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  • Ukraine is considering scrapping the €150 duty-free threshold on cross-border parcels and imposing 20% VAT on all online purchases from foreign marketplaces, a key IMF condition tied to a new cooperation program. Draft law No. 12430 targets widespread use of small, tax-free parcels for commercial resale.
  • Authorities and domestic retailers argue the current regime distorts competition, subsidizes the shadow economy, and costs the budget an estimated UAH 17 billion in 2025, while contributing to a $35.4 billion trade imbalance over nine months of 2025. Temu alone processed UAH 8.2 billion via Monobank, outpacing major Ukrainian retailers.
  • Opponents, including logistics operators, warn the changes will hit low- and middle-income consumers, military personnel, and family shipments, and could overload customs with millions of small parcels. The Finance Ministry expects eventual implementation after 2026, likely via EU-style VAT collection at the point of sale, with details on thresholds and automation still under discussion.

In Ukraine, a tax may be introduced on all parcels from abroad, even those costing less than €150. Taxation of all parcels from abroad – regardless of their value – becomes one of the key conditions of the new cooperation program between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund.

This topic is part of a broader logic of "closing tax loopholes" and leveling the playing field for legal imports and Ukrainian retail.

We'll break down what this means for consumers, small businesses, and the budget, when the new rules might be launched, and who will feel the changes first.

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