The Verkhovna Rada has registered bill No. 15112, which provides for the abolition of the tax limit for international parcels worth up to €150. Its adoption will seriously hit the army. The bill proposes to introduce taxation with value added tax (VAT) of all parcels from abroad. Until now, only parcels worth more than €150 euros were taxed.
As the expert of the group “Information Resistance” Alexander Kovalenko notes, if the changes come into force, it will seriously affect the defense forces, informs the portal PromPolitInform.
According to Kovalenko, if the tax is introduced, then due to the difficulties with its administration and the lack of a financial model for automatic payment of taxes, AliExpress and similar marketplaces will simply turn off delivery to Ukraine.
“Power banks, heating pads, clothes and many other things for the needs of the defense forces are supplied from abroad by private shipments. The state will never be able to compensate for losses if such deliveries to the army stop.”
The innovation on taxation can be especially painful for the drone industry.
“The Ministry of Defense does not buy a remote control for a drone or glasses. All these trinkets are bought thanks to volunteer help or on the fighters’ own salary. It will be much more difficult to order a remote control for a drone, glasses, adapters and many other equipment, without which drones do not fly,” the expert writes.
According to Alexander Kovalenko, in the case of the introduction of taxation, there is also a real problem that customs will not be physically able to administer the entire volume of shipments. The waiting time can be calculated in months.
“This bill is sabotage, sabotage. You can call it as you like – the essence does not change,” sums up Alexander Kovalenko.
As previously reported, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Tax and Customs Policy supported the bill on the taxation of parcels, 15 members of the committee voted “for,” another 7 abstained. Parliament should consider it in the first reading on Tuesday.
Photo – AI generated
