Leading business associations are calling for the removal of tax benefits on parcels from abroad. This issue, which was excluded from the law on increasing the military levy during its passage in the Rada, should be revisited, according to Daniil Getmantsev, head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax, and customs policy.
"Currently, we are effectively giving an advantage to Chinese and foreign manufacturers, placing our producers at a disadvantage. This is an absolutely harmful and senseless decision. Businesses are shedding 'crocodile tears.' Therefore, we need to return to this issue; it is obvious to me," he stated in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
Getmantsev reported that a meeting took place last week with leading associations: the American Chamber of Commerce, the European Business Association, the Ukrainian Business Council, and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine.
"These four associations unanimously demand—not just request—that we remove tax benefits on parcels. This issue is not fiscal, as the fiscal impact calculated by the Ministry of Finance was around 8 billion UAH, which is not that much; it is a matter of saving Ukrainian businesses: both producers and retailers," emphasized the committee head.
He added that it would be interesting to know the position of Igor Smilyansky, the head of the board of "Ukrposhta," who was recently appointed by the government as the commissioner for customs reform.
As reported, the government submitted bill No. 11416 "On Amendments to the Tax Code and Other Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Features of Taxation During Martial Law" to the Rada in July this year, proposing to lower the threshold for VAT and import duty on international postal shipments or consignments from EUR 150 to EUR 45. This sparked a significant debate about the appropriateness of such a step, after which this provision was excluded from the draft law.
People's Deputy and First Deputy Head of the relevant tax committee of the Rada, Yaroslav Zheleznyak (Holos party), reported that in the first half of 2024, Ukraine received 33.9 million parcels, of which only 270.6 thousand were taxed for a total of 27.7 million UAH, or 0.8% of the total number.