Abstract: The tar formed in the process of biomass gasification not only reduces the utilization rate of biomass energy while increasing the maintenance cost of system, but also affects the long-term stable operations of gasification system seriously. How to effectively remove the tar from gasification process has become an urgent problem for researchers. As the ingredients of biomass tar is very complex, it is of great importance to select appropriate model compounds that represent the characteristics of tar. Starting from the pyrolysis mechanism of the typical tar model compounds for, the removal pathways of tar model compounds are reviewed from experimental research and theoretical calculation. The reaction mechanism of tar catalytic cracking is summarized with transition metal catalyst as representative. Afterwards, the latest research progress in catalysts and plasma treatment of tar is reviewed and their characteristics are concluded. Finally, the prospect of technologies for efficient tar removal in future is discussed.