autonomous organ of an autonomous region of ethnic
minorities may determine to reduce or exempt the enterprise income tax
by enterprises within the said autonomous region. In case the decision
on deduction or exemption is made by an autonomous prefecture or county,
it shall be reported to the people's government of the province,
autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government
for approval.
Article 30 An enterprise may additionally calculate and deduct the
following expenditures in the calculation of the taxable income amount:
(1) The expenditures for researching and developing new technologies,
new products and new techniques; and (2) The wages paid to the disabled
employees or other employees encouraged to hire by the State.
Article 31 In case a startup investment enterprise engages in important
startup investments necessary to be supported and encouraged by the
state, it may deduct a certain proportion of the investment amount from
the taxable income amount.
Article 32 In case an enterprise surely needs to accelerate the
depreciation of any fixed asset by virtue of technological progress or
for any other reason, it may curtail the term of depreciation or adopt a
method for accelerated depreciation.
Article 33 As regards the incomes earned by an enterprise from producing
products complying with the industrial policies of the state by
comprehensively utilizing resources, the income may be downsized in the
calculation of the amount of taxable incomes.
Article 34 As regards the amount of an enterprise's investment in
purchasing special equipment for protecting environment, saving energy
and water, work safety, etc., the tax amount may be deducted at a
certain rate. Article 35 The specific measures for the preferential tax
treatments as referred to in the present Law shall be constituted by the
State Council.
Article 36 The State Council may constitute special preferential
policies on the enterprise income tax in case the national economic and
social development so requires, or the business operations of
enterprises have been seriously affected by emergencies and other
factors, and submit them to the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress for archival filling.
Chapter V Withholding by Sources
Article 37 The payable income taxes on the incomes obtained by a
non-resident enterprise as prescribed in Paragraph 3, Article 3 of the
present Law shall be withheld by sources, with the payer acting as the
obligatory withholder, who shall withhold the tax amount from each
payment or payment due.
Article 38 As regards the payable income taxes on the incomes obtained
by a non-resident enterprise within the territory of China from
undertaking engineering projects or providing labor services, the payer
of the project price or remuneration may be designated as the obligatory
withholder by the tax organ.
Article 39 In case the obligatory withholder has failed to withhold the
income tax which ought to be withheld according to Articles 37 and 38 of
the present Law or is unable to perform the withholding obligation, the
taxpayer shall pay them at the place where the income has occurred. In
case the taxpayer fails to do so, the tax organ may recover the payable
tax of the enterprise from its other income items within the territory
of China which ought to be paid by the payer.
Article 40 A obligatory withholder shall, within 7 days after the date
of withholding, turn over to the state treasury the tax payments which
it withholds every time and submit a form of report on the withheld
enterprise income taxes to the local tax organ.
Chapter VI Special Adjustments to Tax Payments
Article 41 As regards a transaction between an enterprise and its
affiliated parties, in case the taxable revenue or income of the
enterprise or its affiliated parties reduces by virtue of the failure to
conform to the arms length principle, the tax organ may, through a
reasonable method, make an adjustment. As regards the costs of an
enterprise and its affiliated parties for jointly developing or
accepting intangible assets, or jointly providing or accepting labor
services, they shall, when calculating the taxable income
amount, apportion them according to the arms length principle.
Article 42 An enterprise may propose the pricing principles and
calculation methods for the transactions between it and its affiliated
parties to the tax organ, the tax organ and the enterprise shall, upon
negotiations and confirmation, achieve an advance pricing arrangement.
Article 43 When an enterprise submits its annual enterprise income tax
returns to the tax organ, an annual report on the affiliated
transactions between it and its affiliated parties shall be attached.
When the tax organ investigates into the affiliated transactions, the
enterprise and its affiliated parties, as well as other enterprises in
relation to the affiliated transactions under investigation, shall,
according to the related provisions, provide the related materials.
Article 44 In case any enterprise refuses to submit the materials on
transactions which happened between it and its affiliated parties, or
provides any false or incomplete material, on the basis of which the
true information about the affiliated transactions cannot be reflected,
the tax organ may determine upon check its taxable income amount.
Article 45 As regards an enterprise which is set up in a country
(region) where the actual tax burden is apparently lower than the tax
rate as prescribed in Paragraph 1 of Article 4 of the present Law by a
resident enterprise or controlled by an resident enterprise or by a
Chinese resident, in case it fails to distribute the profits or
decreases the
distribution not by virtue of reasonable business operations, the
portion of the aforesaid profits attributable to this resident
enterprise shall be included in its incomes of the current period.
Article 46 As regards an enterprise's interest expenditures for any
credit investments and equity investments accepted from its affiliated
parties, in excess of the prescribed criterion, the enterprise may not
deduct them when calculating the taxable income amount.
Article 47 In case an enterprise makes any other arrangement not for any
reasonable commercial purpose, which causes the decrease of its taxable
revenue or income, the tax organ may, through a reasonable method, make
an adjustment.
Article 48 In case the tax organ makes an adjustment to a tax payment
pursuant to the provisions in this Chapter so that it is necessary to
recover the tax payment in arrears, it shall do so and charge an
additional interest according to the provisions of the State Council.
Chapter VII Administration of Tax Levy
Article 49 The administration for levying enterprise income taxes shall
be subject to the Law of the People's Republic of China on Administering
Tax Levy in addition to the present Law.
Article 50 The tax payment place of a resident enterprise shall be its
registration place unless it is otherwise provided for in any tax law or
administrative regulation. But in case its registration place is outside
the territory of China, the tax payment place shall be the place at the
locality of its actual management organ. As regards a resident
enterprise which has set up operational organs without legal person
status inside the territory of China, it shall, on a consolidated basis,
calculate and pay its enterprise income taxes.
Article 51 In case a non-resident enterprise earns any income as
prescribed in Paragraph 2, Article 3 of the present Law, the tax payment
place shall be the place at the locality of the organ or establishment.
In case a non-resident enterprise has set up two or more organs or
establishments within the territory of China, it may choose to have its
main organ or establishment make a consolidated payment of the
enterprise income tax upon the examination and approval of the tax
organ.
As regards a non-resident enterprise which earns any income as
prescribed in Paragraph 3, Article 3 of the present Law, the place at
the locality of the obligatory withholder shall be the tax payment
place.
Article 52 Enterprises may not pay their enterprise income taxes on a
consolidated basis unless it is otherwise prescribed by the State
Council.
Article 53 Enterprise income taxes shall be calculated on the basis of a
tax year, which is from January 1 to December 31 of the Gregorian
calendar year. In case an enterprise's business operations are started
or terminated in the middle of a tax year, which leads to its actual
business operation period in this tax year being shorter than 12 months,
its actual business operation period shall constitute a tax year. When
an enterprise is under liquidation according to law, the
liquidation period shall be a tax year.
Article 54 Enterprise income taxes shall, on the monthly or quarterly
basis, be paid in advance. An enterprise shall submit an enterprise
income tax return for advance payment to the tax organ and pay the tax
in advance within 15 days after the end of a month or quarter. An
enterprise shall submit an annual enterprise income tax return for the
settlement of tax payments to the tax organ and settle the payable or
refundable amount of taxes within 5 months after the end of each year.
When an enterprise submits an enterprise income tax return, the
financial statements and other related materials shall be attached in
accordance with the related provisions.
Article 55 In case an enterprise terminates its business operation in
the middle of a year, it shall apply to the tax organ for calculating
and paying the enterprise income taxes of the current period within 60
days after the actual date for terminating its business operations.
Before the deregistration formalities are handled, an enterprise shall
make a declaration to the tax organ and pay the enterprise income taxes
on the basis of the income of the liquidation.
Article 56 Enterprise income taxes to be paid pursuant to the present
law shall be calculated on the basis of RMB. In case any income is
calculated on the basis of a currency other than RMB, the taxes shall,
after such income converted into RMB, be calculated and paid.
Chapter VIII Supplementary Rules
Article 57 In case an enterprise has already been set up before the
promulgation of the present Law and enjoys low tax rates in accordance
with the provisions of the tax laws and administrative regulations in
force at that time, it may, in accordance with the provisions of the
State Council, continue to enjoy the preferential treatments within five
years as of the promulgation of the present Law and gradually transfer
to the tax rate as prescribed in the present Law. In case an enterprise
enjoys the preferential treatment of tax exemption for a fixed term, it
may, after the promulgation of this Law, continue to enjoy such
treatment in accordance with the provisions of the State Council until
the fixed term expires.
However, if an enterprise has failed to enjoy the preferential treatment
by virtue of failure to make profits, the term of preferential treatment
may be counted as of the year when the present Law is promulgated. As
regards high-tech enterprises which are newly established with the key
support of the State within the particular areas set up by law for
developing foreign economic cooperation and technological exchanges or
the areas enjoying the abovementioned special policies as provided for
by the State Council, they may enjoy transitional preferential tax
treatments. The specific measures thereof shall be constituted by the
State Council. As regards other enterprises falling within the
encouraged category as already determined by the State Council, they
may, according to the provisions of the State Council, enjoy the
preferential treatment of tax reduction or exemption.
Article 58 In case any provision in a tax treaty concluded between the
government of the People's Republic of China and a foreign government is
different from the provisions in the present Law, the provision in the
said treaty shall prevail.
Article 59 The State Council shall constitute a regulation for
implementing the present Law.
Article 60 The present law shall go into effect as of January 1, 2008.
The Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China Concerning
Foreign-funded Enterprises and Foreign Enterprises as adopted on April
9, 1991 at the 4th Session of the Standing Committee of the 7th National
People's Congress and the Interim Regulation of the People's Republic of
China Concerning Enterprise Income Tax as promulgated on December 13,
1993 by the State Council shall be concurrently abolished.
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