Safeguarding Lottery Invoice Pilot Program Advances Orderly, Three Types of Violations to Be Monitored and Handled

To further unleash consumer potential, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Taxation Administration will conduct a six-month lottery invoice pilot program in 50 cities starting early 2026. On March 18, officials reported that by March 12, the pilot cities had issued 1.85 billion yuan in prizes, attracting a total of 230 million participants, with positive effects on boosting consumption becoming evident.

The more popular the activity, the more it needs regulation and oversight. Officials have found that some consumers and merchants, in an attempt to increase their chances of winning, violate activity rules by engaging in behaviors such as invalidating invoices with red ink after the draw, repeatedly voiding invoices, and other misconduct. These actions disrupt fair participation order and harm the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.

A relevant official from the State Taxation Administration’s Department of Tax Collection and Technology Development stated that, according to laws and regulations, during the lottery invoice activities, authorities will focus on monitoring and investigating three types of violations: issuing false invoices, unreasonable splitting or merging of invoices, and red ink cancellations of invoices.

“Invoices cannot be arbitrarily voided or canceled without a valid reason,” the official explained. The so-called “red ink cancellation” refers to invalidating an original invoice due to reasons such as returned sales, billing errors, suspension of taxable services, or sales discounts.

Professor Yang Yanying from the School of Government Management at Central University of Finance and Economics said that coordinated supervision by departments such as commerce, finance, and taxation, along with real-time verification of invoice information and data sharing, will effectively prevent violations like false invoicing and red ink cancellations. This will ensure the activity’s regulation and fairness, and support the orderly progress of the pilot. Merchants and consumers should follow rules related to invoice issuance and lottery participation to jointly create a fair, orderly, and honest consumption environment, truly benefiting the people, and achieving the goals of boosting consumption and stabilizing growth. (Reporter Liu Kaixiong)

【Source: Palm Qujing】