The General Director of the state-owned company "Ukrposhta" Ihor Smilyanskyi revealed the details of the mechanism for collecting VAT and customs duties on international parcels. The new rules will come into effect from July 1, 2027, but the payment algorithm for the end consumer will differ significantly depending on the chosen marketplace and its integration with Ukrainian systems.
The General Director of the state-owned company "Ukrposhta" Ihor Smilyanskyi revealed the details of the mechanism for collecting VAT and customs duties on international parcels. The new rules will come into effect from July 1, 2027, but the payment algorithm for the end consumer will differ significantly depending on the chosen marketplace and its integration with Ukrainian systems.
The official spoke about the details of the preparation and technical implementation of the initiative during the broadcast of the YouTube project Business Breakfast from Forbes Ukraine. According to Smilyansky, the postal operator joined the development of the document approximately four months before its adoption in order to remove requirements that could complicate logistics.
In particular, the text managed to exclude a provision that would oblige every foreign trading platform to open a Ukrainian subsidiary and register as a local taxpayer. The head of the state-owned company called such an idea a real utopia.
For users of popular Chinese platforms like AliExpress and Temu, where about three million Ukrainians place orders every month, the purchase process will hardly change. These platforms already have established digital interaction with the postal operator. As soon as a shipment leaves China, customs automatically receives data for risk assessment and limit checking. Under the new rules, VAT will be immediately included in the price of the goods on the website, and the duty can be paid in the Ukrposhta application without paperwork.
According to Smilyansky, the average cost of a parcel from Chinese platforms is about $10-11 — usually small gadgets, phone cases, or basic clothing items. After the tax is introduced, the final price of such a standard basket will increase by about $2.
A completely different situation awaits customers of the American Amazon. The platform does not plan to programmatically integrate with Ukrainian customs due to the relatively small volume of the local market. Accordingly, the buyer will receive a notification in the mobile application with a requirement to pay 20% VAT on their own. If the payment is not received, the system will automatically return the parcel to the sender.
Commenting on the risks of smuggling and shadow imports, Smilyansky stressed the importance of end-to-end control: "To avoid black holes, we need to track goods from the border to the checkout. I expect the big players to be as persistent in the fight against shadow channels as they are in the VAT issue. If this does not happen, we will have to return to new legislative measures."
