A Vietnamese tourist purchases shoes and receives an instant cash tax refund in Qingtian county, Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

A Vietnamese tourist purchased shoes and received an instant cash tax refund of 33.84 yuan ($4.69) at a Yearcon flagship store in Qingtian county, Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province, on May 13.

This marked the first-ever in-store tax refund service completed in Lishui.

The service follows a recent departure tax refund policy update by the Ministry of Commerce and other departments, aimed at promoting "immediate tax refund upon purchase" services across the country to enhance shopping convenience for overseas tourists.

The updated policy allows overseas tourists to enjoy in-store tax refund services in designated stores, reduces the minimum purchase threshold for tax refunds from 500 yuan to 200 yuan, and eases the registration requirements for in-store tax refund merchants.

Qingtian county swiftly implemented the policy. The local tax bureau collaborated with commerce and market supervision departments to guide companies like Yearcon through the qualification process.

According to Ma Hongxiu, manager of the Yearcon flagship store, customers need only present a tax refund application form at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport or other designated ports within 25 days for customs verification.

Currently, Qingtian has registered five in-store tax refund merchants and plans to expand this initiative to include local specialties like stone carvings, fostering a convenient global consumption ecosystem.