Moldovans will have to pay value-added tax (VAT) and a fee on parcels received from abroad starting in October. The measure is included in the new fiscal and budgetary policy approved by the Government.
Finance Minister Victoria Belous said the changes are intended to eliminate what authorities consider an unjustified competitive advantage enjoyed by cross-border e-commerce compared with local businesses.
The new rules will introduce a special VAT regime for distance sales of imported goods worth up to €150 per parcel. In addition, a 12-lei handling fee will be charged per parcel through postal service providers.
“Introducing a special VAT regime for distance sales of imported goods worth up to €150 per parcel, together with a 12-lei handling fee per parcel, applicable through postal service providers — a measure that eliminates the unjustified competitive advantage of cross-border e-commerce over local retailers,” Belous said at a Cabinet meeting.
According to government estimates, the changes are expected to generate around 1.6 billion lei in additional state budget revenues.