Kuala Lampur, May 20 -- The real issue in e-commerce taxation is visibility. A single online purchase is a complex web: an overseas seller, a remote platform, a foreign payment gateway, and a cross-border courier. By the time Malaysian Customs finally sees the physical parcel, the sale, payment, and delivery are already complete. This makes tracking the transaction nearly impossible.

This is why the UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-commerce and the Digital Economy meeting in Geneva this week (May 11-13, 2026) is so critical. Focused on helping developing countries protect their tax revenues, the session highlights a hard truth: e-commerce taxation is not just about demanding more money. It is about whether developing countr...