Category: 3. Business

New China platform information reporting rules require internet companies to submit basic information and the identity and income details of their operators and employees. Before October 31, 2025, these companies must submit employee and operator income data for Q3 2025. Platform companies must immediately prepare to comply with these filing requirements to avoid significant financial penalties and operational suspensions.

Starting October 1, 2025, internet platform companies (“platform companies”) will be required to formally submit the identity and income information of their operators and employees to the tax authorities for the first time.  

These obligations arise from the Provisions on the Submission of Tax-Related Information by Internet Platform Enterprises (the “Provisions”), issued by the State Council on June 20, 2025, which set out new tax-related reporting requirements for platform companies. 

The deadline for the first round of quarterly reporting obligations by platform companies – covering operators’ and employees’ identity and income information – is October 31, 2025.

To support the rollout of the new reporting regime, the State Taxation Administration (STA) released STA Announcement [2025] No. 15, which provides detailed implementation rules. The announcement specifies reporting obligations, technical requirements, and compliance timelines applicable to a wide range of digital platforms.

According to the General Office of the STA, as of October 15, 6,654 domestic and international platforms had already submitted the required basic information, which was due by July 20, 2025, for companies established before the Provisions’ implementation. In addition, over 4,100 platforms had already submitted tax-related information on their operators and employees, which must be submitted before October 31, covering over 60 percent of affected platforms. This group includes major platforms such as Pinduoduo, Ele.me, and Didi Chuxing. 

On September 28, 2025, the STA, together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), issued a notice providing further guidance on implementing the Provisions. The notice clarified rules on administrative penalties, suspension of operations, and other related matters.

Tax-related reporting requirements for platform companies 

Under the Provisions, internet platform enterprises are required to report certain tax-related information to their competent tax authorities. These obligations apply to e-commerce platform operators under the Electronic Commerce Law of the PRC, as well as other organizations that provide profit-making services such as online transaction venues, transaction matching, or information publication. Individuals providing services on these platforms in a personal capacity are considered “platform employees”. 

Reporting requirements

Platform companies must submit information related to the identity and income of platform operators and employees. The types of information and documents that must be provided include at different timeframes, namely:

1. Within 30 days from the implementation date of the Provisions (June 20, 2025) or within 30 days of commencing internet-based business operations, the following information must be reported:
   1. Platform domain name
   2. Business type
   3. Unified Social Credit Code and name of the relevant operating entity
2. Within the month following the end of the quarter (October 31 for the third quarter of 2025), the following must be reported:
   1. The identity information of platform operators and employees
   2. The income information of platform operators and employees for the previous quarter 

Note that companies are not required to submit income information on employees who provide delivery, transport, domestic, or other convenience services through the platforms if they are legally exempt from taxation or enjoy tax incentives. Additionally, companies are not required to resubmit tax-related information when handling withholding declarations, tax returns, and other tax-related matters for platform operators and employees.

Platforms are not required to report information on operators and employees prior to the implementation of the Provisions. 

Foreign platform companies (such as Amazon) providing for-profit services in China must report tax-related information in accordance with regulations issued by the State Council tax authorities. 

Required cooperation with tax authorities 

When conducting tax inspections or identifying tax risks, tax authorities may request that platform companies and related parties provide supporting information, including: 

• Contracts and orders of platform operators and employees
• Transaction details
• Financial account records
• Logistics and delivery information

Companies and related parties must provide this information truthfully and within the timeframe, manner, and scope requested by tax authorities. 

Waiving of penalties and clarification of “serious circumstances” 

The September 28 notice states that platform companies that commit certain tax reporting violations outlined in the Provisions will not be penalized if they correct the violations within the time limit set by the tax authorities. 

These violations are: 

1. Failure to submit or provide tax-related information within the prescribed time limit;
2. Concealing, falsely reporting, or omitting tax-related information, or causing the tax-related information to be untrue, inaccurate, or incomplete through the fault of the platform company; and
3. Refusing to submit or provide tax-related information. 

Under the Provisions, failure to rectify these violations within the prescribed timeframe may result in fines ranging from RMB 20,000 to RMB 100,000 (US$2,740 to US$13,700), or from RMB 100,000 to RMB 500,000 (US$13,700 to US$68,500 in “serious cases”. In serious cases, companies may also be ordered to suspend operations. 

What constitutes a “serious case” 

The September 28 notice also clarifies what constitutes a “serious case” under the Provisions. Specifically, a platform company will be considered to have committed a “serious case” and be subject to the higher penalty bracket if it fails to correct a violation within the timeframe ordered by the tax authorities, and any of the following conditions are met: 

1. Failing to submit or provide tax-related information, or omitting required tax-related information, for a cumulative total of two or more times within a single year;
2. Concealing or falsely reporting tax-related information for a cumulative total of two or more times;
3. Illegally guiding or assisting platform operators or employees to convert the nature of income or split income, through means such as mass registration, changing store unique identifiers, or other methods, resulting in tax-related information being submitted inaccurately, untruthfully, or incompletely;
4. Forging or tampering with the tax-related information of platform operators or employees, or assisting platform operators or employees in forging or tampering with such information, resulting in tax-related information being submitted inaccurately, untruthfully, or incompletely;
5. Refusing to submit or provide tax-related information in accordance with regulations through violence, threats, or public boycotts; and
6. Other serious violations of Article 10 of the Provisions. 

Suspension of operations

The notice clarifies that when, as may happen in serious cases, an internet platform is ordered to suspend operations, the competent tax authority is responsible for penalizing the platform for failing to submit tax-related information in accordance with the Provisions. 

In such cases, the tax authorities may: 

• Restrict the company’s issuance of invoices;
• Issue early warnings on the company’s acceptance of invoices; and
• Report penalties and request that relevant regulatory authorities take legal action.

If the platform rectifies its violations during the suspension period and actively mitigates any negative impacts, the tax authority that issued the suspension may, upon confirmation, coordinate with regulatory authorities to promptly lift the related punitive measures. 

Key takeaways for platform companies

As the October 31 deadline approaches, platform companies should ensure they are fully prepared to submit the required identity and income information for their operators and employees in a timely, accurate, and complete manner. Companies that have not yet reported should immediately coordinate with local tax authorities to avoid delays or errors that could trigger penalties. Attention to the accuracy and completeness of submitted data is critical, as platform companies are responsible for verifying the information they provide, even though errors caused by operators or employees themselves are not penalized if proper verification measures were taken.

Find Business Support

Companies should make full use of the guidance and support provided by tax authorities, including training sessions, online tutorials, and secure reporting portals, to streamline submissions and ensure compliance with the Provisions. Understanding the scope of reporting obligations, including exemptions for certain employees who are legally exempt from taxation or enjoy incentives, is essential to avoid unnecessary duplication or misreporting. 

Platform companies should take particular care to avoid prohibited practices outlined in the September 28 notice. According to the General Office of the STA, some platforms have been found to help employees register en masse as individual businesses in the platform’s location, attempting to convert personal labor income into business income to take advantage of preferential tax treatment and reduce or avoid tax payments. Other platforms or intermediaries have allegedly encouraged operators and employees to split income, register abroad, or change entity identifiers in order to conceal income and evade supervision, impeding normal tax procedures.

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Overseas internet platforms that provide for-profit services to operators in China should also note that they are also required to report relevant tax information to Chinese tax authorities. Amazon, for example, issued a notice to sellers on October 13, 2025, announcing that it will begin quarterly reporting of Chinese sellers’ identity and income information to China’s tax authorities. The first submission, covering transactions from July to September 2025, is scheduled for completion by October 31. 

Domestic operators who attempt to evade obligations through offshore registration or other means are subject to the same enforcement measures. The September 28 notice details the penalties for illegal practices by platform enterprises, emphasizing that compliance with these reporting requirements is a legal obligation and that violations will be rigorously enforced.

Wolf Bussian, managing partner for Germany at A&O Shearman, added: “In a multipolar world, reliability is everything: power is shifting, responsibility is growing, and technology, trade, and security are inseparable. Those who build smart partnerships will create sustainable prosperity.

“Multipolarity isn’t a risk in itself, but a mandate to shape outcomes—de-risking, not decoupling; rules, and not bloc-building is how we will secure stability and growth.”

A&O Shearman leaders on the BGD stage

A&O Shearman partners will contribute to five high-profile sessions across the program, bringing legal, regulatory and strategic perspectives to discussions at the intersection of markets, policy and technology.

October 23, 1:30pm–2:45pm

Shaping a multipolar future: a conversation with the BGD Young Voices

Hervé Ekué, global managing partner at A&O Shearman will join fellow panelists to discuss ways to strengthen democratic culture, rebuild institutional trust and align economic decision-making with long-term societal goals to address the expectations of emerging generations who are calling for bolder leadership rooted in climate responsibility, democratic values, accountability, and trust.

October 23, 4:45pm–6:00pm

War speed: scaling technology under pressure

Magdalena Nasilowska, partner at A&O Shearman, will moderate a panel examining how Europe can reform procurement, accelerate deployment, and build a defense innovation ecosystem fit for today’s security landscape.

October 24, 10:30am–11:45am

The end of predictability? Adapting enterprises to the geopolitical age

Hervé Ekué, global managing partner at A&O Shearman, will also join a discussion about how companies are rethinking cross-border operating models—from supply chains and legal entity structures to innovation strategies—to build resilience and secure their global footprint, as globalization gives way to fragmentation.

October 25, 09:30am–10:30am

The future of the China-Europe relationship

Xin (Lorna) Chen, partner at A&O Shearman, will moderate a discussion about how China and Europe can rebuild trust, deepen cooperation, and pursue sustainable growth amid global geopolitical change.

October 25, 09:30am–10:30am

The pivotal role of middle powers in a multipolar world

Dirk Arts, partner at A&O Shearman will join a panel debate to discuss how middle powers are reshaping the operating environment for business and investment, and the role they are playing in forging strategic partnerships, shaping regional dynamics, and championing the emergence of competing institutions.

BGD: bringing decision-makers together to effect change

BGD brings together established leaders and the next generation of decision-makers to promote dialogue in four key areas shaping the future of the global economy:

• Geopolitical shifts
• Climate change
• Technological advances
• Global inequality

With a strong focus on the realities of a multipolar world—from supply chain resilience and defense innovation to digital governance and the evolving role of middle powers—BGD equips enterprises, investors and policymakers with the insights needed to navigate an era defined by uncertainty and reinvention.

If you plan to attend BGD 2025, please reach out to Ulrich Horstschäfer at ulrich.horstschaefer@allenovery.com to arrange a meeting.

Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME) oversees the wholesale sales and marketing of Toyota, GR (Gazoo Racing) and Lexus vehicles and parts and accessories, as well as Toyota’s European manufacturing and engineering operations. Toyota directly employs over 26,000 people and has invested over EUR 12 billion in Europe since 1990. Its eight European manufacturing plants are located in Portugal, the UK, France, Poland, Czech Republic and Turkey. Today, there are approximately 14.7 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles on European roads, whose drivers are supported by a network of 28 National Marketing and Sales Companies and around 2,800 retail sales outlets in 53 countries (EU, UK, EFTA countries , Israel, Turkey and other Eastern European countries). In 2024, TME sold 1,217,132 vehicles in Europe for a 7.1% market share. For more information, visit www.toyota-europe.com.

Toyota believes that when people are free to move, anything is possible. In the pursuit of “Mobility for All”, Toyota aims to create safer, more connected, inclusive and sustainable mobility to achieve its mission of producing “Happiness for All”. In Europe, TME launched the KINTO mobility brand which offers a range of mobility services in 20 countries, and is growing its business-to-business sales of zero-emission fuel cell products and engineering support. Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Toyota is working to achieve carbon neutrality in its entire business across Europe. A historic leader in CO2 reduction in Europe, TME aims to achieve 100% CO2 reduction in all new vehicles in Western Europe by 2035 and will continue to offer a full range of electrified powertrains to customers across the region with its hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery and fuel cell electric vehicles.  

TAMPA, Fla. — Lynk Global plans to merge with Omnispace to upgrade its direct-to-device (D2D) services with globally coordinated S-band spectrum, joining SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile in shoring up satellite frequencies after initially relying on cellular partnerships.

Luxembourg-based multi-orbit operator SES, which has invested in both companies, will become a major strategic shareholder in the combined group, they announced Oct. 22 in a joint news release that offered few details.

The merged entity would combine Omnispace’s 60 megahertz of S-band spectrum with Lynk’s D2D platform, which is currently providing intermittent messaging and alert services in a handful of island nations with five small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).

Omnispace had planned to use the spectrum for a D2D constellation of more than 600 satellites, after deploying experimental spacecraft in low and medium Earth orbits.

However, the Washington, D.C.-based venture’s efforts stalled amid its claims of interference from SpaceX’s D2D service.

The interference issue was specific to the United States, Omnispace vice president of strategy and marketing George Giagtzoglou said via email, where part of the T-Mobile cellular spectrum used by SpaceX overlaps with Omnispace’s S-band frequencies. He said a recent regulatory request from SpaceX to the Federal Communications Commission could help ease the conflict by aligning its frequency use with international S-band allocations.

“This merger unlocks the full potential of our global S-band spectrum assets and positions us at the forefront of D2D,” Omnispace CEO Ram Viswanathan said in the announcement.

Ramu Potarazu, CEO of Falls Church, Virginia-based Lynk, said: “We now have the right mix of technology, spectrum and leadership to extend mobile connectivity where and when it’s needed most. 

“This merger will enable us to accelerate our efforts in delivering seamless, reliable messaging, voice and data services — serving [mobile network operators (MNOs)], as well as consumer, commercial and industrial vehicles, and government and utility sectors worldwide.”

The deal comes months after Lynk abandoned an attempt to raise capital for its constellation by merging with Slam Corp., a publicly listed shell company led by former MLB star Alex Rodriguez.

Potarazu outlined plans last month to instead lean on SES and the operator’s network in geostationary and medium Earth orbit to provide a global, continuous D2D service by 2027.

The company plans to launch a pair of satellites in February to validate new technology, including a multi-orbit relay capability with SES.

The companies expect to close the merger late this year or early next, pending regulatory approvals. Potarazu would serve as CEO of the combined entity, with Viswanathan as chief strategy officer.

The spectrum pivot

Meanwhile, SpaceX is awaiting regulatory approval to acquire S-band spectrum from geostationary broadband operator EchoStar in a deal worth more than $17 billion. 

SpaceX leverages more than 650 Starlink D2D satellites in LEO to provide services that are currently limited to text messaging, emergency alerts and certain apps in the U.S., New Zealand and Japan.

In the U.S., the company is using about 10 megahertz of similarly situated terrestrial spectrum from T-Mobile, but plans to boost its D2D capacity twentyfold with a second-generation service that would integrate 50 megahertz of EchoStar’s spectrum.

AST SpaceMobile only has five BlueBird satellites in LEO, but it aims to deliver continuous coverage in the U.S. and other key markets after ramping up launches over the next 18 months.

The Texas-based venture has partnered with AT&T and Verizon in the U.S. and is seeking approval to access L-band spectrum in North America from bankrupt satellite operator Ligado Networks. 

Alongside a deal for global S-band spectrum, subject to country-by-country approval, AST says satellite frequencies are key to its plan to enable broadband speeds of up to 120 megabits per second from space.

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Refocusing programmes for addressing new challenges and opportunities and accelerate implementation / Moderator by Tudor Constantinescu – DG ENER

Tour de table and presentations from Member States: EMA members will intervene in a tour the table for updating on the latest developments and challenges on the implementation of energy Specific Objectives under cohesion policy and submitting the modified programs according to the new priorities and conditions from Mid Term Review.

[Paris, France, October 22, 2025] At the annual Network X awards ceremony, China Mobile Shandong and Huawei were honored with the “Most Innovative Telco AI Deployment” award for their co-developed Intelligent Network Change Management Platform (INCMP). The platform stood out for its pioneering simulation technology and deep integration with real-world practices, showcasing the partners’ extraordinary collaboration and remarkable achievement in network digitalization and setting a new benchmark for intelligent transformation in global network services.

Network X is a global event in the communications industry, convening leading operators, innovators, and decision makers. Its awards celebrate groundbreaking achievements across the sector, honoring the projects that redefine the industry’s future and also guiding the industry’s continued growth.

China Mobile Shandong operates an IP network serving over 100 million users in Shandong province across mobile Internet, home broadband, enterprise private lines, and IPTV services. As the network expands and service complexity increases, managing configuration changes has become increasingly challenging. Since 2024, the company has executed over 1,500 network changes. Traditional manual configuration verification, which relies heavily on human experience, is prone to errors and omissions, posing risks to network reliability and stability.

To address these challenges, China Mobile Shandong partnered with Huawei to integrate Huawei’s next-generation Centralized Model-Operation Simulation (CMOS) algorithm from iMaster NCE into the INCMP. Together, they built a “zero-error” autonomous network, delivering three major improvements:

• Pre-change predictive simulation: The INCMP simulates network states and performance after configuration changes, and automatically marks anomalies to proactively mitigate risks.
• In-change precise control: The INCMP supports batch configuration delivery and policy combination verification to minimize impact on users.
• Post-change visualized traceability: The INCMP records the entire configuration change process and compares simulation results with actual network changes, reducing fault locating time from hours to minutes.

Operation statistics have confirmed the platform’s remarkable improvements: major incidents have been prevented, network migration efficiency has improved by nearly 60%, and user complaints have dropped to near zero. China Mobile Shandong has also incorporated the change simulation pass rate into the operation workflows of several critical network change scenarios, driving the province-wide standardization of network operations and maintenance.

At present, the INCMP covers over 1,000 network devices, and supports configuration change verification for tens of millions of home broadband users and millions of enterprise and government clients. It is now the most extensively deployed communication network simulation system in Shandong province.

This deployment has significantly boosted the network change success rate and ensured high continuity and availability of network operations, laying a solid foundation for China Mobile Shandong’s journey toward Level 4 autonomous networks. It also marks a major milestone in the company’s digital transformation and offers a replicable model for the broader communications industry.

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Heineken reported a significant drop in beer sales in the third quarter on the back of a “challenging” quarter in which economic volatility weighed on consumer sentiment.

The volume of beer the Dutch brewing giant sold in the three months to September fell 4.3 per cent, a deeper decline than the previous quarter, driven by weakening consumer demand and “trade uncertainties” in North and South America, and continued slow growth in Europe. 

It also warned annual profits would be at the lower end of its forecast range of 4 to 8 per cent.

“Macroeconomic volatility persisted as anticipated and became more pronounced in the third quarter, creating a challenging environment, resulting in a mixed performance,” said chief executive Dolf van den Brink. 

Brewing majors AB InBev and Carlsberg, which report next week, are also forecast to announce falling beer sales, as consumers around the world cut back on spending.

Heineken, which brews Amstel, Birra Moretti and Cruzcampo, said revenues fell 1.4 per cent on an organic basis to €8.7bn, although net revenue fell 0.3 per cent to €7.3bn, a lower than expected decline.

The brewer’s results come ahead of its capital markets day on Thursday, when the company is expected to present a plan to reboot its faltering sales.

Commenting on the news that inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages stood at 4.5% in September, Chris Jaccarini, food and farming analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “Food price inflation remained above the headline rate, as the impacts of extreme weather at home and abroad continue to feed through to consumers. UK farmers faced one of the worst harvests ever this year [1], following the hottest summer and spring on record. Although weather is only part of the story, climate change is playing a clear role and farmers are worried [2].
 
“Europe is the fastest warming continent [3], and climate-impacted foods are responsible for around 40% of food price inflation [4], pushing up all our food bills. Extreme weather has driven up the cost of British staples like milk and butter, as well as imports such as coffee, cocoa and olive oil.
 
“Climate change poses a systemic threat to our health, living standards and food security. Central banks may be tasked with controlling inflation, but they can’t avoid climate-driven food price spikes — only cutting emissions to net zero and restoring climate balance can.” 
 
Today’s figures come a day after new analysis from the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) showed that the price of foods hit by extreme weather are rising over four times faster than others in the average shop. The analysis finds that although these items –  butter, beef, milk, coffee and chocolate- make up just 11% of the average shopping basket, they account for nearly 40% of all food price inflation [4]. These items remained the food types with the highest rate of inflation in September, as climate shocks continue to reduce discretionary income.

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

1. https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2025/england-has-second-worst-harvest-on-record-comment

2. https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2025/farmer-confidence-battered-by-climate-change-new-research

3. https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/european-state-of-climate-extreme-events-warmest-year-record

4. https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2025/why-food-prices-are-still-rising-butter-beef-and-milk-to-blame 

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net