Starting from October 1, 2026, the law on the platform economy will come into force in Russia, which seriously changes the rules of operation of marketplaces. The new regime affects the entire infrastructure of online commerce: the sites themselves, sellers, owners of pick-up points and tax authorities. The main objective of the law is to make the market more transparent, remove controversial practices in dealing with sellers and strengthen control over the turnover of goods.
One of the key requirements concerns the contractual framework. Marketplaces will be required to conclude official electronic contracts with sellers and owners of PVZ and verify information about counterparties through state registers. This dramatically increases the requirements for identifying market participants and reduces the space for working through opaque schemes. For sellers, this means a more formalized entry into the platforms and stricter verification of data already at the start of cooperation.
The law also restricts the freedom of the sites in the matter of commissions and discounts. Marketplaces are prohibited from unilaterally changing the terms of cooperation without prior notice. A separate rule on prices is fixed: it is possible to reduce the cost of goods at the expense of the seller only with his written consent. This is one of the most sensitive blocks for the market, because the dispute over forced discounts and imposed conditions has been one of the most acute topics in the relationship between sites and sellers.
Commodity control is also being significantly strengthened. The sites will have to monitor the availability of certificates and labels for the products sold. Products with labeling violations may actually be cut off from sales. At the same time, marketplaces are moving to regular reporting to the government: they are required to provide monthly data on the turnover of all sellers to the Federal Tax Service. This is no longer a point-to-point monitoring of risky accounts, but a system upload of information across the entire pool of sellers.
The tax effect on the market may be noticeable. The article cites the position of the Federal Tax Service, which emphasizes that strengthening data exchange is aimed at leveling competition and preventing violations. At the same time, experts directly link the new rules to a reduction in tax avoidance opportunities. It is estimated that part of the current price difference between marketplaces and offline retail is formed precisely due to opaque schemes. As a result, products on the sites may rise in price: on average, we are talking about an increase of 5-15%, and in some categories — up to 20-30%.
The tax reform around VAT is also creating additional pressure. The publication states that a phased reduction of the exemption threshold has already begun: from 60 million rubles to 20 million in 2026 and to 10 million by 2028. For small and medium-sized sellers, this means tougher financial discipline, a review of the business structure, and the abandonment of some of the schemes that supported low online prices. As a result, marketplaces are increasingly becoming a digital control infrastructure, where every operation is visible to the state in almost real time.
Sites will have to restructure internal procedures, sellers will have to adjust the tax and legal model, and buyers will have to get used to a more expensive but more transparent market. In the coming months, it is the speed of adaptation to new requirements that will determine who will maintain margins and who will face rising costs and loss of turnover.
