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Sole trader

个体工商户 (Individual business)China

What it takes to form, own and run a sole trader in China, and how its profit is taxed. Each figure links to the page it was read from.

This company type

At a glance

Owners' liability
Not in our records
Owners
Does not apply
Directors
Does not apply
Minimum capital
Not stated

The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.

Formation fee
Free
Officialscjgj.beijing.gov.cnRead 22 Oct 2026
Quote
自2015年1月1日起,取消或暂停征收12项中央级设立的行政事业性收费。
Tax on profit
Through owners
Officialfgk.chinatax.gov.cnRead 14 Oct 2026
Quote
个体工商户以业主为个人所得税纳税义务人。
Formed online: Yes

Form it

Who registers it

Registry
Formed without visiting
Not stated

The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.

Formed online
Yes

What it takes to form

Not in our records A notary, A resident director, Paying up the capital: none of these is in our records for the 个体工商户 (Individual business).

Own it

Who may own and run it

Not in our records Directors, Shareholders, Members, A local company secretary, A local registered agent: none of these is in our records for the 个体工商户 (Individual business).

Each year, at the registry

Not in our records Annual registry fee, Accounts on the public record, Audit for a small company, Audit: none of these is in our records for the 个体工商户 (Individual business).

Important dates

When each obligation falls due, as the authority states it.

Not in our records No dates for the 个体工商户 (Individual business) are in our records.

What is public

Not in our records What the register shows the public is not in our records for the 个体工商户 (Individual business).

Tax

Tax on profit

How this company type is taxed, which can differ from its place’s headline rate.

Through owners

The operator is the individual income tax payer on business income

Official fgk.chinatax.gov.cn read 14 Oct 2026
Quote
个体工商户以业主为个人所得税纳税义务人。
CFC rules in China
Not in our records

Close it

Closing it

The other end, which most guides leave out.

Route
Deregistration application to the registration authority; simplified procedure with no publicity, tax and other departments given 10 days to object
Official gov.cn read 10 Oct 2026
Quote
个体工商户按照简易程序办理注销登记的,无需公示,由登记机关将个体工商户的注销登记申请推送至税务等有关部门,有关部门在10日内没有提出异议的,可以直接办理注销登记。
Statutory fee
Not in our records

Every business in China

VAT

The tax
VAT (value added tax)
Official shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn read 22 Oct 2026
Quote
第十条 增值税税率: (一)纳税人销售货物、加工修理修配服务、有形动产租赁服务,进口货物,除本条第二项、第四项、第五项规定外,税率为百分之十三。
Standard rate
13%

The VAT Law passed on 25 December 2024 applies from 1 January 2026 with the 13%, 9% and 6% rates; a 3% levy rate applies under the simplified method.

Official shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn read 22 Oct 2026
Quote
第十条 增值税税率: (一)纳税人销售货物、加工修理修配服务、有形动产租赁服务,进口货物,除本条第二项、第四项、第五项规定外,税率为百分之十三。
Other rates
  • 9% Transport, postal and basic telecommunications services, construction, leasing and sale of real estate, transfer of land-use rights, and listed goods such as agricultural products, edible oil and salt, water, gas and heat, books and newspapers, feed, fertiliser, pesticides, farm machinery and film
  • 6% Services and intangible assets other than those taxed at 13%, 9% or zero
  • 0% Exports of goods and cross-border sales of services and intangible assets within the scope set by the State Council
Official shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn read 22 Oct 2026
Quote
(二)纳税人销售交通运输、邮政、基础电信、建筑、不动产租赁服务,销售不动产,转让土地使用权,销售或者进口下列货物,除本条第四项、第五项规定外,税率为百分之九:
Registration threshold
CNY 5,000,000 · about €666,676

annual VAT-taxable sales (年应征增值税销售额); above it registration as a general taxpayer is compulsory; continuous 12 months or four quarters

Official shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn read 22 Oct 2026
Quote
本法所称小规模纳税人,是指年应征增值税销售额未超过五百万元的纳税人。
A foreign company
no local representative required

Where a unit or individual outside China carries out a taxable transaction in China, the purchaser is the withholding agent; the foreign supplier may instead appoint a domestic agent to file and pay under State Council rules, so no agent is required of it.

Official shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn read 22 Oct 2026
Quote
第十五条 境外单位和个人在境内发生应税交易,以购买方为扣缴义务人;按照国务院的规定委托境内代理人申报缴纳税款的除外。 扣缴义务人依照本法规定代扣代缴税款的,按照销售额乘以税率计算应扣缴税额。
Returns filed
Depends on the business
Official shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn read 22 Oct 2026
Quote
第三十条 增值税的计税期间分别为十日、十五日、一个月或者一个季度。纳税人的具体计税期间,由主管税务机关根据纳税人应纳税额的大小分别核定。不经常发生应税交易的纳税人,可以按次纳税。 纳税人以一个月或者一个季度为一个计税期间的,自期满之日起十五日内申报纳税;以十日或者十五日为一个计税期间的,自次月一日起十五日内申报纳税。
Tax authority
Registration page read 2026-10-22

Payment and banking services

1 service names China on its own list: Airwallex. Each provider, and what a listing means.

Reference

Its name and code

Kind
Sole trader
Derived our grouping, the same words in every country
Name in law
个体工商户 (Individual business)
ISO 20275 code
RV48