Vietnam’s rapid e-commerce expansion has prompted new legal reforms focused on tax administration and personal data protection, highlighted by Decree No.117/2025/ND-CP and the forthcoming Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL). Decree 117, effective from July 1, 2025, requires both domestic and foreign e-commerce and digital platform operators to withhold and remit value-added tax (VAT) and personal income tax (PIT) on behalf of households and individuals trading online. Platform operators must track transactions, automate tax calculations, and ensure monthly declarations while upgrading systems and staff training to maintain compliance. The PDPL, effective January 2026, strengthens safeguards for consumers’ personal data, replacing outdated provisions in Decree 52/2013/ND-CP. It introduces strict penalties, including fines up to 10 times illicit gains for illegal data trading and 5% of annual revenue for unlawful cross-border data transfers. Experts stress that effective enforcement and compliance awareness are vital. Platform operators must adopt transparent data policies, enhance cybersecurity, and train employees to ensure accountability. Ultimately, protecting personal data in e-commerce is a shared responsibility between platforms, traders, and authorities, essential to building consumer trust and ensuring sustainable digital growth. (ICE HO CHI MINH CITY)

Fonte notizia: Vietnam Investment Review