Pilot cities for incentivized invoice program allocate 1.85 billion yuan in prize money

Beijing, March 20 — (Reporter Wang Guan) To further unleash consumer potential, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Taxation Administration will launch a six-month lottery invoice pilot program in 50 cities starting early 2026. As of March 12, the pilot cities have distributed 1.85 billion yuan in prizes, attracting a total of 230 million participants, with initial positive effects on boosting consumption.

During the lottery invoice activities, some consumers and merchants have engaged in violations to increase their chances of winning, such as issuing red invoices after the draw, repeatedly voiding invoices, and other behaviors that violate the rules, disrupt fair participation, and harm consumers’ legitimate rights. A relevant official from the State Taxation Administration’s Department of Tax Collection and Science & Technology Development stated that, according to the “Invoice Management Measures of the People’s Republic of China” and related implementation rules, during the lottery invoice activities, relevant departments will focus on monitoring and investigating the following violations.

First, issuing false invoices, meaning issuing invoices for transactions that did not actually occur or do not match the actual transaction details, to participate in the lottery. Second, unreasonable splitting or combining of invoices, such as splitting or consolidating invoices to increase chances of winning, which does not reflect actual consumption. Third, issuing red invoices illegally, such as issuing red invoices without sales returns, invoice errors, tax-exempt services, or sales discounts, or repeatedly issuing red invoices by changing buyer information for the same transaction.

Previously, some local commerce departments announced that any verified violations, such as illegal participation or illegal lottery entries, will be rectified through technical means to recover distributed prizes according to laws and regulations. Depending on the severity, measures such as disqualification from participation or inclusion on an abnormal list will be taken. For merchants with violations, their participation in this activity may be suspended.

【Source: People’s Daily】