The Italian Government has included in the 2026 Budget Law (draft law AS 1689 in the Senate) an amendment that would introduce a tax of 2 euros on each package sent with a value of less than 150 euros. The measure, initially designed to only affect shipments from non-EU countries (such as those of Shein and Temu), will have to apply to all parcels, including national and intra-EU ones, to avoid being configured as a customs duty prohibited by European regulations.
The main objective is to raise funds (between 150 and 245 million euros per year) to offset other tax changes, including the cancellation of a tax on financial dividends. The measure would be in addition to the doubling of the Tobin Tax and would be part of a package of government amendments presented in the final phase of the parliamentary process.
The tax could mainly affect small online purchases and would risk increasing costs for Italian consumers and businesses. The European proposal, already approved, is different, which will eliminate the duty exemption for parcels under 150 euros from non-EU countries from 2028.
We remind you that this is only a proposal and that there is no approval yet. To find out more we will have to wait until the text of the Budget, still pending in the Senate Commission, is approved by both Chambers by 31 December 2025.
