Brian Jeffrey
Vietnam’s advertising sector is buzzing with the news that Google plans to officially launch its operations in the country starting in 2025.
Google Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., which is based in Singapore, has communicated with its clients in Vietnam about significant updates regarding Google Ads and related services.
As per the communication, from April 1, 2025, Vietnam’s advertising partners will transition their contractual agreements from Google Asia Pacific to Google Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Google VietNam), which will be located in Ho Chi Minh City.
Beginning March 1, 2025, Google Vietnam will be the primary partner for users of specified Google products in Vietnam, taking over from Google Singapore. This includes direct control over invoicing processes within Vietnam. Services will be billed in Vietnamese dong (VND), and a 10% value-added tax (VAT) will be applied in accordance with local regulations.
Clients are required to submit their tax identification numbers, names, and registered addresses to ensure the correctness of invoices. Once invoices are generated, they cannot be altered.
Google has promised that updated service terms will be accessible starting January 1, 2025, and that normal operations will continue unaffected during the transition.
In a response to inquiries from VietNamNet regarding the establishment of their office, a Google representative mentioned that the company has already deployed a team in Vietnam to enhance support for advertising clients and to aid in the nation’s digital transformation efforts.
Google Vietnam Co., Ltd. was officially founded on May 31, 2023, and is operated under the regulatory framework of the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department, with its most recent tax registration update noted on December 3, 2024.
While this new office is primarily focused on business operations and marketing to assist local corporate clients, Google Asia-Pacific’s headquarters will continue to be situated in Singapore.
An official from a local advertising agency remarked that the formation of Google Vietnam will streamline processes for local businesses. For example, invoices will be generated in Vietnamese, inclusive of the 10% VAT, facilitating smoother accounting and auditing compared to prior practices.
The revamped structure is anticipated to enhance transparency concerning cross-border service use and enable businesses to claim VAT deductions. Furthermore, it is expected to provide the Vietnamese government with better-documented tax revenue, leading to significant increases over previous setups.
