The Handelsverband has filed an official internal market complaint with the European Commission against a new national parcel tax. This legal action was initiated just five days after the regulation, which impacts online retail, officially came into force.
Managing Director Rainer Will states the tax imposes a 2.40 Euro surcharge on online orders. The Handelsverband reports that this regulation affects every third domestic webshop and increases the total costs for approximately every second online purchase.
The complaint alleges the Austrian regulation violates European Union law and the free movement of goods. The Handelsverband has requested that the European Commission initiate infringement proceedings to address these concerns regarding the parcel tax.