The rise in online shopping via mail and cargo from abroad has put local e-commerce sites in a tough spot. The solution was found in increasing taxes and lowering shopping limits.
A similar tax barrier previously applied to the e-commerce company Alibaba has now been imposed on the Chinese e-commerce company Temu. By presidential decree, the upper limit for shopping from abroad via online orders has been reduced from 150 euros to 30 euros. The tax on such purchases has also been increased from 20% to 30% for goods brought from EU countries and from 30% to 60% for goods from other countries, primarily China and the USA. Previously, it was possible to order goods worth up to approximately 5,500 TL from abroad via the internet, but now the value of goods that can be brought in cannot exceed 1,100 TL. Additionally, if this product is ordered from China, the tax to be paid will increase from 330 TL to 660 TL.
STARTS IN 15 DAYS
The application that increases the tax and lowers the limit on online shopping from abroad will come into effect on August 21, 2024. However, since it takes at least 15 days for an order to be completed and delivered to the country, the barrier may practically start on the same day. Therefore, those who want to take advantage of low tax and high limit benefits before the 15-day period ends may face high taxes when the product arrives. The Ministry of Trade defends the decision by stating that consumers complain about the poor quality of some imported products, and due to decreased sales, there have been complaints from manufacturers, SMEs, and trade and industry chambers. However, it is known that the biggest negative impact has been on local internet sites.
REACHING 100 BILLION IN 6 MONTHS
The limitation imposed on online shopping from abroad through tax and limit reductions has been particularly influenced by the rapidly growing e-import in recent times. According to data from the Interbank Card Center (BKM), the total volume of online shopping from abroad with credit cards was 48 billion TL in the first six months of last year. This figure increased by 96% in the first six months of this year, reaching 94 billion TL. Last year, monthly shopping was below 10 billion TL, while this year the figure approached 18 billion TL.
