Notice on Further Improving the Distribution of Rewards and Subsidies for High-level Talents in Shenzhen Issued by the Shenzhen Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the Shenzhen Finance Bureau and the Shenzhen Housing and Construction Bureau
To all relevant units:
In order to implement a more competitive policy for cultivating and attracting high-caliber, specialized, and cutting-edge talents, and to ensure the proper disbursement of rewards and subsidies for our city’s high-level talents as well as working funds for outstanding talents, in accordance with the “Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Regulations on Talent Work,” the “Shenzhen Measures for Ensuring Housing for Talents” (Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government Order No. 273), and the municipal Party Committee and municipal government’s Several Measures for Promoting the Priority Development of Talents, we hereby notify the following matters:
(1) Rewards and Subsidies.Outstanding talents, national-level leading talents, local-level leading talents, reserve-level talents, and overseas Category A, B, and C talents (hereinafter collectively referred to as “high-level talents”) who have been recognized by our city on or after March 23, 2016 (inclusive, same below) may apply for high-level talent rewards and subsidies.
(2) Working Funds.For outstanding talents recognized by our city on or after March 23, 2016, their employing units may apply for working funds for outstanding talents.
(1) Rewards and Subsidies.Applicants for rewards and subsidies must meet the following conditions:
1. The applicant must work full-time in Shenzhen. The applicant must have legally paid social insurance premiums and declared individual income tax on wages and salaries in our city for a cumulative period of at least six months (excluding retroactive payments or declarations; same below), except for those who are not required to pay social insurance or declare individual income tax due to policy reasons.
If an applicant falls under any of the following circumstances, they will not be considered to be working full-time in Shenzhen:
(1) Having established a labor (employment) relationship with an employer outside the city;
(2) Paying employee social insurance premiums or declaring individual income tax on wages and salaries outside the city without being necessary for fulfilling full-time work in Shenzhen;
(3) Receiving labor remuneration outside the city that exceeds their wages and salaries earned in Shenzhen;
(4) Being an entrepreneur in Shenzhen whose business is not operating normally and has not paid taxes in accordance with the law;
(5) Other circumstances constituting non-full-time employment.
2. Neither the applicant nor their spouse has purchased any government-subsidized housing (referring to various types of housing with preferential policies, including quasi-cost housing, full-cost housing, socially beneficial low-profit housing, full-cost low-profit housing, affordable housing, government-assisted commodity housing, and government-granted housing, etc.).
3. Neither the applicant nor their spouse has previously benefited from a housing policy providing rent-free accommodation of approximately 200 square meters for ten years.
4. Applicants classified as local-level leading talents or reserve-level talents must also hold Shenzhen household registration.
5. Applicants falling under any of the following circumstances are not eligible to apply for rewards and subsidies:
(1) Having records within the past five years of major administrative violations, false reporting, fraudulent claims, misappropriation of public funds, breaches of research ethics or scientific integrity, or having directly or primarily borne responsibility for such misconduct affecting the applying unit;
(2) Having received criminal penalties or currently being investigated by judicial authorities without a final conclusion;
(3) Having pending, unresolved, or incompletely rectified administrative penalties, or bearing direct or primary responsibility for such actions affecting the applying unit;
(4) Being listed as a discredited person subject to enforcement or bearing direct or primary responsibility for the applying unit being so listed;
(5) Being included on the Shenzhen Public Credit Information Platform’s list of seriously untrustworthy entities;
(6) Failing to complete the prescribed tenure evaluation for high-level talents or receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation result.
6. The applicant and their employing unit shall commit that the entity signing the labor (employment) contract, the social insurance payment unit, and the tax filing unit are all identical, and that during the tenure year corresponding to the reward subsidy application, the applicant does not fall under any of the circumstances specified in this notice as “not considered full-time employment in Shenzhen” or “ineligible to apply for rewards and subsidies.”
(2) Working Funds.Employers applying for working funds for outstanding talents must simultaneously meet the following conditions:
1. Being legally registered in our city;
2. Having signed a labor (employment) contract with the outstanding talent;
3. The outstanding talent must be working full-time in Shenzhen.
(1) Rewards and Subsidies
1. Outstanding talents: reward subsidy standard of 6 million yuan;
National-level leading talents and Category A talents: reward subsidy standard of 3 million yuan;
Local-level leading talents and Category B talents: reward subsidy standard of 2 million yuan;
Reserve-level talents and Category C talents: reward subsidy standard of 1.6 million yuan.
Reward subsidies are disbursed in installments over a five-year tenure, with one payment per tenure year calculated based on the actual number of qualifying months (if the number of qualifying months within a tenure year is less than six, no payment will be made for that tenure year).
The maximum amounts are as follows: 1.2 million yuan for outstanding talents; 600,000 yuan for national-level leading talents and Category A talents; 400,000 yuan for local-level leading talents and Category B talents; and 320,000 yuan for reserve-level talents and Category C talents.
2. Applications for reward subsidies must be submitted within twelve months after the end of each tenure year.
Specifically, first-time applicants who have already been working full-time in Shenzhen and have cumulatively paid social insurance premiums and declared individual income tax on wages and salaries for twelve months may submit their applications three months after obtaining high-level talent recognition (confirmation).
(2) Working Funds
1. The working fund standard for outstanding talents is 1 million yuan, disbursed in a single payment to the employing unit, with each individual eligible to claim only once.
2. Applications for working funds must be submitted within twenty-four months after obtaining outstanding talent recognition, and at the time of submission, the outstanding talent must have been working full-time in Shenzhen and have cumulatively paid social insurance premiums and declared individual income tax on wages and salaries for nine months.
(1) Rewards and Subsidies
1. Application Submission.
High-level talents applying for rewards and subsidies shall have their employing units submit the following materials to the municipal human resources and social security department:
(1) “Shenzhen High-Level Talent Rewards and Subsidy Application Form”;
(2) “High-Level Talent Rewards and Subsidy Declaration Commitment Letter”;
(3) “People’s Republic of China Individual Income Tax Payment Statement” (the record period must include the tenure year corresponding to the intended reward subsidy application);
(4) Valid identification documents for overseas applicants.
Hong Kong and Macao permanent residents shall use their permanent Hong Kong/Macao resident identity cards and “Permits for Residents of Hong Kong and Macao to Travel to Mainland China”;
Mainland residents who have settled in Hong Kong or Macao (and have cancelled their mainland household registration) shall use their Hong Kong/Macao resident identity cards and “Permits for Residents of Hong Kong and Macao to Travel to Mainland China”;
Residents of Taiwan shall use “Permits for Residents of Taiwan to Travel to Mainland China”; foreign nationals shall use passports or foreign permanent residence permits;
(5) Entrepreneurial talents shall provide their enterprises’ tax payment records.
2. Acceptance and Review.
If the application materials are complete and meet the eligibility criteria, the municipal human resources and social security department shall accept the application and issue a review opinion within forty working days from the date of acceptance.
If hearings, investigations, or expert appraisals are legally required before the municipal human resources and social security department makes its administrative decision, such procedures shall not exceed sixty working days and will not be counted toward the aforementioned deadline.
3. Public Announcement.
High-level talents approved through review as eligible for reward subsidies (except where otherwise stipulated by the municipal talent management authorities) shall be publicly announced collectively on the municipal human resources and social security department’s website for five working days.
4. Disbursement.
After the announcement period concludes without objection, the municipal human resources and social security department shall, in accordance with relevant financial regulations, transfer the reward subsidy funds for high-level talents to the applicant’s financial social security card account or another designated personal account the following month.
(2) Working Funds
1. Application Submission.
The employing unit of an outstanding talent applying for working funds shall submit the following materials to the municipal human resources and social security department:
(1) “Shenzhen Outstanding Talent Working Fund Application Form”;
(2) “Shenzhen Outstanding Talent Working Fund Declaration Commitment Letter”;
(3) “Labor (Employment) Contract Signed with the Outstanding Talent Working Full-Time in Shenzhen”;
(4) “Individual Income Tax Payment Statement of the Outstanding Talent in the People’s Republic of China.”
2. Acceptance and Review.
If the application materials are complete and meet the eligibility criteria, the municipal human resources and social security department shall accept the application, offer preliminary processing opinions on the materials, and then consult with the municipal talent management authorities to determine the list of recipients.
3. Disbursement.
The municipal human resources and social security department shall disburse the working funds in accordance with relevant financial regulations. For outstanding talents whose employing units are budget-managed institutions, the municipal finance department shall directly allocate funding indicators to those units;
For outstanding talents whose employing units are not budget-managed, the working funds shall be disbursed by the municipal human resources and social security department into the basic bank account of the employing unit.
(1) If an applicant falls under any of the following circumstances, the disbursement of rewards and subsidies shall be terminated:
1. The applicant terminates employment in Shenzhen during their valid tenure or has their high-level talent qualification revoked;
2. Other circumstances requiring termination of reward subsidy disbursement.
(2) Circumstances leading to termination of outstanding talent working fund disbursement:
When an outstanding talent terminates employment in Shenzhen or has their recognition revoked, their employing unit shall submit a written report to the municipal human resources and social security department detailing the expenditure and balance of the working funds, and return any remaining funds as prescribed.
(1) The municipal human resources and social security department is responsible for preparing the annual budgets and final accounts for rewards and subsidies as well as working funds, and for supervising and managing the use of these funds;
It reviews applicant qualifications and submitted materials, disburses rewards and subsidies as well as working funds, may conduct investigations into related matters concerning rewards and subsidies and working funds, and takes appropriate measures accordingly;
It conducts performance evaluations of policy implementation and promptly revises and improves relevant policy provisions.
(2) The municipal finance department is responsible for reviewing and approving, as prescribed, the annual budgets and final accounts for high-level talent funds;
It processes the allocation of funding indicators according to regulations;
It oversees the overall use of funds, guides special fund performance evaluations, and organizes key performance evaluations as needed.
(3) The municipal housing construction department is responsible for providing information regarding applicants and their families’ eligibility for home purchase优惠政策, as well as outstanding talents’ eligibility for rent-free housing.
For domestic high-level talents benefiting from reward subsidies as stipulated in this notice, the disbursement of their home purchase subsidies for the remaining tenure after March 23, 2016, shall be terminated.
(1) Applicants and their employing units shall bear responsibility for the authenticity, completeness, validity, and legality of the materials they submit, and shall accept supervision and inspection by relevant departments.
For applicants and employing units using false materials or information to apply—for example, if the reward subsidy or working fund has not yet been disbursed—such applications shall be disqualified;
If disbursement has already occurred, they shall be ordered to refund or have the funds recovered, and dealt with in accordance with relevant regulations, with adverse records entered into the Shenzhen Public Credit Information Resource Directory and pushed to the municipal public credit information platform, while their applications for reward subsidies and working funds shall not be accepted for five years.
Those suspected of criminal offenses shall be transferred to judicial authorities for handling in accordance with the law.
(2) The municipal human resources and social security department may conduct spot checks on applicants and their employing units both during and after the process, and may require them to supplementarily provide materials such as pay stubs, entry/exit records, housing (site) lease contracts, employee rosters, bank statements, and unit tax records for verification.
Upon verification of breaches of the commitment to integrity, the municipal human resources and social security department shall disqualify the applicant and employing unit and handle them in accordance with relevant regulations;
Any reward subsidy funds and working funds already disbursed shall be fully refunded by the applicant and employing unit, or legally recovered by the municipal human resources and social security department.
(3) When applicants and employing units return funds they have already received, they shall do so in a single transaction to the designated account as prescribed, and submit proof of refund to the municipal human resources and social security department.
(4) If relevant departments and staff members violate relevant regulations during the disbursement process, fail to conscientiously fulfill their duties, or abuse their authority, neglect their responsibilities, or engage in favoritism and corruption in management and supervision, they shall be dealt with in accordance with the “Regulations on Penalties and Disciplinary Actions for Fiscal Violations” and other relevant provisions; those suspected of criminal offenses shall be transferred to judicial authorities for legal handling.
(1) Domestic high-level talents recognized before March 22, 2016, who remain within their tenure period after March 23, 2016, and are eligible for home purchase subsidies under our city’s talent housing policy, as well as overseas high-level talents eligible for reward subsidies under the “Peacock Plan,” shall receive reward subsidies for their remaining tenure years according to the new standards, but shall no longer be eligible for home purchase subsidies under our city’s talent housing policy or reward subsidies for overseas high-level talents under the “Peacock Plan.”
(2) Newly recognized domestic and overseas high-level talents after March 23, 2016, if they or their spouses are currently receiving home purchase subsidies or housing reform subsidies, may apply to switch to reward subsidies after completing change-of-eligibility procedures at the municipal housing construction department.
When issuing the reward subsidy amount, the amount already received by the applicant and their spouse in home purchase subsidies or housing reform subsidies shall be deducted.
Change-of-eligibility procedures can only be carried out once; if the applicant or their spouse applies to switch to reward subsidies but does not actually receive them, they may apply to the municipal housing construction department to revoke the change-of-eligibility procedure.
(3) For changes in high-level talent categories and levels, reward subsidies may be issued according to the new category and level standards, but the previously received reward subsidies or home purchase subsidies shall be deducted.
(4) During the tenure year for which a reward subsidy is applied, if the applicant pays employee social insurance premiums or declares individual income tax on wages and salaries outside the city for a cumulative period exceeding six months, no reward subsidy will be granted for that tenure year.
If an applicant falls under any of the following circumstances and has not received any reward subsidies from other regions, the months spent paying social insurance premiums or declaring individual income tax on wages and salaries outside the city shall not be deducted:
1. The applicant has founded an enterprise in Shenzhen and, due to expanding operations in other regions, serves as the legal representative, principal executive, or investor of a company located elsewhere, while the amount of individual income tax paid in those regions is less than what is paid in Shenzhen.
2. The applicant has resigned from a company in another region and signed a non-compete agreement, receiving non-compete compensation during the term of the agreement.
3. The applicant belongs to personnel from regional institutions who have left their posts to innovate and start businesses, or have taken unpaid leave, and has completed the relevant procedures as prescribed.
4. The applicant’s unit is a subordinate or managing organization of a regional institution, and has completed appointment procedures for the original personnel organization department to which the applicant belonged, as well as filing procedures with the corresponding Shenzhen department.
(5) Simultaneously for domestic and overseas high-level talents, duplicate enjoyment of reward subsidies is prohibited.
Eligible high-level talents cannot simultaneously apply for reward subsidies and the Shenzhen Industry Development and Innovation Talent Award, or the overseas high-end scarce talent tax incentive policy within the same calendar year.
(6) Selections for the national major talent project who have relocated to our city shall be governed by existing relevant regulations.
(7) High-level talent reward subsidies are to be independently managed and spent by the high-level talents themselves;
Outstanding talent working funds shall be used by the employing unit in accordance with relevant fund management regulations for the outstanding talent’s research activities; the employing unit shall establish sound internal control and oversight mechanisms, standardize the management of working fund usage, and accept relevant supervision and inspections.
(8) If both the applicant and their spouse are high-level talents, only the party meeting the conditions stipulated in this notice may apply for reward subsidies, and deductions shall be made for any home purchase subsidies, housing reform subsidies, and reward subsidies for overseas high-level talents, housing reform subsidies, and other benefits already received by the spouse (former spouse), particularly the portion received by the former spouse after March 23, 2016, and throughout the duration of the marriage.
(9) Those who have already claimed their tenure-year reward subsidies in accordance with the “Notice of the Shenzhen Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Shenzhen Municipal Finance Bureau, and Shenzhen Municipal Housing Construction Bureau Regarding Matters Concerning the Disbursement of Rewards and Subsidies for High-Level Talents in Shenzhen” (Shenrenshegui [2017] No. 8), but still had incomplete coverage of their tenure-year reward subsidies during their initial application prior to the enforcement of this notice (including expired high-level talent certificates), and continue to work full-time in Shenzhen after this notice takes effect (excluding those who do not meet the eligibility criteria or fall under circumstances warranting termination of reward subsidy disbursement), may submit supplementary disbursement applications to the municipal human resources and social security department within 180 days after this notice comes into force; applications submitted after this period will not be accepted.
The municipal human resources and social security department shall review applications based on the eligibility criteria outlined in this notice; eligible applicants shall receive supplementary disbursements.
(10) The “entrepreneurial talents” mentioned in this notice refer to applicants or their spouses serving as legal representatives of their respective organizations;
“Not operating normally” means that the enterprise’s registered location or actual office lacks normal operational signs and does not possess the basic materials, equipment, personnel, and premises required for industrial and commercial registration, or cannot provide production orders (contracts) and other production-related materials, and apart from withholding and remitting individual income tax, has no other self-paid taxes (excluding branches and similar entities).
This notice shall take effect on April 15, 2022, with a validity period of five years.
The “Notice of the Shenzhen Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Shenzhen Municipal Finance Commission, and Shenzhen Municipal Housing Construction Bureau Regarding Matters Concerning the Disbursement of Rewards and Subsidies for High-Level Talents in Shenzhen” (Shenrenshegui [2017] No. 8) shall be simultaneously repealed.
Hereby notified.
Shenzhen Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau
Shenzhen Municipal Finance Bureau
Shenzhen Municipal Housing Construction Bureau
March 17, 2022