Imagine a nation where every slice of tax data tells a story of transformation. In a press briefing on Monday, the State Taxation Administration (STA) unveiled a treasure trove of insights: during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), the Chinese mainland is poised to exceed 85 trillion yuan (about $11.89 trillion) in total tax revenue—an uplift of 13 trillion yuan over the previous five years.
Behind these numbers lies a story of entrepreneurial zeal: by June 2025, over 100 million business entities were tax-paying on the mainland, marking a net gain of 30 million since 2020. This surge reflects the resilience and dynamism of markets large and small.
Fueling High-Quality Growth
Key to this momentum are sweeping tax and fee cuts. From 2021 to mid-2025, policies carved out 10.5 trillion yuan in savings for firms and households. Of that, 3.6 trillion yuan was funneled into R&D and advanced manufacturing, while private ventures and small to medium-sized enterprises received relief totaling 13.5 trillion yuan combined.
The impact? High-tech industries enjoyed a 13.9% average annual sales-revenue boost, and by H1 2025, the private sector accounted for nearly 72% of total sales—up 2.8 points from 2020. Clean-energy power generation, including wind, solar, and hydropower, posted 13.1% average annual revenue gains from 2021 to 2024.
Ensuring Fair Play
Strengthened enforcement led the STA to recover 571 billion yuan in tax losses, reinforcing a culture of compliance and integrity across markets.
Opening Doors Globally
The mainland’s appeal to overseas investors continues to rise: foreign-invested enterprises on the tax rolls grew 12.7% from 2020 to mid-2025, with profits topping 630 billion yuan, aided by reinvestment-friendly tax measures.
Tourism got a boost too. By June, over 7,200 tax-refund outlets served international visitors. Tax-free sales and refund claims nearly doubled in H1 2025, underlining the Chinese mainland’s pull as a global destination.
On the international stage, the STA has become a proactive partner in multilateral tax governance—stepping up at the United Nations and the OECD—and expanded its tax treaty network to 114 countries and regions.
Together, these milestones sketch a roadmap of sustainable, innovation-driven growth that is reshaping the Chinese mainland’s economy and inviting the world to join in.
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China's tax data offers snapshot of economic achievements in 2021-2025
cgtn.com
