“Austria Surcharge”

“A Clear Own Goal”: Harsh Criticism of the Parcel Tax

The new tax will apply in the future to both orders and returns.(Bild: Ezequiel Martínez - stock.adobe.com)

The parcel tax of two euros per package is intended to bring money into the state coffers and help finance the reduction in the value-added tax. Rainer Will, head of the Trade Association, sees a new “Austria surcharge”: The tax hits the wrong people, drives inflation, and jeopardizes jobs.

The government wants to combat the “Austria surcharge,” but with the new parcel tax, it is creating one itself, says Trade Association spokesman Will, who sees it as an “own goal.”

“In the end, consumers will pay again”
Starting in late September, e-commerce companies with over 100 million euros in revenue will be charged two euros per shipment. The tax will apply even in the case of returns. “In the end, consumers will pay the tax again, and Austrian companies will be at a disadvantage,” says Will. This is because many small and medium-sized enterprises are also affected—those that sell goods via “Amazon Marketplace,” for example.

Online giant Zalando echoes this sentiment. The planned national parcel tax is “counterproductive.” A spokesperson told the “Krone”: “It would simply hit the wrong people: Austrian and European providers would be asked to foot the bill, even though they comply with applicable law and contribute to value creation in Europe. On top of that, we have to expect that non-European providers will evade the tax, which would massively reduce revenue.” This is directed primarily against Temu and Shein.

“The parcel tax was devised with absolutely no economic expertise,” says Will. Hundreds of thousands of jobs in the domestic retail sector are also at stake. At the EU level, a tax on parcels from third countries is set to be introduced soon anyway.

Speaking of the EU: There are also legal concerns. XXXLutz and retailer Otto are already looking into the matter. Similar proposals have failed in Italy, Romania, and Poland.