Enterprise Income Tax for Share Transfer by
Non-PRC
Resident Enterprises
On February 3, 2015, STA issued STA Public Notice 7. In December 2017, Article 13 and Paragraph 2 of Article 8 of STA Public Notice 7 were abolished Pursuant to the STA Public Notice 7, as amended, where a
non-PRC
resident enterprise indirectly transfers equities and other properties of a PRC resident enterprise to evade its obligation of paying enterprise income tax by implementing arrangements that are not for reasonable commercial purpose, such indirect transfer shall be
re-identified
and recognized as a direct transfer of equities and other properties of the PRC resident enterprise. STA Public Notice 7, as amended, provides clear criteria for assessment of reasonable commercial purposes and has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity interests through a public securities market. STA Public Notice 7, as amended, also brings challenges to both offshore transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of taxable assets. Where a
non-PRC
resident enterprise transfers taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an offshore holding company, which is an Indirect Transfer, the
non-PRC
resident enterprise as either transferor or transferee, or the PRC entity that directly owns the taxable assets, may report such Indirect Transfer to the relevant PRC tax authority. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the offshore holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such Indirect Transfer may be subject to enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. Both the transferor and the transferee may be subject to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the transferor fails to pay the taxes.
PRC Value-Added Tax (VAT) and Business Tax
Before August 2013 and pursuant to applicable PRC tax regulations, any entity or individual conducting business in the service industry is generally required to pay a business tax at the rate of 5% on the revenue generated from providing services. However, if the services provided are related to technology development and transfer, the business tax may be exempted subject to approval by the relevant tax authorities.
In November 2011, the Ministry of Finance (“MOF”) and SAT promulgated the Pilot Plan for Imposition of Value-Added Tax to Replace Business Tax. In May and December 2013, April 2014, March 2016 and July 2017, MOF and SAT promulgated five circulars to further expand the scope of services that are to be subject to value-added tax (“VAT”) instead of business tax. Pursuant to these tax rules, from August 1, 2013, VAT was imposed to replace the business tax in certain service industries, including technology services and advertising services, and from May 1, 2016, VAT replaced business tax in all industries, on a nationwide basis. On November 19, 2017, the State Council further amended the Interim Regulation of PRC on Value Added Tax to reflect the normalization of the pilot program. The VAT rates generally applicable are simplified as 17%, 11%, 6% and 0%, and the VAT rate applicable to the small-scale taxpayers is 3%. Unlike business tax, a taxpayer is allowed to offset the qualified input VAT paid on taxable purchases against the output VAT chargeable on the revenue from services provided.
On April 4, 2018, MOF and SAT issued the Notice on Adjustment of VAT Rates, which came into effect on May 1, 2018. According to the notice, starting from May 1, 2018, the taxable goods previously subject to VAT rates of 17% and 11%, respectively, become subject to lower VAT rates of 16% and 10%, respectively.
On March 20, 2019, MOF, SAT and the General Administration of Customs (the “GACC”) issued the Announcement on Policies for Deepening the VAT Reform, which came into effect in April 2019, to further reduce VAT rates. According to the announcement, (1) for general VAT payers’ sales activities or imports previously subject to VAT at an existing applicable rate of 16% or 10%, the applicable VAT rate is adjusted to 13% or 9% respectively; (2) for agricultural products purchased by taxpayers to which an existing 10% deduction rate is applicable, the deduction rate is adjusted to 9%; (3) for agricultural products purchased by taxpayers for production or commissioned processing, which are subject to VAT at 13%, the input VAT will be calculated at a 10% deduction rate; (4) for the exportation of goods or labor services that are subject to VAT at 16%, with the applicable export refund at the same rate, the export refund rate is adjusted to 13%; and (5) for the exportation of goods or cross-border taxable activities that are subject to VAT at 10%, with the export refund at the same rate, the export refund rate is adjusted to 9%.
United States Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following discussion is a summary of U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the ownership and disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares by a U.S. Holder (as defined below) that holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment) under the Code. This discussion is based upon existing U.S. federal tax law, which is subject to differing interpretations or change, possibly with retroactive effect. There can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position. This discussion, moreover, does not address the U.S. federal estate, gift, alternative minimum tax, and other
non-income
tax considerations, the Medicare tax on certain net investment income, or any state, local or
non-U.S.
tax considerations, relating to the ownership or disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. The following summary does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to particular investors in light of their individual circumstances or to persons in special tax situations such as:
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banks and other financial institutions; |