EBA calls on Verkhovna Rada to abolish preferential tax treatment for parcels worth up to EUR 150

The European Business Association (EBA) has called on members of parliament to adopt a bill to abolish the VAT exemption on international postal and express shipments worth up to EUR 150.

As the association said in a statement on Thursday, similar exemptions in the EU were abolished back in 2021, and the EU plans to also abolish the duty exemption for such goods as of July 1, 2026. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the current regulation is often used to mass-splinter industrial batches of goods into smaller parcels to avoid taxation.

"More than 56% of international shipments in 2025 were tax-exempt—that’s UAH 92.9 billion in goods outside the fiscal register. Direct budget losses last year alone amounted to at least UAH 18.6 billion. Total losses from the outbreak of a full-scale war could have exceeded UAH 43 billion," the association notes.

According to EBA forecasts, the state budget shortfall due to this benefit could increase to UAH 27 billion in 2026.

The Association insists on the official publication of the full updated version of the bill and its immediate adoption. The EBA emphasizes that official importers are losing out to tax-exempt goods, while incurring additional costs for warranty service and advertising.

As reported, the abolition of preferential customs clearance for parcels valued at up to EUR 150 (bill No. 15112-1) is one of the structural milestones of the IMF cooperation program, which Ukraine was required to implement by the end of March 2026. According to the Ministry of Finance, implementing this provision will generate approximately UAH 10 billion in additional budget revenue annually. Meanwhile, according to media reports, the Verkhovna Rada is currently working to gather the necessary votes to support this initiative.