Don’t Forget to File Your China Income Taxes With This App

China’s tax season has arrived, and even though you have until Jun 30 to file, it's best to do so sooner rather than later lest you forget. Thankfully, filing your taxes here is as simple as downloading an app, inputting some info, clicking a few buttons, and then clicking "submit."

If you've filed your taxes before, then all you need to do is get the app – search 个人所得税 gèrén suǒdéshuì in your phone’s app store – and log in using either your phone or ID number,  then follow the steps below. For those who haven't filed your taxes before, you’ll need to head to your nearest tax bureau and get help registering on the app and get your refund information. For that, follow this guide here.

Once you've got access to the app, follow these steps:

Go into the app and click on the giant blue button for filing taxes that appears at the top of the page.

If you’ve not yet logged in, you’ll be prompted to do so. From there, if your details don't automatically appear (for some people, they may already be linked), you just need to fill out information including place of residence, company name, ID info, country of origin, etc. Ask your company’s HR for help with this.

One thing to remember is to file for any special deductions you might have. To do so, scroll down on the main page until you find专项附加扣除填报 zhuānxiàng fùjiā kòuchú tiánbào (Additional Special Deductions, see picture below).

Then, click in and you’ll find options for declaring deductions for children’s education, ongoing education, medical care, housing loan interest, housing rent, and elderly care.

Once this is all clear, just add in your deductions and make sure you’ve filed. If you're owed a refund you'll then be prompted to add a bank card if one isn't already linked to your account.

One thing to note, if you do miss the Jun 30 deadline, you won’t be penalized, but you will miss out on any potential tax refund you might have been eligible for. Furthermore, China’s tax service will continue to contact you or your employer to encourage you to file either way, so it's best to do it before the deadline to get your refund and avoid any hassle.

READ: How To Get Your Tax Records for International Money Transfers

Images: Unsplash, The Beijingers