Companies in Pingtan, Fujian province are now getting more breaks in taxation, especially in export taxes, because of preferential policies in the surrounding county, according to ptnet.cn, on Nov 22, which notes that the number of companies qualifying for export tax rebate increasing 28 this year, up 140 percent year-on-year, and with total rebates amounting to 22.5 million yuan ($3.5 million), up almost 152 percent from last year.

To make tax rebate claims more efficient, the local tax bureau simplified approval procedures back in May of this year, with Xu Xiaofeng, a bureau official, explaining that people now can now apply for a rebate digitally, so there is no need to go through a bunch of paperwork and it is definitely more convenient.

One beneficiary of this change is the Fujian Huamin Import and Export Co, where the finance manager, Gao Yuhui, says they can complete all the rebate procedures online, which is a real time-saver.

Local authorities also say that they plan to push a policy to allow overseas tourists to get a tax refund on purchases in Pingtan, to attract more visitors and facilitate the development of local tourism and related services. They say they will provide a tax rebate on 11 percent of the purchase price.