"Amazon Tax" in Barcelona: Is a Package Tax Coming to Germany?

Adrian Mühlroth

March 3, 2023, 6:15 pm | Read time: 2 minutes

The Catalan city of Barcelona introduced a tax for online retailers on March 1, 2023, when they deliver directly to buyers. The aim is to manage delivery traffic.

The tax, unofficially called the “Amazon Tax,” is intended to prevent heavy delivery vans from burdening the city’s infrastructure for packages weighing just a few hundred grams. Delivery drivers often park incorrectly or double-park due to time pressure, blocking traffic. Non-electric delivery vans also cause direct air pollution and noise in cities.

26 Online Retailers Affected

The new levy affects e-commerce companies with annual sales of more than one million euros. Beyond this threshold, companies must pay 1.25 percent of their revenue to the city of Barcelona. According to “Der Standard,” this affects 26 retailers in Barcelona, who collectively earn 200 million euros–with Amazon leading the pack. However, only deliveries directly to the doorstep are affected. The goal is to promote ordering and picking up at a parcel station or package shop as a more sustainable alternative to online shopping.

“Amazon Tax” Could Offset Disadvantages for Local Retail

Apart from the strain on infrastructure and the environment, online retail pressures local businesses that cannot compete with its lower prices. Stores are additionally burdened by municipal taxes that do not affect online retailers in the same way. The “Amazon Tax” could create equal conditions for all. In fact, Barcelona plans to use the tax revenue to support local businesses.

Also of interest: EU aims for better consumer protection in online shopping

Damage in the billions How Temu and Shein Impact the German Economy

Career Path The Story of Amazon: From Bookstore to Online Retailer

Other Cities Could Follow

Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor Jaume Collboni wrote in an op-ed for the Catalan newspaper “El Periódico” that the levy could also be a model for other cities. He expects more municipalities in Spain to follow Barcelona’s example. According to “Politico,” Paris Deputy Mayor David Belliard is also open to an “Amazon Tax.” The additional tax revenue could be invested in public transportation.

TECHBOOK has asked Amazon whether the company expects cities in Germany to introduce a similar tax soon. We will update this article once we receive a response.

Sources

Politico: “Barcelona vs. Amazon: City to tax courier vans” (accessed March 3, 2023)
El Periódico: “Tasa Amazon: desafío global, respuesta local” (accessed March 3, 2023)

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.