If you are already VAT registered it is very easy for you to just fill in the form from Amazon and email it to the Tax Office and get your clearance Tax Certificate:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/02/AmazonServices/Site/UK/Product/VATServicesbyAmazon/vat-services-by-amazon/Contact_Details_of_German_Tax_Offices.CB1198675309.pdf?ref=hlpn_1_5476379302692509371_1

https://sellercentral.amazon.de/gp/headlines.html#5476379302692509371

Information for British and Northern Irish taxpayers
Responsible and contact: Finanzamt Hannover-Nord
==> http://www.lstn.niedersachsen.de/steuer/steuermerkblaetter_und_broschueren/informationen-fuer-britische-und-nordirische-steuerpflichtige-68031.html37

Mail to: poststelle@fa-h-no.niedersachsen.de

Avalara are wrong, what a surprise! This is from my tax adviser and is CORRECT:

Effective from 1 January 2019, new German legislation was implemented that results in Amazon being jointly liable for their sellers taxes if unpaid. If you have any activity in Germany then Amazon will enforce that you become immediately registered (if not already) to ensure full compliance. Even though you are already VAT registered, you will need to present a newly issued Tax certificate.

This Tax certificate (Officially called: Bescheinigung uber die Erfassung als Steuerpflichtiger (Unternehmer) im Sinne von 22f Abs. 1 Statz 2 UstG) is not the same as the VAT certificate you have already been provided as part of your German registration.

That’s great. Thank you for the advice - I suspected that Avalara were wrong, as you say, what a surprise!!

I contacted Amazon and they said that there was no need to do anything if I have a German VAT number.

It is so frustrating when everyone gives a different answer.

Interesting.

well I am not vat reg and will post likely pull my half a dozen items off amazon.de come 1 mar

Hi

Does this also apply if you are VAT registered in the UK

What does this mean please?

Has anyone made the application for the Tax Certificate and received anything back yet? I did the application a few days ago and had an auto response to say it had been received, but nothing else yet. Just wondering about timescales?

I’ve downloaded the form too, but I’m not sure about this:

“Name and address of the authorised recipient in Germany as set out in section 22f (1), fourth sentence of the VAT Act, where necessary)”

I read it as I have to have an agent based in Germany as I am not a resident of Germany, nor have a registered office or business management in Germany. So how do I fill this bit out? where do I find an agent?

Ah, so as I’m resident in UK and UK is still member of EU (at the moment!), I don’t need to fill the authorised recipient bit in?