The Austrian trade association, the shipper Otto Austria, the re-commerce company Refurbed and the law firm Dorda sharply criticize the Austrian federal government’s planned parcel tax. The argument: According to a current impact analysis, the levy could cost up to 2,870 jobs annually, reduce GDP by 360 million euros and lead to tax losses of 167 million euros, according to critics during a press conference on June 11th in Vienna.
From October 1, 2026, the tax will affect all marketplaces and online shops with annual sales of more than 100 million euros in Austria and will counter-finance a halving of VAT on staple foods.
“The parcel tax is an innovation and job killer. It is being sold as a measure against Temu, Shein and AliExpress, but Austrian families and thousands of domestic retailers are supposed to pay it, while third-country retailers can continue to avoid it. More than every second online order would be affected,” says Rainer Will, managing director of the non-partisan trade association. “The Ministry of Finance wants to earn 280 million euros, but at the same time is losing 167 million euros in taxes and duties, and the trend is rising. The net effect is shrinking dramatically.”
A survey commissioned by the trade association by Reppublika Research among more than 1,000 Austrians also confirms the rejection of the planned parcel tax. 70 percent are against the tax, 69 percent see it as a burden primarily on consumers and 92 percent expect prices to rise. Only 28 percent believe that the tax will actually effectively affect Far East platforms like Temu.
Overall, critics warn of higher prices for consumers, disadvantages for domestic companies and investment barriers for Austria as a digital location.
Call for a Europe-wide solution
In addition, a legal opinion identifies significant constitutional and EU law concerns. The companies and associations involved are therefore calling for the parcel tax to be stopped and instead for European measures against Far East platforms to be implemented.
Other countries have also already tried to introduce a parcel tax to combat the flood of parcels from the Far East with a national solo effort – such as France, whose tax has been in effect on small shipments from third countries since March 2026. However, the hoped-for revenue and the reduction in cheap products have not yet materialized, company representatives argue, because the affected Far East platforms have simply redirected their shipments via Liège airport in Belgium, from where delivery to France only costs slightly more.
Unfortunately, nothing different can be expected in Austria, say the critics.