John Healey, the UK chancellor, is reportedly preparing to make online marketplaces responsible for collecting tax owed by all retailers selling on their platforms, according to The Guardian. The move targets firms such as Amazon and eBay.
The tax crackdown could raise up to £1bn more for the Treasury, The Guardian reports. The proposal is said to be under consideration for Healey's first budget announcement.
Currently, individual third-party sellers on these platforms handle their own tax obligations. Shifting that responsibility to the marketplace operators themselves would create a new enforcement point and potentially close gaps in tax collection where smaller sellers fail to pay what they owe.
The timing and final details of any announcement remain unclear from the available information. The Guardian does not specify when Healey's budget will be delivered or confirm that the proposal has been formally approved.