I submitted my refund weeks ago — how long until the money actually arrives?
Longer than you'd expect, and the APP explains none of it. A refund passes through three stages — tax review, treasury processing, bank posting — and "国库处理中" means you've cleared the first one: the tax bureau has approved your refund and handed it to the People's Bank treasury department, which is now moving the money to your bank. From submission to cash in hand, expect several weeks; during the March filing peak, expect more.
The three stages and what each status means
| Stage | APP status | What's happening |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tax review | 税务审核中 | The bureau checks your filing data; may ask for supporting documents |
| 2. Treasury processing | 国库处理中 | Review passed; the refund order is with the treasury for payment |
| 3. Bank posting | 国库退库 / 到账 | Treasury has released the funds; your bank credits your account |
"国库处理中" is actually good news — it means the bureau found nothing wrong with your filing. The wait from here is administrative: the treasury processes the payment order and your bank posts it. Neither step is instant, and neither shows progress in the APP, which is why this stage feels like a black hole.
Why it takes weeks, not days
Two structural reasons. First, the settlement window is March 1–June 30, and early March brings a flood of applications — the system processes them in batches, so peak-season refunds queue. Second, every handoff is a separate institution: tax bureau → treasury → commercial bank. A problem at any handoff stalls the whole chain silently.
The single most common stall is the bank account. The refund must go to a domestic bank account in your own name, and accounts that are frozen, closed, downgraded, or not Ⅰ类 are the top reason for "国库退库失败" (treasury refund failed) — the stage right after "国库处理中." If your status has sat unchanged for weeks, check the account first, then the APP's message center for document requests you may have missed.
What to do while waiting
- Check the refund record in the APP rather than resubmitting — duplicate applications don't speed anything up.
- Make sure the bank account is healthy: your own name, domestic, normal status, ideally Ⅰ类. If you changed cards recently, update it in the APP.
- Watch the message center. If the bureau needs documents, the request appears there; the review pauses until you upload them.
- Still nothing after a long wait? Call 12366 with your filing records ready. They can see which stage your refund is actually stuck at.
Frequently asked questions
Is "国库处理中" the same as approved?
Effectively yes — the tax review is done and passed. What remains is the treasury and bank doing their part. It can still fail at the bank-account step, so keep the account valid until the money lands.
My friend got hers in three days. Why is mine stuck for a month?
Small, simple refunds filed off-peak often fly through automated review. Larger amounts, complicated income (multiple payers, freelance income), or anything filed in early March is more likely to queue for manual checks or batch processing. Same system, different lanes.
Can I cancel the refund application and refile to "reset" it?
Don't. Cancelling and refiling puts you at the back of the queue and can trigger a fresh review. If the application is already in treasury processing, there's nothing to fix — waiting is the only move.
Sources
- 国家税务总局令第57号, 个人所得税综合所得汇算清缴管理办法 (Articles 24, 26: refund review and treasury refund process)
- CCTV report on refund review vs. treasury refund failure: https://finance.eastmoney.com/a/202606173774912936.html
- https://www.szlhq.gov.cn/shiydmh/zhengwulive/QA/content/post_12153605.html