The CustomsAll About: Essential Tax Knowledge for Foreign Traders

For foreign trade practitioners, tariffs are like an old friend who is both familiar and unfamiliar. Familiar because every transaction involves dealing with them, unfamiliar because their rules always seem elusive. Today, lets use 20 years of practical experience to help you unveil the mystery of tariffs.

The Three Golden Rules of Tariff Collection

According to the Customs Law and the Import and Export Tariff Regulations, tariff collection follows three basic principles:

• Clear taxpayer obligations: The consignee of imported goods and the consignor of exported goods are the statutory taxpayers
• Strict payment deadlines: Taxes must be paid in full within 15 days from the date the customs issues the tax payment notice
• Late fees are unavoidable: A late fee of 0.05% per day will be charged for overdue payments

Electronic Payment: The New Era of Tariff Payment

Do you still remember the days of queuing to pay taxes ten years ago? Now, with the "Single Window" or "Internet + Customs" platform, electronic payment can be completed in just three steps:

• Step 1: Use the corporate card to log in to the system and complete the tripartite agreement signing
• Step 2: The operator card performs tax payment operations (apply for payment/confirm payment/direct payment)
• Step 3: Download and print the electronic version of the Customs Special Payment Voucher

Special reminder: Under the paperless clearance mode, the deduction instruction must be sent within 10 days after generating the electronic tax information, otherwise it will be converted to counter payment.

Tax Refund Application: Dont Let Overpaid Taxes Go to Waste

In practice, we often encounter these situations where tax refunds can be claimed:

• Customs discovers overpaid taxes (can be claimed within 1 year)
• Return of imported goods due to quality issues (requires return agreement)
• Export goods not actually shipped (requires submission of Tax Refund Application)
• Short shipment with compensation received (requires inspection certificate and compensation proof)

It is recommended to establish a dedicated tax refund tracking ledger to avoid missing application deadlines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What if the tax payment receipt is lost?
A: Immediately submit a written application to the issuing customs office for reissuance. A new receipt identical to the original can be obtained within 2 working days.

Q: Will holidays affect tax payment deadlines?
A: If the payment deadline falls on a rest day, it will be extended to the first working day. However, early arrangement is recommended to avoid system congestion.

Q: How to handle electronic payment failure?
A: You can directly "repay" in the system, but please note that the same tax bill cannot be paid using a mix of electronic payment and counter payment.

Professional Advice: Making Tariff Management More Efficient

Based on our experience serving Fortune 500 companies, we recommend:

• Establish a dedicated tax calendar to mark each payment deadline
• Regularly verify tax payment status with customs for early detection and resolution
• Develop a professional customs team or choose reliablecustoms clearanceAgently
• Leverage the "Internet + Customs" platform to achieve fully electronic operations.

Remember, tariff management is not a one-time deal but an important part throughout the entire foreign trade process. Mastering these skills will help you progress from a tax novice to a tariff expert!