Brian Jeffrey
Tax Revenue from Livestream Sales in Ho Chi Minh City
The Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department significantly increased its revenue by reviewing 35 artists and celebrities who conducted livestream sales on various social media platforms, yielding billions of VND in taxes. A standout case involved a beauty queen who contributed a substantial 4.7 billion VND (about $192,000).
During the Tax Performance Summary for 2024 and the task implementation meeting for 2025, officials revealed that they surpassed their domestic revenue goals, accumulating more than 373 trillion VND ($15.2 billion)—a rise of 16.6% compared to the previous year.
Revenue generated specifically from business and production efforts reached over 216 trillion VND ($8.8 billion). Looking ahead, the department has set a revenue goal of 389 trillion VND ($15.8 billion) for 2025, out of a total citywide objective of 506 trillion VND ($20.6 billion).
Taxpayers and Compliance Efforts
In 2024, the department oversaw 58,264 taxpayers, which included 12,959 companies and 45,305 individual enterprises, amounting to a collective transaction volume of 28.7 trillion VND ($1.2 billion).
The tax authority carried out inspections on 14,581 organizations and individuals for compliance issues, resulting in penalties and the recovery of more than 286 billion VND ($11.6 million), marking a 31.6% increase from the previous year.
With the rise of e-commerce, the tax department collaborated with six major platforms to help them navigate tax declaration processes effectively.
The department also turned its attention to celebrities and influencers involved in livestream sales on social media.
Among the 35 reviewed, numerous individuals reported tax payments exceeding 1 billion VND ($40,800) each. A beauty queen’s significant payment of 4.7 billion VND ($192,000) stood out, alongside another seller who contributed 1.9 billion VND ($77,600).
Additionally, after proactive outreach by tax officials, one e-commerce business voluntarily reported and paid over 11.5 billion VND ($469,000), including late fees.
