Over 5b yuan unpaid taxes recovered from fuel stations, 'dual-high' individuals

China's top tax authority have strengthened efforts to enforce tax compliance among high-risk fuel stations and high-income individuals this year, recovering billions of yuan in unpaid taxes, a senior official said on Monday.

Dai Shiyou, head of policy and regulation at the State Taxation Administration, said at a regular news briefing that tax officials handled 3,904 high-risk gas stations in the first 11 months of 2025, collecting 4.16 billion yuan ($589 million) in unpaid taxes.

Authorities also investigated 1,818 "dual-high" individuals – a term that covers high-income and high-net-worth taxpayers, including celebrities and online influencers – recovering an additional 1.523 billion yuan in unpaid taxes.

Dai said the measures are part of ongoing efforts to curb tax evasion, enhance compliance and safeguard government's revenue base as China navigates a complex economic environment.

The administration is also expanding efforts to encourage taxpayers to voluntarily correct past violations. This year, 1,168 entities listed as major tax defaulters took corrective measures, qualifying them for early removal from the national blacklist, a year-on-year increase of 40 percent, he said.

In addition, more than 1,300 whistleblower-reported cases were reviewed, with no tax violations found upon verification. In these cases, local tax bureaus issued formal clearance conclusions in accordance with the law.

Dai said these outcomes reflect improvements in the integrity system and the credibility of tax enforcement, adding that the agency will continue to strengthen oversight while improving services for compliant taxpayers.

chengyu@chinadaily.com.cn