AppStore taxes soar higher or sink lower, depending on where you are developing from

On May 31, 2023

Regardless of whether you are rocking one of the best iPhones or a slightly older model, the AppStore is your go-to place for all your digital needs. And with that being the case — and given how many apps and games there are on the market — nobody would blame you if you get inspired to become a dev.But being a dev is a difficult thing. You’ve got to have the necessary skills and knowledge, but beyond that you’ll have to get used to dealing with the AppStore tax. Which, in all honesty, exists in one form or another on all app markets, including Google Play.

Times are changing though! Many countries are weighing legal wars to have this tax lowered or removed entirely. Still, the general financial market has an impact on AppStore terms, so beyond all that: we also see fluctuations like this one, reported from 9to5Mac.

The AppStore supports 44 currencies in over 175 storefronts as of 2023.

The announcement of these changes happened on the 30th of May and once live, they will impact pricing of apps, in-app purchase costs and subscriptions from the Apple AppStore. The reason? Well, general changes in tax regulation in selected countries.

So, here’s an overview of the latest changes:

For Ghana, the VAT will be increased to 15%
For Lithuania, VAT will decrease to 9% for eligible ebooks and audiobooks only
In Moldova, VAT will be outright removed for eligible ebooks and online publication subscriptions
And in Spain, a Digital services tax of 3% will be added on top

As we can see, this primarily impacts European markets, but it does also mean that Apple is staying vigilant to all sorts of changes. That, in turn, makes it difficult not to anticipate any further sudden changes in other regions. AppStore paranoia 2023?

That being said, Apple did also highlight that it is doing its best to keep taxes as low as possible for developers in certain countries, such as Brazil. The company continues to see the AppStore as an opportunity for developers and as such, they seem to be aiming to not turn the platform into a hindrance.

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