How do you say "Can I get a tax refund?" in Chinese?

"Can I get a tax refund?" in Chinese is 可以退税吗？ — written in pinyin as Kěyǐ tuìshuì ma?. It is a shopping phrase you would use in China.

What does 可以退税吗？ mean in Chinese?

可以退税吗？ (Kěyǐ tuìshuì ma?) means "Can I get a tax refund?". Broken down word by word: 可以 (kěyǐ) means "can / may"; 退税 (tuìshuì) means "tax refund"; 吗 (ma) means "yes/no question particle".

When would you use "Can I get a tax refund?" in Chinese?

Use it in stores displaying the blue 离境退税 logo, once your purchases might pass the 500-yuan same-store threshold. It also applies at the airport itself, where the refund counter sits before customs and passport control.

How to say “Can I get a tax refund?” in Chinese

“Can I get a tax refund?” in Chinese is 可以退税吗？, written in pinyin as Kěyǐ tuìshuì ma?.

可以退税吗？

Kěyǐ tuìshuì ma?

Can I get a tax refund?

Word by word

What each part of 可以退税吗？ actually means.

可以kěyǐcan / may
退税tuìshuìtax refund
吗mayes/no question particle

When you use it

Use it in stores displaying the blue 离境退税 logo, once your purchases might pass the 500-yuan same-store threshold.
It also applies at the airport itself, where the refund counter sits before customs and passport control.

Use 可以退税吗？ in shopping situations. Prices, sizes, bargaining and paying.

Other ways people say it

The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.

这个能退税吗？
Zhège néng tuìshuì ma?
Can this be tax-refunded?
离境退税在哪儿办？
Líjìng tuìshuì zài nǎr bàn?
Where do I process the departure tax refund?
退税要什么手续？
Tuìshuì yào shénme shǒuxù?
What's the procedure for the refund?

What usually trips people up

Expecting every store to refund — only licensed 离境退税 shops participate; no blue logo, no refund, however big the purchase.
Losing the special receipt — the refund slip must be stamped by customs at the airport before you check bags in.
Leaving it to the last gate — the refund counter sits before passport control; a tight connection can eat the whole window.

What you might hear back

满500可以退。Mǎn wǔbǎi kěyǐ tuìRefundable over 500 yuan.
我们店不是退税店。Wǒmen diàn bú shì tuìshuì diànWe're not a refund-licensed store.
机场海关那边盖章。Jīchǎng hǎiguān nàbiān gài zhāngGet it stamped at airport customs.

Common questions

How do you say "Can I get a tax refund?" in Chinese?: "Can I get a tax refund?" in Chinese is 可以退税吗？ — written in pinyin as Kěyǐ tuìshuì ma?. It is a shopping phrase you would use in China.
What does 可以退税吗？ mean in Chinese?: 可以退税吗？ (Kěyǐ tuìshuì ma?) means "Can I get a tax refund?". Broken down word by word: 可以 (kěyǐ) means "can / may"; 退税 (tuìshuì) means "tax refund"; 吗 (ma) means "yes/no question particle".
When would you use "Can I get a tax refund?" in Chinese?: Use it in stores displaying the blue 离境退税 logo, once your purchases might pass the 500-yuan same-store threshold. It also applies at the airport itself, where the refund counter sits before customs and passport control.

Where you'll use it

可以退税吗？ comes up in these situations, in this order.

💴 Paying for things8 steps

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