Problems from practice
In the process of implementing regulations on taxes and electronic invoices, many business households and sellers on e-commerce platforms are still concerned about how to handle inventory without input invoices, using bank accounts, when to apply electronic invoices or responsibility when invoice data is transmitted slowly to tax authorities.
Ms. Thu Ha (Cau Giay, Hanoi), currently working at a business supporting sellers on e-commerce platforms, said that one of the real situations that arise is that business households have reached the threshold to issue output invoices, but there is still a quantity of goods in the warehouse without input invoices.
For newly purchased goods, if the seller does not provide an invoice, they can make a purchase list according to regulations. However, the issue that worries her is how to handle the old goods that are already in stock, without input invoices, when business households enter the stage of having to issue output invoices.
Another problem comes from multi-channel sales activities. Mr. Le Minh (Tay Ho, Hanoi) currently does business simultaneously through TikTok Shop, Shopee, Facebook and sells directly at stores. Each channel has different money receiving and counterparting activities, so he wants to use different bank accounts to receive money.
Mr. Minh raised the question of whether business households can use each channel with a bank account or require all revenue to be concentrated in one account registered with the tax authority. When importing goods and paying business expenses, are business households required to transfer money from the account that is receiving revenue? A business household with revenue exceeding 1 billion VND said that it does not need to issue invoices because the e-commerce platform has deducted and paid taxes instead. Sellers are worried that revenue will be recorded twice, through electronic invoices and through the exchange.
Because invoices have not been issued yet, this business household is wondering if risks arise and if so, what needs to be done to overcome them.
Removing obstacles in implementing tax policies
Ms. Nguyen Thi Cuc - Chairwoman of the Vietnam Tax Consultants Association - said that for exported goods, whether there are invoices, lists or no invoices, no lists, when sold, invoices must still be made according to regulations. In case revenue is up to 3 billion VND, tax can be paid at a rate on revenue. In case revenue is over 3 billion VND, apply the tax calculation method of taking revenue minus expenses and then multiplying it by the tax rate, for example, the rate of 17% in case revenue is up to 50 billion VND, the determination of input needs to be based on invoices, documents or lists according to regulations.
For old inventory, the tax authority has guided the establishment of a "inventory statement", which clearly states the quantity and unit price. Business households must be responsible for the data they declare. This statement is used as a supplementary basis to calculate input costs of inventory.
For multi-channel business households, Ms. Le Thi Chinh - Deputy Head of the Tax Affairs Department, Tax Department - said that business households can use multiple accounts but must notify all those accounts to the tax authorities.
Businesses are not required to pay for goods from revenue-receiving accounts, but can use accounts registered with tax authorities. However, they must keep full documents, books and account information to prove the transaction.
For business households on e-commerce platforms with revenue over 1 billion VND, business households must apply electronic invoices and register to use electronic invoices within 30 days from the time revenue exceeds the threshold.
In cases where registration is not yet available, business households need to register to use electronic invoices with the tax authority to apply electronic invoices from the time of registration with the tax authority.
