Tax will drive prices up
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities wants more money for municipalities. It should come from huge online platforms like Amazon and Co. – because they depend on the local infrastructure, but don’t pay for it. However, a required package tax will primarily affect the customers.
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB) has renewed its demand for a levy on online orders. One sees the “development of the city centers and town centers with great concern”, DStGB President Mayor Ralph Spiegler and Managing Director Dr. Gerd Landsberg. The consequences of the pandemic are also reasons for concern: “We have to assume that a lot close many shops nationwide or will not open again “(source: DStGB).
Amazon and Co .: Checkout, please!
That is why one calls for a transformation of the cities, also with regard to trade. “Online retail will continue to grow because people are predominantly doing this type of shopping good experience have “, so Landsberg and Spiegler further.
Online trading, however, depends on the local infrastructure. So one demands a “parcel shipping tax in order to allow the big online platforms to participate in the financing of the infrastructure. This is hardly or not at all possible via the trade tax.
But such a tax would not get stuck with the big mail order companies. Additional burdens would be most likely at Amazon and Co. pass it on to consumers.
Traders will pass tax on through higher prices
There are enough adjusting screws for this: Using the example of Amazon, one could increase the premiums for Prime customers who do not pay delivery costs. Anyone who orders without Prime membership – or comparable offers from other providers – pays the surcharge on the shipping costs. Dealers who no longer charge shipping costs above a minimum order value can simply calculate higher prices directly.
If you order goods online, you usually get them by parcel service – im Video we show the providers in comparison:
As a customer, the choice then remains: Live with higher costs or try again at local retailers. For the DStGB, an increase in stationary trade would certainly not be the worst consequence. At rising prices at the end customer but there would hardly be a way around it. But nothing has been decided yet, the CDU had previously not been successful with a similar demand.
