Updated for 2026: the first 30 days after WFOE registration decide whether your China company becomes operational or gets stuck with licence-only status. Bank account opening, tax setup, chops, fapiao, bookkeeping, payroll and compliance ownership should be handled in a clear sequence.
Reviewed by Asomerit China corporate services team. This guide reflects practical filing, banking, tax, visa and compliance questions we handle for foreign-invested companies in China. It is general information, not legal or tax advice for a specific case.
Quick answer.
After WFOE registration, the first 30 days should focus on chops, bank account, tax registration, bookkeeping, fapiao setup, payroll and social insurance planning. A licence alone does not make the company operational.
| Cost | Timeline | Documents | Responsible authority | When Asomerit helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main costs are bank coordination, bookkeeping setup, tax/fapiao work, payroll setup and address or change filings if needed. | Use a 30/60/90 day launch plan: bank and tax first, then fapiao, payroll, internal controls and annual compliance. | Business licence, chops, bank documents, tax records, contracts, payroll data, accounting records and annual report calendar. | Banks, tax bureau, social insurance/housing fund systems and AMR for future company changes. | We coordinate the launch checklist so the new WFOE can invoice, pay, hire and file on time. |
In this 2026 practical guide:
| Timing | Priority task | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1-7 | Licence, chops, internal approval rules | Company chops control contracts, bank and tax actions. |
| Days 5-15 | Corporate bank account | Needed for capital, payments, salary and tax operations. |
| Days 10-20 | Tax registration and fapiao setup | Supports VAT filing, invoices and customer billing. |
| Days 15-30 | Bookkeeping and accounting books | Monthly filings start even before major revenue. |
| Before first hire | Payroll and social insurance | Employment compliance should be ready before salary payments. |
A new WFOE should not wait until the first customer invoice to organize tax and accounting. Bank KYC, tax bureau setup, fapiao configuration, accounting subjects and payment controls should be aligned with the business scope and expected activity.
If the WFOE hires local or foreign employees, payroll, individual income tax withholding, social insurance and housing fund processes should be prepared before the first salary cycle. If job titles, salary, employment contracts or visa status are unclear, fix that before onboarding.
After setup, changes to legal representative, address, scope, registered capital or shareholders may require formal filings. Keep a compliance calendar and use China company change support before records drift away from actual operations.
Asomerit can turn your new WFOE into an operating company with bank, tax, fapiao, bookkeeping and payroll steps in order.
The company exists legally, but it still needs bank, tax, fapiao, accounting and internal controls before normal operations.
Start immediately after registration so filings and accounting records are ready. See China bookkeeping support.
The exact sequence varies by city and bank, but bank and tax setup should be planned together.
Use a formal change filing process. See China company change support.
Yes. Annual reporting and tax-related obligations should be tracked from year one. See annual compliance.