12-013 · EVIDENCE A · SOURCE-SENSITIVE
Invoices must reflect actual transactions; small taxpayers can fully utilize tax exemptions
发票只按真实交易开，小规模纳税人用足免税额
No cost at all. There is no need to purchase or sell invoices, nor to handle “fictitious invoicing” on behalf of others. Simply issue invoices and file taxes based on real business activity.
If you are a small taxpayer paying taxes under the simplified regime, and your monthly sales stay under 100,000 yuan or quarterly sales under 300,000 yuan, you are exempt from VAT. Previously taxed at 3%, this rate is now reduced to 1% for the same period. Conversely, arranging fake invoices to offset costs constitutes tax fraud, punishable by up to three years in prison and fines ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 yuan.
A
Move “Invoices must reflect actual transactions; small taxpayers can fully utilize tax exemptions” to Future Me's calendar
The excuse
Future Me has a clearer calendar, more patience, and apparently the same responsibilities.
What feels good now
Today I keep a few minutes and avoid interrupting my default routine.
What the source says
The source summarizes the return this way: “If you are a small taxpayer paying taxes under the simplified regime, and your monthly sales stay under 100,000 yuan or quarterly sales under 300,000 yuan, you are exempt from VAT. Previously taxed at 3%, this rate is now reduced to 1% for the same period. Conversely, arranging fake invoices to offset costs constitutes tax fraud, punishable by up to three years in prison and fines ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 yuan.” Evidence grade A. The original states the population, caveats, and sources; this is not a personal forecast.
Use the original facts and limits. For an urgent medical, safety, financial, or legal issue, contact a qualified local professional or service.
THE ENGLISH EDITION
Original recommendation and evidence
13. Invoices must reflect actual transactions; small taxpayers can fully utilize tax exemptions
Cost: No cost at all. There is no need to purchase or sell invoices, nor to handle “fictitious invoicing” on behalf of others. Simply issue invoices and file taxes based on real business activity.
In plain terms: If you are a small taxpayer paying taxes under the simplified regime, and your monthly sales stay under 100,000 yuan or quarterly sales under 300,000 yuan, you are exempt from VAT. Previously taxed at 3%, this rate is now reduced to 1% for the same period. Conversely, arranging fake invoices to offset costs constitutes tax fraud, punishable by up to three years in prison and fines ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 yuan.
Benefit: Small taxpayers under the simplified tax regime are legally exempt from VAT if their sales remain below specific thresholds. These thresholds apply from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027: 100,000 yuan per month, 300,000 yuan per quarter, or 1,000 yuan per transaction/day. Exceptions apply for real estate sales, rentals, and land-use right transfers. For those meeting these limits, the VAT rate drops from 3% to 1%. Issuing VAT invoices without a genuine transaction, or any form of fictitious invoicing, is illegal and carries penalties up to three years imprisonment plus fines up to 200,000 yuan; repeat or larger-scale violations may lead to sentences ranging from three to ten years, or even life imprisonment nationwide.
Evidence grade: A
Sources: Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (2024). Value-Added Tax Law (effective on January 1, 2026, Article 23). <https://fgk.chinatax.gov.cn/zcfgk/c100009/c5237365/content.html>; Ministry of Finance, State Administration of Taxation (2026). Announcement on the transition of preferential VAT policies after the implementation of the VAT Law (Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Taxation Announcement 2026 No. 10, Articles 1, 2, and 6). <https://fgk.chinatax.gov.cn/zcfgk/c102416/c5247434/content.html>; National People’s Congress (1997). Criminal Law (Article 205). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml>
Notes: The revised VAT Law took effect on January 1, 2026, superseding earlier relief measures for small taxpayers outlined in 2023 documents No. 19 and No. 1. While monetary thresholds remain unchanged, the legal basis has been updated accordingly. The referenced criminal provisions derive from the 1997 Penal Code, specifically Article 205, as amended to reflect current sentencing tiers. Note that VAT exemptions do not apply to income tax; arranging fake invoices is illegal and should never be considered a tax-saving tactic.
Read the complete Chinese source and notes
13. 发票只按真实交易开，小规模纳税人用足免税额
成本: 不花钱。不买发票，不卖发票，也不替别人「走账开票」。按真实发生的生意开票、报税。
说人话: 你要是按简易办法交税的小规模纳税人，一个月卖不到 10 万、一个季度卖不到 30 万，增值税就免了。本来按 3% 交的，同期也减到按 1% 交。反过来，「找人开票抵成本」就是虚开，起步判 3 年以下，还要罚 2 万到 20 万。
收益: 规模小、按简易办法交税的那一档叫小规模纳税人。法律写的是「销售额未达到起征点的，免征增值税」。这条线叫起征点。从 2026 年 1 月 1 日到 2027 年 12 月 31 日，起征点是按月算 10 万元，按季度算 30 万元，按次或者按天算 1000 元，卖不到这条线就不用交。同一段时间里，本来按 3% 交的减到按 1% 交，卖房租房和转让土地使用权除外。反过来说，开了没有真实买卖的增值税专用发票，或者其他能拿去抵税的发票，判 3 年以下有期徒刑或者拘役，并罚 2 万到 20 万元。给别人开、给自己开、让别人给自己开、介绍别人开，都算。涉及税额较大的判 3 到 10 年。数额巨大的判 10 年以上或者无期（全国）
证据等级: A
来源: 全国人大常委会 (2024). 增值税法（2026 年 1 月 1 日施行，第二十三条）. <https://fgk.chinatax.gov.cn/zcfgk/c100009/c5237365/content.html>；财政部、税务总局 (2026). 关于增值税法施行后增值税优惠政策衔接事项的公告（财政部 税务总局公告 2026 年第 10 号，第一、二、六条）. <https://fgk.chinatax.gov.cn/zcfgk/c102416/c5247434/content.html>；全国人大 (1997). 刑法（第二百零五条）. <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml>
备注: 增值税法从 2026 年 1 月 1 日起施行。原来的两份小规模纳税人减免公告，2023 年第 19 号和 2023 年第 1 号，跟着停止执行或者废止。金额门槛没变，但依据换了，本条已经按新文件更新。刑法原文页是 1997 年版，第二百零五条后来经修正案调过判几年的档次，本条只写核实到、而且没被改动过的那几档。免的是增值税，所得税另算。「找人开票抵成本」就是虚开，不是节税。
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