The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed a new tax for retailers selling imported goods

Thus, officials aim to combat smuggling and support domestic producers.

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, on the instruction of President Vladimir Putin, has prepared proposals for a new national trade model. The deadline for fulfilling the instruction, issued following SPIEF-2025, is October 1.

Special Tax on Imported Goods Sold Through Marketplaces

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed introducing a special tax, effective July 1, 2026, for sellers using the simplified tax system (USN) who sell imported non-food items through online marketplaces. The marketplaces themselves would be designated as tax agents responsible for remitting the levy to the budget. The tax is planned to be extended to offline trade starting in 2027.

The goals are to combat smuggling and level the playing field in taxation. This measure would effectively transform the simplified tax system into a benefit designed to support Russian manufacturers. According to estimates, the measure could generate an additional 1 trillion rubles annually for the federal budget.

Experts note that the innovation will increase costs for import sellers, leading to price hikes and a reduction in product variety on marketplaces.

Other Key Initiatives:

• Discounts: A cap on marketplace investments in discounts is under consideration (no more than 10% of the platform's previous year's total turnover).
• Self-Employed Individuals: Plans are in place to regulate the use of self-employed individuals to prevent the substitution of formal labor agreements with civil-law contracts for cost optimization.
• Offline Trade: The proposal includes allowing retail chains to use intermediary agreements and introducing more flexibility in relations with suppliers.

These initiatives aim to harmonize regulations for online and offline trade.

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