HCM City to name and shame tax-evading Facebook shop owners

The move is expected to tighten tax collection over the blooming field of e-commerce, including those conducted via the social media Facebook, in the southern metropolis.

Accordingly, the city’s tax department will coordinate with their colleagues in the departments of trade and information, as well as with Facebook and Google, to compile a comprehensive list of unregistered online businesses in the city.

The list will include inpiduals and organizations that use internet platforms to sell or provide solutions for payment, transport, and delivery.

The municipal tax department also requested that the local police submit information regarding registered e-commerce websites that have not filed taxes while

The State Bank of Vietnam was tasked with providing a list of organizations that provide payment solutions and the account statements of businesses that provide transport and delivery services.

After reviewing the submitted documents, the tax department will proceed to collect tax arrears from the businesses.

Those that do not comply with requests or show signs of deliberate tax evasion will be named and shamed on public media outlets, according to the plan by Ho Chi Minh City Department of Taxation.

Last month, nearly 13,500 Facebook users running online shops were requested to meet with tax authorities in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss new regulations regarding tax duties for online business operators.

However, the majority failed to show up for their appointments, while others were found to be using fake addresses in their contact details.

According to Le Thi Thu Huong, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Taxation, only those who accumulate over VND100 million (US$4,398) in sales from their online shops are subject to tax obligations.