Cross-border sellers should pay attention! Malaysia will levy a 10% tax on low-priced goods 

The Royal Malaysian Customs Service (JKDM) has announced a 10% sales tax on low-value imported goods (LVG) sold online from January 1,2024. All foreign businesses that sell low-value goods with a total value of more than Ringgit 500,000 to Malaysia within one year must register with the Customs Service and pay taxes.

The Customs Bureau defines low-priced goods as no more than Ringgit 500 and enters Malaysia by sea, land and air, but excludes cigarettes, tobacco products, spirits, electronic cigarettes and preparations for smoking. 

Shopee issued a relevant statement saying that for those imported goods whose price is less than Ringgit 500, the platform system will automatically add 10% low-price goods tax at the front desk according to the discounted price of the goods, and settle the general ledger after tax increase when consumers place orders for payment, without cross-border sellers adjusting the price of goods, which means that the low-price goods tax will be borne by consumers when paying the bill.

In addition, goods in overseas warehouses do not need to pay low-priced goods tax, because these goods have been imported to Malaysian sites before the order confirmation of Shopee platform, and the import and customs clearance process of goods will be handled by sellers and third-party warehouses.

For sellers, the new tax policy may reduce the price competitiveness of imported products. However, sellers can choose suppliers or product sources with price advantages to achieve cooperation and reduce costs, so as to improve competitiveness. Generally speaking, what sellers need to keep constant is the guarantee of product quality, which is the core competitiveness to win the trust and recognition of consumers. 

跨境卖家注意！马来西亚将征收10%低价商品税

       马来西亚皇家关税局(JKDM)宣布，从2024年1月1日起，对网上销售的低价值进口商品(LVG)征收10%的销售税。所有在一年内向马来西亚售出总值超过50万令吉低价值商品的外国商家须向关税局注册及纳税。

       关税局对低价商品定义是不超过500令吉，并且是通过海陆空的方式进入马来西亚，但不包括香烟、烟草制品、烈酒、电子烟和用于吸烟的制剂。

       Shopee发布了相关说明称，对于那些售价低于500令吉的进口商品，平台系统将在前台根据商品的折扣价格自动加上10%的低价商品税，并在消费者下单付款时进行加税后的总账结算，不需要跨境卖家调整商品价格，也就是说低价商品税由消费者在买单时承担。

       此外，海外仓商品无需缴纳低价商品税，因为这些商品在Shopee平台订单确认之前就已经进口到马来西亚站点，货物的进口和清关流程将由卖家和第三方仓处理。

       对于卖家来说，新的税收政策可能会降低进口产品的价格竞争力。但是，卖家可以选择具有价格优势的供应商或产品来源地，以达成合作并降低成本，从而提高竞争力。总的来说，卖家需要始终保持不变的是产品品质的保证，这是赢得消费者信任和认可的核心竞争力。