Foreign product sales on marketplaces in Russia risk causing a large tax gap in the state budget. Marina Avdienkova, Deputy General Director of the Tax Policy Center, stated that the tax loss could reach 123 billion rubles by the end of 2026 due to foreign sellers being exempt from value-added tax (VAT).
Speaking at a meeting titled 'Taxation Imbalances in the Marketplace Ecosystem' held at the 'Rossiya Segodnya' media group, Avdienkova said, 'Thanks to marketplaces, foreign sellers have gained direct access to Russian consumers, and this access does not require any VAT payment, unlike Russian producers and importers.'
To prevent this loss, the Russian Ministry of Finance has submitted a legislative package to the government containing new regulations for imported goods in e-commerce. Amendments to the Tax Code plan to gradually increase VAT. Accordingly, the VAT rate will be 7% in 2027, 14% in 2028, and 22% from 2029 onwards.
Deputy Finance Minister Aleksey Sazanov stated that imported goods arriving in Russia via marketplaces will be divided into two categories. Sazanov said that products under 200 euros will be subject to VAT, while those above this amount will also incur import duties.