China VAT Law in force — e-fapiao becomes the sole legal invoice format
China's VAT Law (passed 2024) entered force on 1 January 2026, completing the shift to a unified VAT system and keeping three rates (13%, 9%, 6%). For invoicing the significant part is statutory: the fully digitalised e-fapiao now has explicit standing as the only legal invoice format, so electronic invoicing is embedded in the tax code rather than resting on pilot rules. The nationwide rollout that began with the 1 December 2024 launch is complete, and Golden Tax Phase IV has moved the State Taxation Administration from invoice management to continuous transaction monitoring with near real-time visibility. Invoice delivery runs through digital tax accounts, and paper fapiao are expected to have largely left commercial use by the end of 2026. Foreign-owned entities still running paper or OFD-based archival processes should treat the statutory change, not the technology, as the forcing function.