Newly introduced regulations on taxation, customs and import–export management issued in late 2024, which take effect in 2025, mark the beginning of a new phase for Vietnam’s e-commerce. In addition, the National Master Plan for E-commerce Development for 2026–2030, and particularly the revised Law on E-commerce, will serve as key pillars for the sector’s rapid and sustainable growth.

According to Doan Quoc Tam, Head of the Cooperation Department at the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM), the rapid expansion and growing scale of e-commerce has prompted tax agencies to adopt a broad range of strong and coordinated measures to ensure state budget revenue.

“Many tax-related policies will come into effect in 2025. Stakeholders need to work closely together to identify and revise any inappropriate regulations, ensuring that management supports business growth and nurtures future tax revenue. This will be key to spurring fast and sustainable e-commerce growth in the coming years,” Tam said.

In February 2025, the Ministry of Finance held its first meeting with delivery service providers for online businesses, as part of efforts to enhance tax administration. The move follows a previous policy requiring e-commerce platforms to report merchants' business activities to tax agencies. At the meeting, the ministry asked delivery service providers to start submitting relevant data to support tax monitoring.

Tam noted that some major platforms now handle massive daily transaction volumes, and many customers use postal and delivery services when shopping online. However, a large number of buyers either do not request invoices or do not provide the necessary information to receive them.

“As a result, requiring platforms and delivery providers to issue invoices for every single online purchase, even when buyers do not want them or fail to provide information, would be unfeasible and unnecessarily burdensome. This could lead to millions of redundant invoices each day and waste significant resources for both e-commerce and delivery companies,” he said.

E-commerce no longer driven solely by price competition

EBI 2025 forecasts Vietnam’s e-commerce market to reach US$25–32 billion in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 18–20%. E-commerce is also projected to account for two-thirds of the country’s digital economy, supported by an Internet penetration rate exceeding 70% and a young, tech-savvy population.

However, Do Huu Hung, Vice Chairman of VECOM, predicts that growth via e-commerce platforms will reach 21.6% in 2025 and may slow further in 2026, as new tax policies taking effect in April 2025 could force platforms and retailers to adjust product prices. This is likely to have a substantial impact on overall e-commerce growth.

“E-commerce will no longer be a viable playing field for sellers who focus only on price. Starting April 1, platforms must pay taxes on behalf of sellers. Around 30,000 online sellers are expected to be subject to back taxes, and an estimated 38,000 may leave the platforms. However, up to 95% of large-scale sellers with annual revenues of over VND50 billion may still double their sales,” Hung said.

He also highlighted the potential for newcomers in Vietnam’s billion-dollar e-commerce market, as 70% of local consumers are already familiar with online shopping. With growing opportunities in cross-border e-commerce and a competitive logistics network, Vietnamese consumers are also becoming more confident thanks to better fraud prevention and tighter control of counterfeit goods.

To unlock new opportunities, businesses should support newcomers with knowledge of emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, social commerce, and cross-border e-commerce. Turning existing customers into brand advocates and offering value-added incentives, such as discounts, gifts, cashbacks, or interactive campaigns, can help attract and retain users.

“It’s time for a shift in Vietnam’s e-commerce landscape. Major players should team up with influential content creators, including key opinion consumers (KOCs), key opinion leaders (KOLs), and industry experts, to run engaging campaigns that use livestreaming, AI, and social media. These efforts can shape consumer behavior and encourage habitual online shopping,” Hung said.

Green e-commerce in Vietnam still faces challenges

While the overall macro policies on environmental protection and sustainable development are creating favourable conditions for green e-commerce, the actual implementation of green transformation still faces numerous challenges.