It has become mandatory since January 20 for e-commerce or socialnetwork sellers to register their transactions in order to facilitatetax collection.
The move is a result of a circular issued by theMinistry of Industry and Trade, which regulates the management ofe-commerce websites.
Under the circular, e-commerce or socialnetwork owners must register with the ministry if the website users wantto display and trade goods or services, or if a website has a tradingsection, which enables users to post information on the purchase ofgoods or services.
The online sellers are also required toprovide personal information and information on goods or services andcomply with tax duties as regulated.
Lai Viet Anh, deputy head ofthe ministry’s e-commerce and information technology agency, was quotedby the Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper as saying that the move isaimed at creating a healthy competitive e-commerce environment, helpingprotect consumers and improving the state's management efficiency.
Sheadded that online shopping in Vietnam is flourishing, citing a reportthat says 45 percent of internet users in 2013 made purchases online,and the number is expected to increase rapidly.
The circular alsostates that e-commerce trading floor owners and online sellers must beresponsible for their quality of goods and services.
Cloth sellerTran Thi Thanh Hue, who has been selling her goods online for two yearsat a famous Vietnam portal for parents called lamchame.com.vn, toldViet Nam News that she had heard about such a circular being issued formonths. "However, so far I have not received any information from thewebsite administrator on tax collection imposed on online sales," shestated.
She added that even if the circular has become effective,it will be difficult for authorities to manage the quality of goods andservices, adding that millions of people, including Facebook users,sell goods online using anonymous accounts, making it very hard toregulate their activities.
The circular does not apply towebsites in the finance, banking, credit and insurance sectors orwebsites that purchase and trade in money, gold, foreign currency andother means of payment or websites that provide online games or gamblingservices.-VNA
The move is a result of a circular issued by theMinistry of Industry and Trade, which regulates the management ofe-commerce websites.
Under the circular, e-commerce or socialnetwork owners must register with the ministry if the website users wantto display and trade goods or services, or if a website has a tradingsection, which enables users to post information on the purchase ofgoods or services.
The online sellers are also required toprovide personal information and information on goods or services andcomply with tax duties as regulated.
Lai Viet Anh, deputy head ofthe ministry’s e-commerce and information technology agency, was quotedby the Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper as saying that the move isaimed at creating a healthy competitive e-commerce environment, helpingprotect consumers and improving the state's management efficiency.
Sheadded that online shopping in Vietnam is flourishing, citing a reportthat says 45 percent of internet users in 2013 made purchases online,and the number is expected to increase rapidly.
The circular alsostates that e-commerce trading floor owners and online sellers must beresponsible for their quality of goods and services.
Cloth sellerTran Thi Thanh Hue, who has been selling her goods online for two yearsat a famous Vietnam portal for parents called lamchame.com.vn, toldViet Nam News that she had heard about such a circular being issued formonths. "However, so far I have not received any information from thewebsite administrator on tax collection imposed on online sales," shestated.
She added that even if the circular has become effective,it will be difficult for authorities to manage the quality of goods andservices, adding that millions of people, including Facebook users,sell goods online using anonymous accounts, making it very hard toregulate their activities.
The circular does not apply towebsites in the finance, banking, credit and insurance sectors orwebsites that purchase and trade in money, gold, foreign currency andother means of payment or websites that provide online games or gamblingservices.-VNA
