New rules for online shopping: parcels taxed 20% VAT from October 1
Starting October 1, 2026, all parcels valued at less than 150 euros will be subject to a standard Value Added Tax (VAT) of 20%. Finance Minister Andrian Gavriliță clarified that this measure is not a new tax; rather, it involves removing an existing exemption.
"We are not introducing new taxes; rather, we will be eliminating exemptions," Gavriliță explained to Realitatea. He emphasized that this decision aims to simplify tax collection and reduce bureaucracy in the relationship between citizens and the state.
The new system will be designed so that citizens do not have to visit the tax office or customs to pay their taxes.
"No citizen should have to go to the tax office or customs. We are doing everything possible to ensure that this cost is included in the sale price or can be paid when picking up a package at the post office," the Minister of Finance stated.
He also noted that, in this way, the Republic of Moldova will align its system with practices in the European Union, addressing the common issue of online commerce replacing traditional commerce in several countries.
The minister stressed the importance of fiscal equity, stating that consumption taxation must be uniform.
"If a pensioner pays 20% at the store, then we must pay the same," he explained, highlighting that the revenues collected are essential for financing public services such as education, healthcare, and pensions.
In this context, the Minister of Finance announced his opposition to the initiative proposed by Renato Usatîi and the deputies of the Our Party faction, which sought to increase the non-taxable ceiling for parcels from 150 to 500 euros.
"I do not want to raise the non-taxable ceilings because this is citizens' money," the minister said, arguing that any exemption reduces the budget revenues available for salaries and pensions.
According to data from the Ministry of Finance, approximately 10 million parcels arrived in the Republic of Moldova in 2025, with an estimated total value of about 10 billion lei. Minister Gavriliță noted that if these goods had been sold through stores, the state budget could have collected at least 2 billion lei in VAT.
