Best tax advisory in China, run from India.
Legalkarobar.com keeps Indian founders operating a WFOE or Representative Office in China fully compliant with the State Taxation Administration — Corporate Income Tax and VAT filing, Fapiao invoicing discipline, deemed-profit RO taxation, and China-India DTAA planning, coordinated with your Indian filings by one team.
Every China tax touchpoint an Indian-owned business hits
From your first zero-declaration VAT filing to annual Corporate Income Tax reconciliation — one team manages the paperwork so a missed deadline never becomes a penalty.
WFOE Corporate Income Tax Filing
Preparation and filing of CIT returns for Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises with the local tax bureau, including annual reconciliation.
VAT Filing & Fapiao Compliance
Monthly or quarterly VAT filing and Fapiao invoice management to stay compliant with the Golden Tax System.
Representative Office Deemed-Profit Tax
Quarterly deemed-profit CIT and VAT filing for Representative Offices, calculated on a cost-plus basis.
Individual Income Tax for Expat Staff
IIT computation and filing for Indian staff seconded to or employed by your China entity.
Annual Compliance & Audit
Coordination of the annual audit and Annual Compliance Report needed to keep a WFOE in good standing.
China-India DTAA Tax Planning
Treaty analysis to reduce withholding tax on cross-border dividends, interest, and royalties.
Fund Repatriation & SAFE Filings
Profit repatriation planning and State Administration of Foreign Exchange filings for funds moving to India.
Transfer Pricing Documentation
Documentation for related-party transactions between your China entity and its Indian parent or group companies.
Built for founders operating in China, not domestic filers
If your company has a WFOE, Representative Office, or trading relationship in China, one of these profiles likely matches you.
Indian Founders With a WFOE in China
You've set up a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise to trade, manufacture, or provide services in China and now owe monthly VAT and annual CIT filings.
Companies Running a China Representative Office
Your RO handles liaison or market research work in China and needs deemed-profit tax filings managed correctly each quarter.
Indian Manufacturers Sourcing Through China
You import from Chinese suppliers or run a China-based sourcing operation and need Fapiao and VAT compliance handled correctly.
Cross-Border E-commerce Sellers Into China
You sell into China through cross-border e-commerce channels and need to understand import VAT and customs duty obligations.
Indian Staff Seconded to a China Entity
You're relocating or seconding employees to your China operations and need their Individual Income Tax position resolved correctly.
India-China Joint Venture Partners
You're structuring a joint venture with a local Chinese partner and need transfer pricing and DTAA positions set up correctly from the start.
Which China structure are you actually filing for?
The filings you owe depend entirely on how your China presence is structured — this is the comparison we walk every client through first.
| Entity | Key Filings | Filing Frequency | India-Side Filing Needed | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) | CIT Return + VAT + Annual Audit | Monthly/Quarterly VAT, Annual CIT by May 31 | ROC/FEMA reporting if the parent is an Indian company | Trading, manufacturing, or service company in China |
| Representative Office (RO) | Deemed-Profit CIT + VAT on Expenses | Quarterly | FEMA reporting for RO funding from India | Liaison and market research, no direct sales permitted |
| Joint Venture (JV) | CIT Return + VAT + Annual Audit | Same as WFOE | ROC/FEMA reporting for the Indian JV partner's contribution | Partnering directly with a local Chinese entity |
| Cross-Border E-commerce (No PRC Entity) | Import VAT + Customs Duty Only | Per shipment/transaction | India GST for the exporting entity | Selling into China without a local registered entity |
Not sure which row applies to you? Book a free tax review and we'll map your exact filing obligations before you commit to anything.
From first review to a filed return, in four stages
A fixed process means nothing depends on you remembering a deadline.
Tax Position Review
We review your China entity type — WFOE, RO, or JV — and your Indian shareholding to determine your CIT, VAT, and IIT obligations.
Filing Calendar & Structuring
A compliance calendar covering VAT frequency, annual CIT reconciliation, Fapiao discipline, and any DTAA relief you can claim.
Preparation & Tax Bureau Filing
We prepare the returns, manage Fapiao compliance, and file directly with the local tax bureau and SAFE where needed.
Ongoing Compliance
Annual Compliance Report and audit deadlines tracked each year, with profit repatriation planned under the DTAA.
A single filer who understands both tax systems
Most China-side accountants don't track FEMA. Most Indian CAs don't track Fapiao compliance. We built this practice specifically to close that gap.
The two obligations founders miss most often
Zero revenue still means a required filing
Founders sometimes assume that a newly registered WFOE with no sales yet has nothing to file. In China, VAT and CIT filings are due on schedule from the date of registration regardless of revenue, and bookkeeping under Chinese accounting standards must be maintained from day one — a "zero declaration" is still a mandatory filing, not an exemption.
Fapiao discipline is not optional paperwork
Without a proper Fapiao, an expense generally cannot be deducted for CIT purposes and input VAT cannot be credited, even if the transaction genuinely happened. Founders new to China often lose deductions simply because a supplier didn't issue the correct invoice type, which is why Fapiao management needs to be built into procurement from the start.
A Representative Office cannot sell directly
An RO is legally restricted to liaison, market research, and non-profit-generating activities — it cannot invoice customers or sign sales contracts in its own name. Its tax is instead calculated on a deemed-profit basis tied to its operating costs, which is why most businesses eventually convert to a WFOE once direct sales begin.
Repatriating profit takes more than a bank transfer
Moving profit from a WFOE back to India as a dividend requires the annual audit to be complete, statutory reserves funded, and prior-year losses covered, plus a filing with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Skipping any of these steps can delay or block the transfer entirely.
What founders say after their first filing season
We had no idea our WFOE owed a VAT filing before we'd made a single sale. Legalkarobar.com got our zero-declaration filings and Fapiao process set up before it became a problem.
Repatriating our first year's profit back to India felt impossible until they walked us through the audit, reserves, and SAFE filing in the right order.
Our Representative Office's deemed-profit tax was being miscalculated by a local firm for two years. They caught it and corrected our filings going forward.
How China tax filing works for an Indian-owned WFOE
A short walkthrough of WFOE Corporate Income Tax, Fapiao invoicing, and repatriating profit back to India.
Prefer to talk it through instead? Book a free tax review and we'll walk you through your specific filings.
Frequently asked questions
Book a free China tax review
Tell us about your WFOE, RO, or China trading relationship and we'll map exactly which CIT, VAT, and DTAA obligations apply to you, within 24 hours.
We'll get back to you within 24 hours on business days.
Free consultation · No obligation · Fully confidential