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A few days ago, I had tea with Mr. Chen, who works in international trade. Mr. Chen told me he had received a text message regarding a tax self-audit, which read: “Based on a system comparison, discrepancies have been found in your company’s reported data. Please conduct a tax self-audit within 15 days and report the results.”

Old Chen has been working with Amazon for nearly eight years. He’d managed just fine this way for the past few years—part of the payment went through his personal card, and part was processed through an export payment service. This was the first time he’d received a text message like this, and he couldn’t sleep properly for three days.He asked me what he should do.

I don’t think this is a concern unique to Old Chen. Recently, quite a few business owners I know who work in foreign trade and cross-border e-commerce have received similar self-inspection notices. Today, I’ll break this down in detail and walk foreign trade business owners through exactly how to handle it step by step.

01

First, let's figure out: What does this text message actually mean?

Many people's first reaction is: “Am I being targeted?” “Are they going to come to my house to investigate me?”

Actually, don’t panic just yet. Now that Phase IV of the Golden Tax System has been launched, all major cross-border e-commerce platforms require sellers to submit their sales data to the tax authorities on a quarterly basis, and the tax authorities are now able to accessPlatform transaction data, customs export data, bank statements, and even information on overseas financial accounts...Once the data from all four sources is cross-checked, if there’s a mismatch, the system will automatically send you a text message prompting you to verify your information.

In other words, this text message is essentially a system alert that gives you an opportunity to correct the error proactively; it does not directly condemn you.

02

Two Common Mistakes—Don’t Fall Into These Traps Yourself

I've seen two of the most common mistakes people make, both of which involve turning small issues into big ones.

The first one isIgnore it completely; pretend you never received it.. Do you think that if you just stay out of sight, the tax authorities might forget about it? Wrong. If you don’t conduct a self-audit and report back within the specified timeframe, the system will escalate this warning. The next step will be a tax audit at your premises, and by then, it won’t be a matter of you voluntarily correcting the error—the nature of the situation will be completely different, and the late payment penalties and fines will be much higher.

The second one isPanicked, I rushed to pay the back taxes right away. One seller received a text message and, upon seeing a discrepancy of two million, was so alarmed that they immediately corrected their tax return and paid over 100,000 in back taxes. It wasn’t until later that they discovered the discrepancy was due to a difference in the platform’s accounting methods: The platform calculated the total order value for the calendar quarter, while the seller recognized revenue based on shipment dates. Since several hundred thousand yuan worth of orders spanned two quarters, no additional payment was actually required—the seller had unnecessarily overpaid more than 100,000 yuan.

So remember: when you receive a text message, don’t panic or try to hide, and definitely don’t make any hasty payments. First, take a deep breath and do this: verify the details.

03

Step 1: First, verify the discrepancies.

The first step in addressing this is actually quite simple: just compare the data from both sides to figure out exactly where the discrepancies lie.

What we're looking for isAside from the time lag, are there any instances of actual underreporting?, Let's start by distinguishing the differences we can clearly explain, and deal with the rest later. 04

Step 2: Handle Discrepancies on a Case-by-Case Basis

Now that we’ve identified the discrepancies, the next step is to address them on a case-by-case basis. The approach varies significantly depending on the cause, so I’ll walk you through the four most common scenarios.

Scenario 1: Income was indeed underreported or omitted

For example, if your store has completely failed to report its revenue, or if hundreds of thousands of yuan in payment for goods were transferred to a personal bank account and not recorded in your books, there’s no need to beat around the bush. Take advantage of the self-inspection window to quickly correct your filing through the Electronic Tax Bureau and pay any back taxes owed.

Scenario 2: Simply a difference in statistical methodology or timing

You’ll need to prepare screenshots of your order details from the platform, transaction records for returns and refunds, the corresponding shipping documents, and your own financial records. Once you’ve organized these, proactively contact your tax authority and explain the situation clearly; in most cases, the warning will be successfully lifted.

Scenario 3: History of fake orders

The correct approach is to organize your records of fake orders, compile all transfer records and shipping receipts for empty packages related to each transaction, proactively explain the situation to the tax authorities, and cooperate with their assessment. In most cases, they will acknowledge that these are fake orders and will not require you to pay back taxes.

Scenario 4: Export Transactions Based on Historical Invoices

This situation is quite complex, and it may be difficult to handle on your own. We recommend that you contact a professional cross-border tax and finance firm as soon as possible to conduct a compliance assessment. While the self-inspection window is still open, you should adjust your past transactions to comply with export regulations and mitigate risks proactively—this is far better than waiting for authorities to come knocking before taking action.

05

Advice for sellers in the same industry: Strengthen your compliance system to avoid falling into the same pitfalls again.

First, start byClarifying Revenue Recognition RulesThe

Second, get into the habit of reconciling your accounts regularly.

Third, make good use of tools to reduce errors.

Fourth, once your business grows to a certain size, seek help from professionals.

Going back to Old Chen’s question at the very beginning, what should you actually do when you receive a text message about a tax self-inspection?

To sum it up, there are three points:Don’t rush to hide, don’t pay back taxes haphazardly—check the details first, then take action, and finally fix the problem.. If you're also facing—I received a text message about a tax self-audit and don't know how to handle it,Scan the QR code to add our online customer service representative (Microsignal:(JXH23314)(math.) genusBased on your specific situation, we will arrange for a professional consultant to address your questions and provide one-on-one, end-to-end compliance solutions.

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QCYAs a professional one-stop business service platform, we are committed to providing our clients with high-quality services—including company registration in mainland cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou; cross-border e-commerce services; Hong Kong company registration; offshore company registration; bookkeeping and tax filing; annual reviews and audits; corporate bank account opening; financial and tax compliance; equity structuring; ODI filing, cross-border e-commerce services, Hong Kong residency, immigration, and study abroad, among other high-quality services, to support the globalization of businesses.