ECONOMY

China Limits Offshore Tax Push to Recent Years

Published: Jan. 17, 2026 3:07 a.m. GMT+8

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Since early last year, some Chinese individuals who trade U.S. and Hong Kong stocks have reported receiving calls or messages from local tax offices urging them to declare foreign-sourced income

China’s tax authorities are seeking self-declared offshore income disclosures primarily from the past three to five years, a State Taxation Administration official said, in a move that clarifies the scope of a recent enforcement campaign and appears more limited than feared.

The statement suggests a more targeted approach than some media reports had implied, which warned of a far-reaching retrospective crackdown dating back to 2017.

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China’s tax authorities are requesting offshore income disclosures mainly for the past three to five years, focusing on recent earnings.
The campaign is more targeted than some reports suggested, with most self-assessments requested for the past three years and larger cases up to five.
There is no time limit on investigating tax evasion, while voluntary self-reporting is distinguished from formal enforcement requiring official notification.

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