Attention export companies!
The tax policy related to real money is ushering in a major adjustment!
From April 1, 2026, the value-added tax export rebate policy will be officially implemented. The photovoltaic and battery industries will bear the brunt of the new regulations. Policy adjustments will directly affect corporate cost accounting, profit margins, and export pricing. A little carelessness will cause unnecessary losses.
This policy adjustment is strong and the implementation time is tight. The tax rebate for photovoltaic products will be directly canceled without a transition period, which has sounded the alarm for related companies.
Whether it is a production-oriented export company, a foreign trade company, or the person in charge of finance or business, they must thoroughly understand the policies and make plans as soon as possible to avoid affecting the normal operation of the company due to insufficient understanding of the policies.
This article will comprehensively sort out the core points of the policy, interpret the deep meaning behind the policy, and sort out the practical precautions for enterprises to help everyone quickly clarify their ideas and deal with it calmly.
1. Big new rules!
Officially implemented on April 1, the two categories of products have the greatest impact
This export tax rebate adjustment accurately focuses on core categories in the new energy field. Photovoltaic products and battery products have become the main targets of adjustment. The policy implementation time is clear, the requirements are clear, and there is no room for ambiguity. The specific content is as follows:
(1) Photovoltaic products: Export tax rebates are directly cancelled, with no transition period!
Starting from April 1, 2026, the export value-added tax rebate for photovoltaic products will be completely cancelled, and no transition period will be set.
The products involved cover the core categories of the photovoltaic industry chain, including photovoltaic modules, silicon wafers, cells, photovoltaic inverters and other related products that we operate daily. As long as they are declared for export on April 1 or later, they will no longer enjoy the VAT export tax rebate preferential treatment.
This also means that the export tax rebate bonus that could have been enjoyed has been completely cancelled, the tax cost of the company’s export link has directly increased, and the profit margin will be directly affected.
(2) Battery products: reduced in stages and completely canceled in 2027
Compared with the direct cancellation of photovoltaic products, battery products adopt a “step-by-step reduction” adjustment method, leaving a short-term buffer period for enterprises, but eventually the export tax rebate will be completely cancelled, which is divided into two stages:
1. Transition period (April 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026)
Japan)
The export VAT rebate rate for battery products was reduced by 3 percentage points from the original 9% to 6%. The amount of export tax rebates for enterprises was directly reduced, and export costs increased simultaneously.
2. Comprehensive cancellation period (from January 1, 2027)
Starting from the beginning of 2027, the export VAT rebate for battery products will be completely cancelled, and the rebate rate will be directly returned to zero, consistent with the current photovoltaic product policy.
(3) A must-see for enterprises!
Two key implementation details
1. Time determination standards
Policy implementation is strictly based on the export date stated on the export goods customs declaration form, not the contract signing time or goods delivery time.
This is the core!
Enterprises must plan the pace of export customs declarations. Those who complete customs declarations before April 1 can still enjoy tax refunds according to the original policy; customs declarations on and after April 1 must be implemented in accordance with the new regulations and do not take chances.
2. The consumption tax policy remains unchanged
This adjustment only applies to the export VAT refund. For photovoltaic and battery products, which are categories subject to consumption tax, the corresponding consumption tax refund (exemption) policy remains unchanged. Enterprises do not need to adjust consumption tax-related declaration and operating procedures to avoid confusing the policy requirements of the two types of taxes.
2. Why the sudden adjustment?
Regarding the overall development of the new energy industry
Many companies are confused. Export tax rebates have always been an important policy to support corporate exports. Why are they suddenly “taking action” on photovoltaic and battery products?
In fact, this policy adjustment is not a temporary move, but a strategic regulation by the country based on the development status of the new energy industry to promote high-quality development of the industry. There are deep industry considerations behind it.
On the one hand, my country’s photovoltaic and battery industries have entered a mature development period. After years of rapid growth, my country’s photovoltaic industry chain production capacity and technology are among the best in the world, and the battery industry occupies a major global market share. The industry has long since escaped the initial stage of requiring policy support and has the ability to independently participate in international market competition.
The essence of canceling export tax rebates is to allow the industry to get rid of “dependence on policy dividends”, return to fair market competition, and promote the industry to shift from “profiting from subsidies” to “profiting from technology and strength.”
On the other hand, in recent years, the production capacity of the photovoltaic and battery industries has expanded too fast, and some companies have fallen into the predicament of low-price involution and disorderly competition. They rely on export tax rebates to seize overseas orders, which not only reduces their own profits, but also easily triggers international trade frictions and encounters anti-dumping and countervailing investigations.
The adjustment of export tax rebate this time is to use tax leverage to force the industry to optimize production capacity, eliminate backward production capacity, curb vicious low-price competition, guide companies to increase technology research and development, increase product added value, promote the entire new energy industry to high-end, high-quality transformation, and achieve long-term healthy development of the industry.
At the same time, this is also an important measure to comply with global trade rules and reduce the risk of international trade disputes, reduce trade frictions and disputes related to export tax rebates, and help my country’s new energy companies develop overseas markets more steadily.
3. Influence geometry?
Corporate costs, pricing, and orders must all change
The adjustment of export tax rebates is directly related to corporate costs, profits, pricing, and orders. For photovoltaic and battery companies, they will face real operating pressure in the short term, and will also promote the restructuring of the industry structure in the long term.
For photovoltaic companies, the cancellation of tax rebates from April 1 is equivalent to a direct increase in the value-added tax cost of the export link. The original tax rebate bonus disappears and corporate profits are directly squeezed.
If the original export price is maintained, profit margins will be significantly narrowed; if the price is raised, the competitiveness of overseas orders may be affected, creating a dilemma.
For battery companies, the rest of 2026 is a transition period, the tax rebate rate will be reduced by 3%, and cost pressure will gradually appear. After it is completely canceled in 2027, they will face the same pressure as photovoltaic companies.
Especially for small, medium and micro enterprises, which have meager profits and weak bargaining power, the impact of this policy adjustment will be more obvious.
From the perspective of the industry as a whole, this adjustment will accelerate the survival of the fittest in the industry: leading companies with strong technical strength, high product added value, and complete supply chains can absorb pressure by optimizing costs and increasing product premiums; while small and medium-sized enterprises that rely on low-price competition, backward technology, and weak anti-risk capabilities will face greater survival challenges, and industry concentration will further increase.
4. Urgent reminder!
Enterprises must do these things well to avoid risks
The policy has been implemented and the time left for enterprises to adjust is very limited, especially for photovoltaic enterprises. It will be implemented immediately on April 1. The following practical work must be done:
1. Sort out the orders on hand and adjust the pace of customs declarations
Comprehensively sort out the orders that have been signed but not exported, check the product categories, and distinguish between photovoltaic and battery products.
For photovoltaic products, try to complete the export customs declaration before April 1 to ensure that the export date of the customs declaration is before the implementation of the policy, so as to enjoy the original export tax rebate in full;
For battery products, combined with the transition period policy, rationally plan the export customs declaration arrangements for 2026, calculate the cost of the tax rebate changes in advance, and make preparations in advance.
2. Recalculate costs and adjust export pricing
The financial department immediately recalculated the cost of export products based on the new regulations, and included the cost increase caused by the cancellation/reduction of tax rebates into the calculation. The business department simultaneously adjusted the external quotation strategy to reasonably share the cost pressure and avoid losses caused by receiving orders at low prices.
3. Distinguish between tax types and standardize tax declarations
Strictly distinguish between VAT and consumption tax declaration processes. VAT will adjust tax refund declaration data in accordance with the new regulations, and consumption tax will operate normally according to the original policy. Accounting processing and voucher retention will be done to ensure compliance with tax declarations and avoid tax risks such as declaration errors, omissions, and misreporting.
4. Optimize the supply chain and reduce operating costs
Facing the pressure of rising costs, companies can optimize the upstream supply chain, negotiate purchase prices with suppliers, and reduce raw material costs; at the same time, they can optimize production processes, improve production efficiency, compress internal operating costs, and offset part of the pressure of increased tax costs through internal tapping of potential.
5. Pay attention to industry trends and respond to subsequent changes in a timely manner
Continue to pay attention to subsequent policy interpretations issued by the finance and taxation departments. If there are supplementary announcements and practical details, adjust the company’s operating plan as soon as possible; at the same time, keep up with industry trends, increase technology research and development, enhance product core competitiveness, and get rid of the low-price competition model.
5. Write at the end
This adjustment of the value-added tax export rebate is an important turning point in the development of the new energy industry. It is both a challenge and an opportunity.
In the short term, companies need to face the pressure of rising costs and profit compression, and quickly adjust their business strategies; in the long term, this is a key step to promote the industry to get rid of involution and move toward high-quality development, helping my country’s new energy industry to truly achieve technological leadership and high-quality overseas development.
All photovoltaic and battery export companies are hereby reminded not to ignore policy changes, but to implement internal sorting, cost accounting, customs declaration planning and other work as soon as possible, operate in compliance, respond in advance, and minimize the impact of the policy.
The export tax rebate policy is related to the vital interests of enterprises. It is recommended that everyone forward it to the company’s financial, business, and management colleagues to learn together, make arrangements in advance, and smoothly survive the policy adjustment period!
Warm reminder: The policy content in this article is based on official announcements, and the specific implementation is subject to the requirements of the local tax authorities. If enterprises have any questions, they can consult the competent tax authorities in a timely manner.
