Planning to find an agency company to import goods, and want to know what taxes are involved in agency import and the differences in tax payment for different goods. The best answer points out that agency import generally involves customs duties, with the tax rate determined by the HS code and country of origin, calculated as dutiable price × customs duty rate; value-added tax is mostly 13%, calculated as (dutiable price + customs duty) × tax rate; specific goods require consumption tax, with various calculation methods. Different goods have different tax payments due to different HS codes.
Does the agency import fee enjoy tax exemption? Come and find out!
Resolved
Our company recently has agency import business, involving agency import fees. I would like to ask if the agency import fee is tax-exempt? How are the policies in this regard regulated? If it is tax-exempt, what conditions need to be met? If it is not tax-exempt, what tax rate should be used to pay taxes? I hope to have a professional person to help answer in detail, so that I can clearly understand the tax situation and avoid subsequent tax risks.
Trade Expert Insights Answers
Whether the agency import fee is tax-exempt depends on the specific circumstances. If the agency import business is purely an entrusted agency, meaning the entrusted party does not advance funds, and the seller issues invoices to the principal, and the entrusted party settles the payment with the principal based on the actual amount collected by the seller and the VAT amount, and separately charges a handling fee, then this handling fee (agency import fee) belongs to brokerage and agency services in modern services, and is normally not tax-exempt. General taxpayers apply a VAT rate of 6%, and small-scale taxpayers apply a collection rate of 3% (currently there may be preferential policies due to factors such as the epidemic). However, if the agency import business meets specific tax exemption policy regulations, for example, it involves certain specific imported goods and meets relevant exemption conditions, then the related agency import fee may also be tax-exempt. This requires reviewing the specific tax exemption policy documents and judging in conjunction with the actual business.
In summary, to accurately determine whether the agency import fee is tax-exempt, it is necessary to analyze the business substance in detail and compare it with relevant tax policies.
Generally speaking, it is difficult for pure agency import fees to be tax-exempt, as it is a service fee and taxes should be paid.
It depends on whether the imported goods under agency have special policies. If the goods have tax exemption policies, the agency import fee might also benefit from it.
If the agency import fee is not tax-exempt, general taxpayers will calculate VAT at 6%, and small-scale taxpayers have preferential policies.
Tax exemption needs to have a basis, not just assume it can be exempted. It needs to be supported by relevant documents.
Consult the local tax authorities. Their interpretation of policies is more accurate, and they can tell whether the agency import fee can be tax-exempt.
The company's finance department must carefully study the policies to determine whether the business meets the conditions for tax exemption, as this relates to the company's costs.
If the agency import fee meets the conditions for tax exemption, relevant documents should be kept for tax inspection.
Do not just think about tax exemption. If the conditions are not met, pay taxes normally. Otherwise, there is a great risk if audited.