In China, VAT exemption has been used as a tax incentive for supporting small and low-profit enterprises (SLEs) in recent years, aimed at reducing their tax burden. However, according to the principle of proportionality, VAT exemptions may not be the most suitable measure for supporting SLEs. The author analyses the validity, necessity, and balance of VAT exemption for SLEs as a tax incentive, suggests optimization options, and offers further thoughts on the regulation of tax incentives in China.