The tax news sparked fears that sales of insurance policies and other financial products could slow
Published Thu, Aug 6, 2026 · 12:24 PM
[HONG KONG] Hong Kong-listed shares of major insurers, led by Prudential and AIA Group, fell sharply on Thursday (Aug 6) after Caixin reported China’s mainland tax authorities are levying taxes on insurance policy income earned offshore.
Beijing and Hangzhou authorities have started to apply personal income tax rates of 20 per cent on returns from Hong Kong insurance policies, including dividend payouts and interest earned on prepaid premiums, the Chinese business publication reported on Wednesday.
The move was seen by analysts as a potential sharpening of China’s increased scrutiny of offshore investments.
China’s finance ministry and the National Financial Regulatory Administration have not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The overseas-based insurers earn a major share of their business from mainland Chinese customers, and the tax news sparked fears that sales of insurance policies and other financial products could slow.
AIA declined to comment. Prudential, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Hong Kong-based insurer FWD Group and Chinese insurers Ping An Insurance and China Life Insurance did not immediately respond to e-mailed requests for comment.
AIA shares slid 8.2 per cent, Prudential fell more than 5% following a 13 per cent slide in its UK-listed shares, and FWD was down 4.5 per cent, dragging Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index more than 2 per cent lower in early trading on Thursday.
Hong Kong insurance has long been a channel for Chinese investors buying assets abroad, with the policies providing more protection than what is available on the mainland, and related savings and investment products mostly denominated in US dollars.
A drop in domestic bond yields dragged down onshore insurance returns, which further fuelled demand for offshore products in recent years.
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Ping An and China Life Insurance shares fell more than 1 per cent as both firms have a sizable offshore business with Hong Kong assets.
HSBC’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell 2.2 per cent and Standard Chartered was down 1 per cent. Both have large insurance units. HSBC Life ranked No 1 in Hong Kong’s life insurance market for new sales, with a market share of 27 per cent as of end-March, according to the Insurance Authority’s latest data.
Tax clarity needed
Mainland Chinese authorities have escalated scrutiny of offshore investments in recent months, which analysts say could weigh on money flows to Hong Kong, the preferred offshore investment venue for Chinese individuals.
Wealth managers, insurers and banks in Hong Kong have long benefited from that flow of capital. Total deposits from mainland entities have risen about 50 per cent since 2023 to US$237 billion, according to a Gavekal Dragonomics report.
Hong Kong was Prudential’s largest profit contributor in 2025. In its annual results in March, it attributed its 12 per cent growth in new business profit in the financial hub to sales growth across both domestic customers and visitors from mainland China.
While insurance company shareholders were nervous about the impact of a new tax, it would be less of a threat than a total ban on buying offshore insurance, analysts said.
The key factors underpinning demand for Hong Kong insurance, including the drive for asset diversification offshore and multi-currency flexibility, remained intact, Citi analysts said in a client note.
“We view the current sell-off is more panic-driven and overdone,” they said.
Jefferies analysts said tax changes could reduce the appeal of Hong Kong insurance products relative to domestic ones, but could also ease fears that Beijing may eventually ban offshore insurance sales outright.
China’s increased monitoring of overseas investments comes as it wants to bolster its domestic capital markets and companies.
Until there is greater clarity on whether regulators plan to impose a broad-ranging tax on insurance income, there is likely to be a “share price overhang” for the listed insurers, Goldman Sachs analysts said. REUTERS