Austria will implement a new parcel tax on online orders starting October 1, 2026. The basic fee is two euros, totaling 2.40 euros with VAT, or 2.20 euros for books. Retailers with over 100 million euros in annual Austrian turnover must pay the new levy.
Sixteen major webshops like Amazon, Temu, and Zalando are affected, alongside Austrian firms XXXLutz and Refurbed. The tax also applies to 4,000 domestic sellers on marketplaces. Exemptions include click-and-collect, groceries, and private individual sales.
The tax aims to generate 280 million euros annually to fund VAT reductions on basic foods. However, the Austrian Retail Association rejects the move. Otto Austria CEO Harald Gutschi plans to file complaints, citing a projected 3 percent turnover decline.