China is preparing its largest recruitment of tax officials in more than ten years as Beijing advances tax reforms and tightens enforcement amid a widening budget deficit, the Financial Times (FT) has reported.

According to data from the state civil service administration cited by the newspaper, central and local tax bureaus are set to add 25,004 civil servants in 2026. 

These positions will account for roughly two-thirds of all new government positions to be filled through the national civil service examination, which attracts millions of candidates each year.

The planned intake marks the fourth consecutive year of elevated hiring in the tax system.

The 2026 cohort is expected to edge past the previous high of 24,985 tax recruits recorded in 2023, making it the largest intake since at least 2012.

This expansion is planned even as the total number of civil service jobs on offer is forecast to decline slightly.

Li Qian, a specialist at the research institute of Offcn Education Technology, which prepares candidates for the civil service exam, told the FT that part of the increase reflects the need to replace staff who joined the tax system during a major recruitment drive in the 1980s and are now retiring.

“But stepped-up tax supervision and scrutiny also contributed to the increasing hiring by creating lots of demand for finance, accounting, statistics and IT professionals,” Li said.

The recruitment push comes as Beijing pursues tax reforms and tighter enforcement against the backdrop of a widening fiscal deficit.

President Xi Jinping’s administration is seeking to shore up public finances while increasing government spending to support weak consumer demand.

At the same time, a prolonged property downturn and restrictions on various local fee collections have left many regional governments facing acute revenue pressures.