The Ministry of Finance has submitted to the government a package of bills that change the rules of operation of all cross-border e-commerce in Russia. The main change is VAT on imported goods sold through online platforms. So far, such goods have not been taxed at all.
The rate will increase in stages: 7% in 2027, 14% in 2028, and a full 22% starting in 2029. It will not be the sellers who will pay directly, but the marketplaces themselves as tax agents — they will charge VAT based on the cost of the product.
"This approach will allow organizations to continue to develop in this area and at the same time will help to equalize competitive conditions with traditional retail," the agency explained.
In addition to tax rates, the bill introduces a new architecture of e-commerce regulation: the concept of an "e-commerce operator", an "e-commerce warehouse" and a special customs declaration for goods of this category. In fact, for the first time, the state is creating a separate legal regime for online imports.
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The discussion within the government continues. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and offline retailers advocate the immediate introduction of the full 22% starting in 2027. The Association of Retail Companies insists that delay only exacerbates the competitive imbalance in favor of foreign sites. Marketplaces, in turn, warn that an abrupt transition will bring down cross-border trade.
The Ministry of Economic Development has proposed a compromise on social goods: to keep the reduced rates for them — 3% in 2027, 6% in 2028, 10% from 2029.
For importers working through marketplaces, three years is not long. It is already worth calculating how the cost will change at each of the three rates. Products with a low margin of 5-8% at a rate of 22% cease to be profitable without a review of pricing or a postponement of production.
