Online marketplaces to collect VAT on costlier imports under EU plan
Online marketplaces outside the EU would become responsible for collecting VAT on imports worth more than €150 under a plan agreed by EU finance ministers, affecting purchases delivered to shoppers in Sweden and across the bloc.
The Council’s 9 November agreement extends marketplace responsibility beyond the current €150 limit. The European Parliament must still be consulted and the Council must formally adopt the rules, which are intended to apply from 1 July 2028.
Platforms would collect and pay VAT on behalf of sellers and consumers. The Council says marketplaces should generally include VAT and customs charges in the price shoppers pay at checkout.
The Import One Stop Shop, which lets sellers handle eligible import VAT through registration in one member state, would also cover higher-value shipments and sales from qualifying EU customs warehouses. Goods subject to excise duties remain outside that special VAT scheme.
This changes who accounts for tax and how it is collected; it does not announce a new VAT rate or remove VAT on higher-value purchases. Today’s checkout rules remain unchanged.
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