EU to scrap tax exemption for low value imports

The Customs exemption for parcels valued under €150 will be abolished across the European Union starting in early 2026, with all packages despatched from third countries now subject to normal checks, duties, and stipulated handling fees. The decision was approved by the EU Council of Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) as part of a wider Customs Rules reform. 

EU Finance Ministers agreed last week to abolish the Customs duty exemption for low-value parcels, accelerating the implementation timetable (from 2028 to early 2026). This will provide a transitional, simple solution so that all parcels enter Customs and duty procedures. Stricter measures will be adopted two years later, from 2028, with a new revision of the directive, based on a new platform where every purchase from third-country e-shops imported into the EU will be cleared electronically, as per a report.

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