How to get an EU VAT number for Amazon selling?

You may need to obtain a foreign EU VAT number as a Fulfillment by Amazon (‘FBA’) seller because you have exceeded the VAT distance selling registration threshold, or because you are storing goods at one of Amazon’s foreign warehouses.

There is currently no such concept as a single, EU-wide VAT number for sellers of goods to consumers. There is an early-stage experiment with this for sales of electronic services to consumers since the start of 2015. This may be spread to goods at some point in the future.

What do the tax authorities require?

Each country will have specific requirements for applying for a local VAT number.

Typically this will include:

• Company formation documents,
• Proof of VAT registration in resident country (or taxable status for non-EU sellers),
• An outline of your plans to sell in their country, including budgets,
• Evidence of sales contracts to prove you are a genuine trader,
• Proof of identification for the signatories of the company,
• The tax authorities will provide a VAT number application form for you to complete. This will almost always be in the local language.

Contact amavat Europe to find out the country-by-country details for VAT number applications.