How to get started with VAT Services on Amazon

What is VAT Services on Amazon?

With VAT Services on Amazon, you complete VAT registration, filing, and submission via Seller Central from just €400 per year, per country. Amazon works with global tax service provider Avalara to provide this service.

VAT Services on Amazon does not support VAT registration or filings in the country of your company registration.

VAT registration-supported countries

If your business is established in an EU country, the VAT registration service is offered for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic.

However, if your business is established outside of the EU, the VAT registration service is offered for the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

VAT filing-supported countries

If your business is established in an EU country, the VAT filing service is offered for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

However, if your business is established outside of the EU, the VAT filing service is offered for the United Kingdom, Germany and the Czech Republic.

What is included in the annual fee of €400?

VAT Registration (where required) and VAT filings per country that you select for the services. VAT filings that are supported are: VAT returns and, where applicable, Intrastat, ESL, and local VAT reporting. Find out more.

I show as ‘Registered’ for VAT Services on Amazon in the ‘Manage your Services’ menu of my Seller Central account. What does this mean?

You have registered for VAT Services on Amazon by accepting the service’s terms and conditions. You are now able to view the ‘Manage your VAT’ navigation item (located in Seller Central under ‘Reports’) and are ready to select VAT services for supported countries. Until you have selected and successfully signed up for VAT services for a particular country, there are no charges for this service.

To sign up for one or more countries to receive VAT Services on Amazon, navigate to ‘Manage your VAT’ and select the countries of your choice. If you are eligible, you will be notified and shown the appropriate fee for your country selections, and will be requested to confirm selection and fees by clicking ‘Agree and Continue’. Only once you then click ‘Agree and Continue’ are you enrolled to the selected VAT Services on Amazon, and the respective annual fees will be charged to your seller account.

While signing up, why can I not remove some countries?

To use VAT Services on Amazon, you need to register for or submit a valid EU VAT number for your inventory location countries. If you already have a VAT number in this country, add it now.

What are the steps required to complete VAT registration?

There are five steps:

1. Complete the form

   Provide your business information in the online form. The answers provided in the form will be used by the tax agent to pre-fill the necessary application forms on your behalf, for all the countries you selected, allowing you to save time and effort.

   Provide information on your country of origin, your business type and the countries in which you wish to register for VAT with VAT Services on Amazon. The resulting set of questions must be completed in full.

2. Collect Documents

   Follow the instructions on the screen to collect the documents that local tax authorities require in support of your VAT registration applications. The required documents differ significantly by country; however, the list that is presented to you in the instructions is tailored to your requirements and contains guidance and samples. You will not be asked to collect documents that are not required.

3. Upload Form and Documents for verification

   Scan each document that you have collected (only one document per type), and upload the scans to Seller Central, along with the completed online form. The tax agent will then verify that:
   

   1. All necessary documents are present
   2. All provided documents are sufficiently completed
   3. The information in the documents matches the information provided by you in the online form

   This will help you to complete your VAT registration(s) quickly by delivering correct and accurate information to the tax authorities. The results of the checks (verified, error) will be displayed in the product.

4. Print and sign forms

   After the form and documents have been verified, you will be able to download a set of pre-filled forms and power of attorney documents for you to check, print and sign.

5. Post forms to the Tax Agent

   Follow the instructions on the screen to post the signed forms and supporting documents to their address. This is necessary because tax authorities require hard copies of documents. From here, your documents undergo a final verification process by the tax agent and will be forwarded to the tax authorities for processing.

   You will be kept informed of the status of your VAT applications via a weekly status email sent from Amazon.

Why do I need to fill in a form?

In order to proceed with VAT registration, the local tax authorities require some basic information about your business. The tax agent will mainly use the answers provided in the form to pre-fill the necessary application forms on your behalf, for all the countries you selected, allowing you to save time and effort.

Why do I need to provide documents?

As part of the registration process, the local tax authorities require that VAT registration applications be accompanied by a number of supporting documents.

Required documents can include (but might not be limited to):

1. Certificates confirming your business activities
2. Local VAT registration certificates
3. Official letters from your bank
4. Proof of identity of the legal representative

You will only be asked to collect documents that are required for your VAT registration.

Why do I need to provide multiple copies of documents?

Each VAT registration application is processed by the country-specific tax authorities; for this reason, depending on your selection of VAT services, you might be asked to provide up to six Official Copies of any given document (one for each tax authority).

What is an Official Copy? Can I submit a photocopy instead?

An ‘Official Copy’ is a copy of a document, issued by a tax authority or relevant government body. Unless otherwise stated, photocopies, web downloads and screens printed from web browsers will not be accepted by the tax authorities in the place of ‘Official Copies’.

I am being asked to notarize and apostille some documents – why?

To ensure that certain types of documents are official and valid, some tax authorities will only accept notarised official copies.

What is a notary?

A notary is a public officer authorised to perform certain legal formalities, including certifying documents for use in other jurisdictions.

Some documents are difficult to obtain. Can I register for VAT without them?

No. All documents requested by VAT Services on Amazon are mandatory, and without them, it will not be possible to proceed with your VAT Registration requests. If you are having difficulty obtaining any of the documents, contact us at: vat-services-data@amazon.com

What are the timelines to complete VAT Registration?

Timelines for VAT Registration can vary greatly, depending on the jurisdiction(s) in which you are registering for VAT. Once you have filled in the form and have successfully gathered all the required documents:

• The tax agent will take no more than five working days to submit your applications to the authorities
• The tax authorities will process most VAT applications within:
  • 2 to 5 weeks in the United Kingdom
  • 6 to 14 weeks in Germany
  • 9 to 11 weeks in France
  • 6 to 7 weeks in Italy
  • 3 weeks in Spain
  • 3 to 4 weeks in Poland
  • 2 to 3 weeks in Czech Republic

The process could take longer if the tax authorities:

• Have additional questions about your application
• Require additional documentation
• Are dealing with a large volume of requests

You will be kept informed of the status of your VAT applications via a weekly status email from Amazon.

I already have a VAT number – what is the process to start filing VAT Services on Amazon?

1. Complete the form

   Download the online form and complete it with some basic information about your business. The tax agent and VAT Services on Amazon will use the answers you provide in the form to get to know your business better and to set your account up correctly.

   You can tailor the form to your specific needs by providing information on your country of origin, the type of your business and the countries in which you wish to file for VAT with VAT Services on Amazon.

2. Collect Documents

   To issue accurate and correct VAT filings, you may be asked to send the tax agent a number of documents, including (but not limited to):

   
   
   1. VAT registration certificates
   2. Past VAT, Intrastat and ESL returns
   3. Any outstanding correspondence with the tax authorities

   All documents mentioned in the product are mandatory unless otherwise stated.

3. Sign and post Powers of Attorney

   Once the form and documents have been verified, you will be able to download a set of power of attorney documents for you to check, print, sign and return by post to the address shown in the product.

4. Provide additional information about your products

   As a final step before filing your VAT, you will be asked to provide additional information about your products using our Product Tax File. Find out more. You should also ensure that, if you sell any goods which are not taxed at the standard rate, you have updated your Product Tax Codes. Find out more.

I already have a VAT number; why do I need to provide documents?

The tax agent needs the requested documents to prepare accurate and correct VAT filings. Requested documents include:

1. VAT registration certificates
2. Past VAT, Intrastat and ESL returns

All documents mentioned in the product are mandatory unless otherwise stated.

What happens if I already have some VAT numbers and I also need new VAT registrations?

VAT Services on Amazon will display:

1. A single questionnaire for you to complete
2. A list of documents required for VAT filings
3. A list of documents required for VAT registrations

We suggest that you complete steps 1 and 2 as soon as possible, so you will quickly be ready to start filing for VAT with VAT Services on Amazon.

I am experiencing technical difficulties

Contact us at: vat-services-data@amazon.com

I have not signed up for VAT Services on Amazon and I have a question

Review the information present both on this page and our other help pages.

If you still have questions, contact us at: vat-services-data@amazon.com