Local tax departments have been instructed to thoroughly audit these sellers, particularly those showing signs of risk. Tax authorities will scrutinize their tax declarations and payments, and in cases of suspected intentional tax evasion, the matter will be referred to the police for further investigation.

The directive emphasizes collaboration among local tax departments to enhance oversight of high-income livestream sellers. This move is part of ongoing efforts to ensure full tax compliance among those engaged in online sales, especially in the rapidly growing livestream segment.

This initiative to audit 100% of livestream sellers follows a series of tax reassessments and audits of online sellers in recent months, many of whom were found to have failed to declare and pay the required taxes.

According to data from AccessTrade Vietnam, over 2.5 million livestream sales sessions are conducted each month by more than 50,000 sellers.

A survey by the Coc Coc platform revealed that approximately 77% of respondents have watched livestream sales, with 71% making purchases during these sessions.

Under current regulations, livestream sellers with annual revenues exceeding 100 million VND are required to pay taxes through two methods:

- For registered business households or sole proprietors: A 7% tax on commissions (including 5% VAT and 2% personal income tax) is levied.

- For individuals not registered as businesses but considered employees of the brand: Personal income tax is paid according to a progressive tax rate of 5-35%.

The brand must withhold 10% tax on the commission before payment, and the individual is responsible for self-declaring and settling their annual tax obligations with the tax authorities.

The General Department of Taxation reported that in the first six months of 2024, nearly 43,000 businesses and individuals were audited for tax declarations and payments, contributing nearly 9.98 trillion VND in taxes - an increase of about 3.48 trillion VND compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, 4,560 cases were penalized for violations, resulting in the recovery and fining of nearly 300 billion VND.

Quoc Tuan