| INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX LAW
OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
(Adopted at the Third Session of the
Fifth National People's Congress on September 10, 1980; amended
for the first time in light of the Decision of the Fourth
Session of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National
People's Congress on Amending to the Law of the People's
Republic of China on Individual Income Tax on October 31, 1993;
and amended for the second time in light of the Decision of the
11th Session of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National
People's Congress On Amending to the Law of the People's
Republic of China on Individual Income Tax on August 30, 1999;
amended for the third time in light of the Decision of the 18th
Session of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's
Congress on Amending the Law of the People's Republic of China
on Individual Income Tax on October 27, 2005.)
Article 1
An individual, who has a domicile within the territory of China
or who has no domicile but has stayed within the territory of
China for one year or more, shall pay individual income tax for
his income obtained in and/or outside the territory of China
according to the provisions of this Law.
An
individual, who has no domicile and does not stay within the
territory of China or who has no domicile but has stayed within
the territory of China for less than one year, shall pay
individual income tax for his income obtained within the
territory of China according to the provisions of this Law.
Article 2
Individual income as listed below shall be subject to payment of
individual income tax:
1. income
of wages and salaries;
2. income
of private industrial and commercial households from their
production and business operation;
3. income
of enterprises and institutions from contracting or leasing;
4. income
from remuneration for labor services;
5. income
from remuneration for manuscripts;
6. income
from the use of royalties;
7. income
of interests, dividends and bonuses;
8. income
from the lease of properties;
9. incomes
from the transfer of properties;
10.
occasional income; and
11. other
incomes specified as taxable by the financial department of the
State Council.
Article 3
Individual income tax rates:
1. For the
income of wages and salaries, the progressive tax rate in excess
of the specific amount is applicable and the rate ranges from 5
percent to 45 percent (the tax rate schedule is attached
behind).
2. For the
income of private industrial and commercial households from
their production and business operation and income of
enterprises and institutions from contracting or leasing, the
progressive tax rate in excess of the specific amount ranging
from 5 percent to 35per cent is applied (the tax rate schedule
is attached behind).
3. For the
income from remuneration for manuscripts, the flat tax rate is
applicable and the tax rate is 20 percent, and a 30 percent tax
deduction shall be applied to the amount of tax payable.
4. For the
income from remuneration for labor services, the flat tax rate
is applicable and the tax rate is 20 percent. If a single
payment of remuneration for labor service is excessively high,
an additional proportion of tax may be levied thereon, and the
concrete measures shall be formulated by the State Council.
5. For the
income from royalties, income from interests, dividends and
bonuses, income from the lease of properties, income from the
transfer of properties, occasional income and other incomes, the
flat tax rate is applicable and the tax rate is 20 percent.
Article 4
Individual incomes as listed below shall be exempted from
individual income tax:
1. prizes in
science, education, technology, culture, health, sports and
environmental protection, which are awarded by provincial
people's governments, ministries and commissions under the State
Council and units of the People's Liberation Army at or above
the army level, as well as by foreign organizations and
international organizations;
2. interests
gained from treasury bonds and financial bonds issued by the
State; 3.
subsidies and allowances distributed
pursuant to the unified provisions of the State;
4. welfare
benefits, pensions and relief funds;
5. insurance
compensation;
6. military
severance pay and demobilization pay for military personnel;
7. settling-in
allowance, severance pay, retirement wages, retirement wages for
veteran cadres, and living allowances and subsidies for retired
veteran cadres, which are distributed to cadres and workers
according to the unified provisions of the State;
8. income of
diplomatic representatives, consular officers and other
personnel of foreign embassies and consulates in China, which
shall be exempt from tax according to the relevant laws of
China; 9.
income which shall be exempt from tax in
light of the international conventions to which the Chinese
Government is a member or agreements which the Chinese
Government has signed; and
10. income
which are approved to be exempt from tax by the financial
department of the State Council.
Article 5
Upon approval, individual income tax may be reduced under any of
the following circumstances:
1. income of
the disabled, the lone old people and the families of martyrs;
2. those
suffering heavy losses resulted from serious natural calamities;
or 3.
other tax reductions approved by the
financial department of the State Council.
Article 6
the calculation of the taxable income amount:
1. For the
income of wages and salaries, the taxable income amount shall be
the balance after deducting 1600 Yuan from the monthly income.
2. For the
income of private industrial and commercial households from
their production and business operation, the taxable income
amount shall be the balance after deducting costs, expenses and
losses from the gross incomes in a tax year.
3. For the
income of enterprises and institutions from contracting or
leasing, the taxable income amount shall be the balance after
deducting necessary expenses from the gross income in a tax
year.
4. For the
income from remuneration for labor services, the income from
remuneration for manuscripts, the income from royalties and the
income from the lease of properties, the taxable income amount
shall be the balance after deducting 800 Yuan if a single
payment does not exceed 4,000 Yuan, and be the balance after
deducting 20 percent of expenses if a single payment exceeds
4,000 Yuan.
5. For the
income from the transfer of properties, the taxable income
amount shall be the balance after deducting the original value
of the properties and reasonable expenses from proceeds of the
transfer of the properties.
6. For the
income of interests, dividends and bonuses, occasional income
and other incomes, the taxable income amount shall be the amount
of income received each time.
The part of income donated by individuals
for education and other public welfare careers shall be deducted
from the taxable income amount according to the relevant
regulations of the State Council. For a taxpayer who has no
domicile within the territory of China but has obtained wage and
salary income within the territory of China, or a taxpayer who
has a domicile within the territory of China but has obtained
wage and salary income abroad, an additional deduction for
expenses may be determined in light of his average income level,
living standards and the change of exchange rates. And the scope
and standards for the additional deduction for expenses shall be
formulated by the State Council.
Article 7
For a taxpayer who has obtained incomes outside the territory of
China, the amount of individual income tax already paid outside
China may be deducted from the payable tax amount. Nevertheless,
the deducted amount may not exceed the payable tax amount for
the taxpayer's incomes from abroad as calculated according to
the provisions of this Law.
Article 8
The income earner shall be the taxpayer of individual income
tax, and the unit or person that effects the payment shall be
the withholding agent. Where the individual income exceeds the
amount as prescribed by the State Council, or a taxpayer gains
wage or salary incomes from two or more places or has no
withholding agent, or there is any other circumstance as
prescribed by the State Council, the taxpayer shall, according
to the provisions of the state, handle the tax payment
declaration. A withholding agent shall, according to the
provisions of the state, make the withholding declaration for
all the taxpayers and in full amount.
Article 9
Within the first seven days of the following month, all tax
amounts withheld each month by the withholding agents and all
tax amounts paid each month by the taxpayers who file tax
returns on their own initiatives shall be turned into the State
treasury, and tax returns shall be submitted to the tax
authorities.
For the income of wages and salaries, the
payable tax amount shall be calculated and collected on a
monthly basis, and the withholding agents or taxpayers shall,
within the first seven days of the following month, turn them
into the State treasury and submit tax returns to the tax
authorities. For the income of wages and salaries in some
specific industries, the payable tax amount may be calculated on
a yearly basis and be prepaid on a monthly basis, and the
concrete measures shall be formulated by the State Council.
For the
income of private industrial and commercial households from
their production and business operation, the payable tax amount
shall be calculated on a yearly basis and be prepaid on a
monthly basis. The taxpayers shall make such prepayment within
the first seven days of the following month and shall settle it
within three months following the end of a year. And the amount
in excess shall be refunded and any amount in deficiency shall
be supplemented. For the income of enterprises and institutions
from contracting or leasing, the payable tax amount shall be
calculated on a yearly basis, and the taxpayers shall, within 30
days following the end of a year, turn them into the State
treasury and submit tax returns to the tax authorities. Where a
taxpayer receives incomes in installments within a year from
contracting or leasing operation, prepayment shall be made
within the first seven days following the receipt of each
installment of income, and the payable tax amount shall be
settled within three months following the end of a year. And the
amount in excess shall be refunded and any amount in deficiency
shall be supplemented. A taxpayer who gains income outside China
shall, within 30 days following the end of a year, turn the
payable tax amount into the State treasury and submit the tax
return to the tax authority.
Article 10
Renminbi shall be the unit for calculation
of all types of incomes. If incomes are in foreign currencies,
they shall be converted into Renminbi pursuant to the foreign
exchange rates provided for by the State Administration of
Foreign Exchanges for tax payment.
Article 11
The handling charge equivalent to 2 percent
of the tax amount withheld shall be paid to the withholding
agent.
Article 12
The commencement date for collecting
individual income tax on proceeds from interests on savings and
deposits, and the collection method shall be provided for by the
State Council.
Article 13
The administration on the collection of
individual income tax shall be subject to the provisions of the
Law of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of
Tax Collection.
Article 14
The State Council shall, according to the
provisions of this Law, formulate the regulations for its
implementation.
Article 15
This Law shall come into force as of the
day of its promulgation.
Attachment 1:
Schedule 1 Individual
Income Tax Rates
(Applicable
to income of wages and salaries)
|
Grade |
Monthly
Taxable Income |
Tax Rate( %) |
|
1 |
Income of 500
yuan or less |
5 |
|
2 |
that part of
income in excess of 500 to 2,000 yuan |
10 |
|
3 |
that part of
income in excess of 2,000 to 5,000 yuan |
15 |
|
4 |
that part of
income in excess of 5,000 to 20,000 yuan |
20 |
|
5 |
that part of
income in excess of 20,000 to 40,000 yuan |
25 |
|
6 |
that part of
income in excess of 40,000 to 60,000 yuan |
30 |
|
7 |
that part of
income in excess of 60,000 to 80,000 yuan |
35 |
|
8 |
that part of
income in excess of 80,000 to 100,000 yuan |
40 |
|
9 |
that part of
income in excess of 100,000 yuan |
45 |
Attachment 2:
Schedule 2 Individual
Income Tax Rates
(Applicable
to income gained by self-employed industrial and commercial
households from their production or business operation and
income gained by enterprises and institutions from contracting
or leasing operation)
|
Grade |
Monthly
Taxable Income |
Tax Rate( %) |
|
1 |
income of
5,000 yuan or less |
5 |
|
2 |
that part of income in excess of
5,000 to 10,000 yuan |
10 |
|
3 |
that part of
income in excess of 10,000 to 30,000 yuan |
20 |
|
4 |
that part of
income in excess of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan |
30 |
|
5 |
that part of
income in excess of 50,000 yuan |
35 |
|