China Bookkeeping
and Tax Filing.
Use a clear operating model for bookkeeping, records and annual compliance. Compare the support scope your China company needs before choosing a recurring process.
Start your monthly compliance setup.
Tell us your company status, taxpayer type, monthly transaction volume, employee count and current filing needs. Our team will respond within one business day.
What is bookkeeping and tax filing in China?
Bookkeeping and tax filing in China is the monthly compliance workflow that records company transactions under Chinese accounting standards, manages fapiao and supporting documents, files VAT, CIT and IIT returns, and prepares the company for annual reporting and audit-related work. Even a newly registered WFOE with no revenue may still need bookkeeping, zero filing, expense records and monthly compliance checks once it begins interacting with the tax system. Read: Do you still need bookkeeping if your WFOE has no revenue? →
Clean books are the backbone of China compliance.
In China, bookkeeping is not just internal reporting. It affects tax filing, fapiao handling, payroll, bank records, annual compliance and whether headquarters can trust the numbers coming out of the China entity.
Monthly tax compliance
VAT, CIT, IIT and local surcharge filings need to be handled on the right cycle, even when revenue is low or zero.
Fapiao and expense control
Fapiao is part of China's tax system, not just a receipt. Sales invoices and expense invoices need to match the company's books on both sides. Read: What is a fapiao and when does a foreign-invested company need one? →
Audit-ready financial records
Clean monthly records make annual reporting, tax reconciliation, audit preparation and headquarters reporting much easier.
Bookkeeping, tax filing and reporting workstreams.
Monthly compliance works best when accounting records, tax filings, invoice controls and management reporting are designed as one workflow.
Monthly bookkeeping
Record bank transactions, expenses, supplier invoices, payroll entries, capital injections and supporting vouchers under Chinese accounting standards.
Tax filing
Prepare monthly or quarterly VAT, quarterly CIT prepayment, IIT withholding and local surcharge filings based on the company's tax profile.
Fapiao & reporting
Support fapiao issuance and verification, management reports, year-end financial statements and annual compliance preparation.
What we need to start monthly bookkeeping and tax filing.
The items below help us set up a clean monthly document flow, reconcile your books, prepare tax filings and identify historical gaps if you are switching accounting providers.
| Requirement | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Business licence | Unified social credit code, company name, registered address and tax profile. |
| Bank statements | Monthly RMB and foreign-currency bank statements, including capital injection records where applicable. |
| Fapiao records | Issued sales fapiao, received supplier fapiao, rent fapiao and expense invoices. |
| Contracts and receipts | Customer contracts, supplier contracts, payment receipts, reimbursement records and supporting documents. |
| Payroll information | Employee salary, IIT, social insurance, housing fund and benefit information where payroll is active. |
| Tax bureau status | Taxpayer classification, VAT filing status, tax control device / e-fapiao access and filing calendar. |
| Company chops and access | Required authorisations, tax portal access and approval workflow for filings or fapiao actions. |
| Prior accounting records | Opening balances, previous filings, trial balance, ledgers and unresolved historical issues if switching provider. |
A five-step framework from setup to monthly compliance.
We set up the monthly accounting workflow first, then keep records, filings and reporting moving on a predictable cycle.
File review
Review company licence, tax profile, bank records, invoice status, payroll status and prior filings.
Accounting setup
Set chart of accounts, monthly document flow, approval rules, filing calendar and reporting format. Read: What a newly registered WFOE must do in its first 30 days →
Monthly bookkeeping
Record transactions, reconcile bank statements, verify fapiao and prepare monthly ledgers.
Tax filing
Prepare and submit VAT, CIT, IIT and surcharge filings based on taxpayer status and payroll activity.
Reporting & year-end readiness
Deliver monthly reports, flag issues early and prepare clean records for annual reporting, audit and tax reconciliation.
Three factors that shape bookkeeping cost, risk and reporting quality.
Your accounting workload depends less on company size and more on taxpayer status, transaction complexity and whether payroll or social insurance is active.
Taxpayer classification
Small-scale and general VAT taxpayers have different VAT treatment, input-credit rules, fapiao handling and filing complexity.
Confirm your taxpayer status →Transaction volume
Monthly bank movements, fapiao count, payroll entries, reimbursements and cross-border payments determine workload. Read: WFOE cost breakdown — what monthly compliance really costs →
Estimate first-year costs →Payroll and social insurance
Hiring employees adds IIT withholding, social insurance, housing fund and payroll record requirements. Read: How payroll, IIT and social insurance work for a WFOE in China →
Plan payroll-linked immigration →China bookkeeping and tax filing at a glance
Transparent monthly pricing.
Three packages calibrated to where your China entity is in its lifecycle — from your first month of compliance after WFOE setup, to a fully-active general taxpayer with multiple income streams. Each package covers a defined scope; anything outside is quoted at a fixed fee before work begins, so you always know what you're paying for.
Starter
Recommended if: Your WFOE is in its first months of operation: monthly revenue under approximately ¥50,000, 1 employee, and 5 or fewer invoices issued per month.
- Free Initial Consultation
- Value-Added Tax (VAT) Reporting — monthly filing including zero declarations
- Individual Income Tax (IIT) Reporting — for 1 employee
- Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Reporting — monthly/quarterly prepayment filing
- Payroll Setup for 1 employee
- Social Insurance for 1 employee
- Invoice (fapiao) issuance — up to 2 pieces per month
- Annual administrative report
Additional services (quoted separately where applicable): annual statutory audit fee; extra employee payroll / social insurance; excess fapiao issuance; catch-up bookkeeping for historical months; historical tax review.
Standard
Recommended if: Your WFOE has stable monthly revenue and is hiring: monthly revenue between approximately ¥50,000 and ¥500,000, up to 3 employees, and up to 10 invoices issued per month.
- Free Initial Consultation
- Value-Added Tax (VAT) Reporting — monthly filing
- Individual Income Tax (IIT) Reporting — for up to 3 employees
- Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Reporting — monthly/quarterly prepayment filing
- Payroll Setup for up to 3 employees
- Social Insurance for up to 3 employees
- Invoice (fapiao) issuance — up to 5 pieces per month
- Annual administrative report
- Dedicated Accountant
Additional services (quoted separately where applicable): annual statutory audit fee; payroll / social insurance above 3 employees; excess fapiao issuance; catch-up bookkeeping for historical months; special reporting.
Advanced
Why a custom quote? Advanced clients vary widely in invoice volume, business scope, and general-taxpayer complexity. We price each engagement against your real transaction load, so you don't pay for capacity you don't need.
- Free Consultation
- Value-Added Tax (VAT) Reporting — including general-taxpayer input VAT reconciliation
- Individual Income Tax (IIT) Reporting — for 4 or more employees
- Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Reporting — monthly/quarterly prepayment filing
- Payroll Setup for 4 or more employees
- Social Insurance for 4 or more employees
- Invoice (fapiao) issuance — unlimited monthly volume
- Stamp Tax & Surtaxes Reporting
- Annual administrative report
- Dedicated Accountant
Additional services (quoted separately where applicable): annual statutory audit fee; special licence reporting; tax investigation response; catch-up bookkeeping for historical months; custom management reporting.
All monthly packages are fixed-fee for the scope listed above. Annual statutory audit fees are charged separately as third-party costs. Out-of-scope work — such as catch-up bookkeeping for previous fiscal periods, tax investigation response, or special licence reporting — is quoted at a fixed fee in writing before any work begins.
Free, expert-built tools and downloads for your China compliance planning.
Whether you're estimating first-year costs, mapping the compliance calendar, or evaluating Asomerit as a long-term partner — these resources cover the decisions that come up most.
China Compliance Calendar 2026
Track tax filing, social insurance, housing fund and annual compliance deadlines.
Download calendar →WFOE Cost Calculator
Estimate setup, operating, payroll and compliance costs across a first-year horizon.
Estimate your costs →WFOE Setup Checklist
Use the checklist to move from company setup into bank, tax, bookkeeping and compliance readiness.
Download checklist →Asomerit Company Profile
A 12-page overview of our accounting, tax filing, fapiao, payroll and compliance service capabilities — including team structure, response timelines, and the scope of monthly work covered. Useful when evaluating long-term bookkeeping partners.
See service scope →Annual compliance support for China WFOEs.
Coordinate the year-end records, tax reconciliation and reporting work that keep your China entity ready for another operating year.
CIT annual reconciliation
Coordinate annual corporate income tax reconciliation based on bookkeeping records, deductible expenses, revenue, payroll, fapiao and prior-period adjustments.
CIT filingAnnual AMR report
Prepare the annual administrative reporting workflow for AMR and related authorities based on company status, shareholder information and operating records.
Annual reportFinancial statements
Organise trial balance, ledgers, bank records, fapiao, contracts and payroll data for year-end financial statements and review.
Year-end recordsAudit coordination
Where statutory or voluntary audit is required, coordinate document preparation, communication with the audit firm and issue tracking where foreign documents are requested.
Audit supportUse annual compliance support when the fiscal year closes.
The work is most useful when annual deadlines, prior records or accountant handovers need to be managed cleanly.
Newly registered WFOE
Your company completed setup and needs its first annual report, year-end records and compliance calendar.
Active operating company
You have monthly bookkeeping, payroll and social insurance, fapiao and tax filings that need to be reconciled before annual submission.
Switching accountant
You need historical records reviewed before annual filing, audit preparation or a new compliance provider takes over.
What we need for annual compliance work.
A clean annual review starts with the records that connect bookkeeping, tax, bank, fapiao and employee data.
| Requirement | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Business licence | Unified social credit code, company name, registered address and current entity status. |
| Monthly bookkeeping records | Ledgers, trial balance, vouchers, tax filings and monthly reports for the fiscal year. |
| Bank statements | RMB basic account, foreign-currency account and capital account statements where applicable. |
| Fapiao records | Issued sales fapiao, received supplier fapiao, expense invoices and fapiao reconciliation files. |
| Payroll records | Salary records, IIT filings, social insurance and housing fund records where employees are active. |
| Contracts and receipts | Customer contracts, supplier contracts, rent agreements, reimbursement records and supporting documents. |
| Prior annual records | Previous annual reports, audit files, CIT reconciliation records and unresolved historical issues. |
| Tax bureau filing history | Tax filing history, tax portal status, pending notices and unresolved filings that may affect annual work. |
From year-end review to annual filing.
File review
Review company status, monthly bookkeeping, tax filings, payroll activity, fapiao records and prior annual issues.
Year-end reconciliation
Check revenue, costs, payroll, deductible expenses, bank records and tax prepayments before annual CIT work.
Statement preparation
Prepare or coordinate financial statements, ledgers and supporting schedules for annual review or audit work.
Annual reporting
Coordinate annual administrative reporting and tax reconciliation submissions based on the entity filing profile.
Next-year calendar
Set the next compliance calendar, flag open risks and align bookkeeping and tax workflows for the new year.
Three factors that shape annual compliance workload.
Taxpayer status & VAT category
Small-scale and general VAT taxpayers have different fapiao review, input VAT handling and supporting documentation requirements that affect annual reconciliation.
Transaction volume
Bank movements, fapiao count, contracts, payroll entries, reimbursements and cross-border payments affect year-end workload.
Audit and historical issues
Audit requirements, missed filings, catch-up bookkeeping and prior-period adjustments can expand the annual compliance scope.
Annual compliance scope is confirmed after record review.
We do not publish a fixed annual compliance price because the work depends on filing status, bookkeeping quality, transaction volume and audit requirements.
| Factor | How it affects scope |
|---|---|
| Bookkeeping quality | Clean monthly records reduce catch-up work. Missing vouchers, fapiao gaps and prior-period issues expand the review. |
| Transaction volume | Bank movements, contracts, reimbursements, fapiao count and cross-border payments shape reconciliation workload. |
| Payroll activity | Employee salary, IIT, social insurance and housing fund records must align with expense recognition and annual statements. |
| Audit requirement | Audit coordination adds document schedules, accountant communication and issue follow-up before filing. |
| Historical issues | Missed filings, tax notices, dormant periods or prior accountant handovers require separate cleanup review. |
China annual compliance at a glance.
| Best for | WFOEs, foreign-invested companies (FIEs) and Hong Kong-/foreign-owned China subsidiaries. |
| Core work | CIT annual reconciliation, annual reporting, financial statement preparation and audit coordination. |
| Key records | Bank statements, fapiao, contracts, payroll records, ledgers and prior filings. |
| Timing | Typically prepared after fiscal year-end and before applicable annual deadlines. |
| Related work | Monthly bookkeeping, fapiao management, payroll records and compliance calendar setup. |
| Authority review | Tax bureau, AMR and audit-firm requirements can vary by city and entity profile. Asomerit coordinates preparation and follow-up; authority or auditor decisions remain outside our control. |
Questions about China annual compliance.
Year-end compliance work may include a records review, the annual CIT return and settlement, the enterprise annual report, and audit coordination only where the entity or transaction requires it.
Yes. Monthly bookkeeping keeps records and filings current during the year. Annual compliance reviews the full fiscal year, reconciles tax positions and prepares records for annual reporting or audit work.
Confirm whether an audit is required for the specific entity, locality, transaction or reporting purpose.
Typical documents include the business licence, bank statements, ledgers, monthly tax filings, fapiao records, payroll records, contracts, reimbursement documents and prior annual filings.
Yes. We can review prior records, identify gaps, coordinate missing documents and support annual compliance even if your monthly bookkeeping was handled by another provider.
Yes. Payroll, IIT, social insurance and housing fund records affect annual financial statements, expense recognition and year-end review where employees are active.
For a normal calendar tax year, the annual CIT return and settlement are due within five months after year-end. Enterprises file the prior-year annual report through the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System from January 1 to June 30; newly registered enterprises start in the following year.
If shareholder documents, board resolutions, powers of attorney or overseas corporate records need to be reviewed for China use, we can coordinate notarisation and apostille support before audit follow-up continues.
If the annual review shows that the WFOE is inactive, has unresolved tax issues or no longer needs to operate, we can discuss a separate WFOE closure route covering tax clearance, liquidation filing, AMR deregistration and bank closure.
Yes. If the China WFOE is owned by a Hong Kong company or shares records with a Hong Kong billing or holding structure, annual compliance may need to align with HK Profits Tax Return and audit coordination.
Discuss annual compliance with Asomerit.
This service scope is now handled through the broader bookkeeping page.
Discuss annual compliance with Asomerit Book a meeting · Chat on WhatsApp
Frequently asked questions about China bookkeeping and tax filing.
You have questions, and Asomerit has answers. If we don't cover all your confusions, just let us know.
Yes. A China WFOE may still need bookkeeping, zero filing, expense records and monthly compliance checks even when it has no revenue, especially once it is registered with the tax bureau or starts incurring expenses. Read more: Bookkeeping and tax filing with no revenue →
Common filings include Value-Added Tax (VAT), Corporate Income Tax (CIT), Individual Income Tax (IIT), local surcharges and stamp tax where applicable. Filing frequency depends on taxpayer status, payroll activity, city requirements and the company's transaction profile.
Typical documents include bank statements, issued and received fapiao, supplier and customer contracts, reimbursement receipts, payroll information, tax bureau status, company authorisations and prior accounting records if switching provider.
A fapiao is a formal tax invoice in China. It is part of the tax administration system, not just a receipt. Sales fapiao, supplier fapiao and expense invoices must match the company's books so revenue, costs, VAT and deductions are recorded properly. Read more: What is a fapiao and when does a foreign-invested company need one? →
Small-scale and general VAT taxpayers have different VAT treatment, input-credit rules, fapiao handling and filing complexity. General taxpayers usually have more complex bookkeeping and input VAT reconciliation requirements.
It can. Where payroll is active, monthly compliance often includes salary records, Individual Income Tax (IIT) withholding, social insurance and housing fund records, plus supporting accounting entries. Read more: How payroll, IIT and social insurance work for a WFOE in China →
VAT is typically filed monthly or quarterly depending on taxpayer status. CIT prepayments are commonly filed quarterly, with annual reconciliation after year-end. IIT for employees is generally handled monthly through payroll withholding and filing.
Late or missed filings can trigger penalties, tax bureau follow-up, disruption to fapiao access, reputational issues in the tax system and extra work to correct historical records. The exact consequence depends on the filing type, delay length and local tax bureau practice.
Yes. For groups that operate both a China WFOE and a Hong Kong company, we coordinate Hong Kong accounting, financial statements and Profits Tax Return (PTR) filing alongside the China-side bookkeeping. HK and China use different accounting standards (HKFRS vs PRC GAAP) and different tax years, so we treat them as separate but linked workstreams.
Bookkeeping does not stop the moment you decide to wind down — it has to continue cleanly through tax clearance, final-year audit and the formal company deregistration process. Books must reconcile, fapiao records must close out, and any unresolved historical issues need to be fixed before the tax bureau, customs and AMR will sign off on closure.
Get your China compliance running cleanly from month one.
Bookkeeping, monthly tax filing, fapiao handling and payroll-related compliance — for WFOEs, foreign-invested companies and newly registered entities.
No. 17, North Third Ring Road East
Chaoyang District, Beijing