Turkey bumps customs tax, reduces limit for e-commerce purchases
Turkey has increased the customs tax for goods bought via e-commerce channels to 30 percent for the European market, and 60 percent for other markets. The maximum individual spending was decreased from 150 to 30 Euros, significantly limiting citizens’ options for online shopping.
Duvar English
Turkey on Aug. 6 implemented a tax increase concerning individual e-commerce purchases from abroad. According to the decision published in the Official Gazette with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's signature, goods arriving by mail or express cargo to an individual, valued up to 30 euros, and medicinal items valued up to 1,500 euros were subjected to increased taxes.
Taxation for items directly from European Union countries was increased from 18 to 30 percent, while customs duty for items from other countries was doubled from 30 to 60 percent.
Additionally, the maximum allowance for individual shopping was reduced to 30 euros. The limit was previously 150 euros.
The regulation specified that all customs procedures for goods valued between 30 euros and 1,500 euros, which are not in commercial quantities or nature, must be monitored and finalized.
It also required that the purchased items not exceed 30 kilograms. Items exceeding 30 kilograms would be subject to commercial customs laws, and an additional 48 percent customs tax would be applied when calculating items exceeding this weight.
The regulation will come into effect as of 21 August.