Hetmantsev says Rada lacks potential to tax parcels valued up to EUR 150

Danylo Hetmantsev, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Taxation, and Customs Policy, supports reducing the threshold at which parcels from abroad are taxed, from the current level of EUR 150. However, he states that the Verkhovna Rada lacks the potential to make such a decision and calls on interested businesses to take a more active position.

"I am convinced that the businesses harmed by this exemption need to communicate more consistently the necessity of this decision to the public and members of the Verkhovna Rada. At the moment, we do not see the potential for its adoption in parliament," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to Hetmantsev, even without a similar decision being made by U.S. President Donald Trump, the need for such a measure to protect national interests is obvious.

"The national interests of the state do not lie in supporting Chinese manufacturers or Chinese marketplaces. We must support our own producers, our own retail, and we definitely should not give preferences to foreigners. Currently, this exemption benefits foreigners. Let’s also be frank: it creates a large loophole for smuggled imports, which are broken down into these small [or not so small] parcels of EUR 150 each," emphasized the committee chairman.

As reported, it was proposed to lower the taxation threshold to EUR 45 – the level set in the EU.