Vietnam taxed tech giants $218 mln in four years

Mar 17, 20221 min read

Vietnam taxed cross-border platforms like Google and Facebook some VND5 trillion ($218.53 million) in 2008-2021, Finance Minister Ho Duc Phoc informed lawmakers Wednesday.

During the four-year period, Facebook was taxed VND1.69 trillion, Google, VND1.62 trillion, and Microsoft, VND577 billion, Phoc said.

Last year, Vietnam earned VND1.32 trillion from taxing cross-border platforms, up 15 percent from 2020, he added.

Vietnamese authorities have been calling for properly taxing tech giants like Facebook and Google, saying these companies account for around 70 percent of the online advertisement market, but use different means to evade tax.

The General Department of Taxation said last year that Facebook, Google, Netflix, YouTube and other cross-border platforms were not fulfilling their tax obligations in Vietnam.

Vietnam is also looking to tax online sellers, both on e-commerce platforms and social media, as e-commerce sales have been surging by double-digits in recent years.

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Mei Ling Tan

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Mei Ling Tan is the Editor of Retail News Asia, where she leads the editorial team in delivering in-depth coverage of Asia’s dynamic retail landscape. With over a decade of experience in business journalism, Mei Ling is known for her sharp analysis, deep industry insights, and commitment to uncovering the stories behind Asia’s most innovative retail brands. Before joining Retail News Asia, Mei Ling held senior reporting roles at regional business publications, covering everything from consumer trends to digital transformation in retail. A graduate of the National University of Singapore with a degree in Communications and New Media, she combines journalistic integrity with a strong understanding of evolving market forces. Outside the newsroom, Mei Ling is a frequent speaker at industry panels and a mentor for young journalists.

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