€2.40 parcel tax now on every Amazon order you place
Since Thursday, 1 October, large online marketplaces in Austria have to charge a new parcel tax of 2.40 euros, of which 40 cents is VAT. It applies to 16 platforms with more than 100 million euros in annual turnover in Austria, including Amazon, Otto, Zalando, Temu and Shein.
Each platform can charge the tax per parcel or per order. Amazon adds it once per order, however many items you buy and however many parcels arrive. On Thursday morning Amazon and Zalando already showed the tax on their bills, while Otto, Ikea and Temu had not yet added it at first. The furniture chain XXXLutz says it will not pass the tax on to customers. Smaller shops below the turnover limit, and many retailers' own web shops, do not charge it. About 4,000 Austrian businesses that sell through the big marketplaces are also affected.
The finance ministry expects the tax to raise 280 million euros, which will partly pay for the VAT cut on selected basic foods that has applied since 1 July. Amazon says it has concerns about whether the law is constitutional and compatible with EU single market rules, and it is seeking legal clarification. Otto expects up to ten retailers to challenge the tax, and the retail association is considering a complaint to the European Commission.
What you can do: combine purchases into one order instead of several small ones, because cheap items become relatively much more expensive. Check your invoice for the parcel tax line, and compare prices with shops that do not charge it before you order.