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When you’re planning to expand your ecommerce business, it’s essential to remain tax compliant so that your business can grow without hitting avoidable roadblocks.
To do that, you need to be VAT (Value Added Tax) registered as standard, and for some countries you’ll need EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) numbers. You might also need to register for the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) scheme.
Depending on which country you’re setting up VAT registration in, getting a VAT number in the UK and/or EU can take anything from a matter of weeks to around 4 months.
Here’s a quick overview of how long it takes for each country, and what you need to have ready so it’s as quick and painless as possible.
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ToggleFirstly, why do you need VAT and EORI numbers?
If you’re a non-domestic seller and intend to hold physical goods/stock in a country, VAT numbers are required to remain compliant.
UK companies don’t have to register for VAT until they hit the current £85,000 selling threshold in a year.
Having an EORI number enables you to ship and clear your consignments through customs borders with ease. In the EU you’re only required to have one EORI number – this would then be linked to any live European VAT numbers that you have.
How hard (or easy) is it to get a VAT number in the UK and EU?
In terms of the paperwork, the easiest countries are Italy and the Czech Republic as these require minimal documents and have the quickest turnaround times. In the middle are France and Poland.
The hardest countries to get a VAT number in are Spain, Germany and the UK, because you need to be able to provide documentation and evidence to show that you’re ready to trade before getting a VAT number.
Documentation and evidence mean platform evidence, intended shipping providers and plans for fulfilment.
How do you make the process of getting a VAT number easier?
Think about when you plan to start trading. Don’t start the process at Christmas or other peak times expecting to trade straight away. Likewise, plan ahead so you’re ready for those peak seasons. When you’re about to register, have the basic documents ready, as the timelines start when you’ve submitted them.
Also, it’s a good idea to have your own website, since for some countries you’ll need to give them the URL. It’s also helpful to already be using FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon).
Make getting a VAT number easier by sending your documents through quickly, and by having your online platform or personal website set up and ready.
What’s the process when registering for VAT with AVASK?
- Firstly, you’ll speak to a member of our onboarding team who’ll guide you through the legal requirements based on your current circumstance.
- Once onboarded, you’ll then deal with a dedicated administrator. They’ll work with you to ensure the documentation meets the requirements of the tax authorities to get your application approved.
- When you get your VAT number, you’ll then be introduced to your dedicated Indirect Tax Consultant for filings, obligations, and ongoing consultancy.
Which documents do you need to get started with VAT registration in the UK and EU?
You’ll need:
- Articles of Organisation/ Articles of Incorporation/ Business Extract
- Director’s proof of address x2: such as electricity/water/phone bills or bank statements
- Valid passport
- AVASK application form
- Company bank statement (for Czech Republic)
Each country’s tax office will ask for different documents in addition to these, so be sure to have these core documents on hand for each application.
How long does it take to get a VAT number in the UK?
In the UK, it takes 10-12 weeks to get a VAT number, and 1-2 days to get an EORI number. The process can be made even smoother if you’re lucky enough to speak to an experienced administrator at HMRC.
The UK tax office will ask for:
- Proof of goods purchased: supplier invoice (not a pro-forma), dated within the last 6 months Agreement with 3PL (third-party logistics) partner (if applicable)
- Agreement with shipper letter: If sending parcels, agreement with DHL/FedEx/UPS. If sending pallets or containers, agreement with Freight Forwarder
- Proof of UK website: URL and timestamped screenshot of UK website in GBP (does not need to be co.uk) or Amazon UK storefront
- HMRC questionnaire
| VAT | EORI | |
|---|---|---|
| How long does it take? | 10-12 weeks | 1-2 days |
| Number format | GB123456789 | GB123456789000 |
| How often do you need to file? | Staggered quarters, running from January, February, or March. | |
| When do you get repayments? | No credit can be held on your VAT account. Repayments will be issued by HMRC within 30 days, via cheque or to the registered bank account | |
| Filing and payment deadline due | 1 month, and 7 days after the filing period end | |
| Rates | Standard: 20% Zero Rated: 0% – generally applies to food and drink excluding alcohol, transport, medication and books |
How to get a VAT registration number in Germany
If you’re based outside the US, you’ll need to provide more paperwork than if you’re in the US, though the timeframes are the same. You’ll also need to register for the OSS (One-Stop Shop) programme, which lets you report your distance sales with a single OSS return.
How long does it take to get a VAT number in Germany?
In Germany, it takes 10-12 weeks to get a VAT number, 1-2 days to get an EORI number, and 2-3 weeks to register for OSS.
If you’re EU-based, the German tax office will ask for:
- Website URL
- Bank account letter/ statement
- Commercial register extract/ Certificate of Incorporation/ Business license
- Description of products
- Hand-signed Powers of Attorney/ Articles of Association/ Bylaws/ Foundation Agreement VAT Certificate from country of incorporation
- Warehouse agreement/ contract
- Estimated turnover for current and next year
If you’re US-based, the German tax office will ask for:
- 6166 Form from the IRS
- Copy of the filled in 8802 and proof of payment
| VAT | EORI | OSS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How long does it take? | 10-12 weeks | 1-2 days | 2-3 weeks |
| Number format | DE123456789 | DE 123456789 12345 | |
| How often do you need to file? | Monthly / quarterly / annual – selected by the tax office based on previous years’ VAT liability. | ||
| When do you get repayments? | Usually within 2-4 weeks of the repayment being approved. Approval can take approximately 2 weeks. Timeframes depend on the tax office being satisfied with the legitimacy of the source of the refund. | ||
| Filing and payment deadline due | 10 days after the period end date. Quarterly clients can opt for a filing extension giving them an additional 1 month 10 days. | ||
| Rates | Standard: 19% Reduced Rate 1: 7% |
How to get a VAT registration number in Spain
In Spain, it takes 4 weeks to get a local VAT number, but you’ll also need an intra-EU VAT number – which takes 4 months. It’s known to be a challenging process.
An EORI number takes 1 week, and it takes 2-3 weeks to register for OSS.
The Spanish tax office will ask for:
- Certificate of Good Standing
- Directors’ photo ID
- Power of Attorney
- Notarising and apostilling required – documents to be posted to Spain. AVASK always reviews documentation before we advise you to legalise/apostille.
| VAT | EORI | OSS | Intra-EU VAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How long does it take? | 4 weeks | 1 week | 2-3 weeks | 4 months |
| Number format | ES123456789 | ES12345678 or ESK12345678900 for non-EU | ||
| How often do you need to file? | Quarterly | |||
| When do you get repayments? | Usually within 3-6 months after the annual return and once approved. Approval timeframes can vary in Spain as it depends on the refund value and potential further checks by the tax office. The higher the value, the longer it takes. Timeframes depend on the tax office being satisfied with the legitimacy of the source of the refund. | |||
| Filing and payment deadline due | 20 days after the period end date – for Q4 you have until end of January | |||
| Rates | Standard: 21% Reduced Rate 1: 10% Reduced Rate 2: 5% Reduced Rate 3: 4% |
How to get a VAT registration number in Italy
In Italy, it takes just 1-2 weeks to get a VAT number, and 1 week to get an EORI number. You won’t need to register for OSS, and unlike with all other countries in the EU, you don’t need to provide additional documents for the tax office.
| VAT | EORI | |
|---|---|---|
| How long does it take? | 1-2 weeks | 1 week |
| Number format | IT12345678901 | IT123456789000000 |
| How often do you need to file? | Monthly – quarterly is optional, but there may be a surcharge for this. | |
| When do you get repayments? | Usually within 6-12 months of the repayment being approved. Approval can take 5-9 months. Timeframes are dependent on the tax office being satisfied with the legitimacy of the source of the refund. | |
| Filing and payment deadline due | 16 days after the period end. Quarterly clients are given an additional 1 month 16 days | |
| Rates | Standard: 22% Reduced Rate 1: 10% Reduced Rate 2: 5% Reduced Rate 3: 4% |
How to get a VAT registration number in France
In France, it takes 12-16 weeks to get a VAT number, 2 days to get an EORI number, and 1-2 months to register for OSS.
The French tax office will ask for:
- Website URL
- Company bank statement
- Hand-signed Powers of Attorney
- Estimated turnover for current year
| VAT | EORI | OSS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How long does it take? | 12-16 weeks | 2 days | 1-2 months |
| Number format | FR1234567890 | FR12345678900001 | |
| How often do you need to file? | Monthly | ||
| When do you get repayments? | Usually within 6 months of the repayment being approved. Approval can take 3-6 months. Timeframes depend on the tax office being satisfied with the legitimacy of the source of the refund. | ||
| Filing and payment deadline due | 19 days after the period end date | ||
| Rates | Standard: 20% Reduced Rate 1: 10% Reduced Rate 2: 5.5% Reduced Rate 3: 2.1% |
How to get a VAT registration number in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, it takes 6-7 weeks to get a VAT number and register for OSS, and 1-2 days to get an EORI number.
The Dutch tax office will ask for:
- Shareholders’ passport and proof of address
- Questionnaire
| VAT | EORI | OSS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How long does it take? | 6-7 weeks | 1-2 days | 6-7 weeks |
| Number format | NL123456789B01 | NL12345678 | |
| How often do you need to file? | Calendar quarters as standard. Monthly returns required where monthly VAT liabilities regularly exceed €15,000 per quarter. | ||
| When do you get repayments? | Usually within 14 days of the repayment being approved. Approval can take 1-12 months. | ||
| Filing and payment deadline due | 1 month after filing period end | ||
| Rates | Standard: 21% Reduced rate 1: 9% Reduced rate 2: 5% (generally applies to food and drink, medication and books) |
How to get a VAT registration number in Poland
In Poland, it takes 6-7 weeks to get a VAT number, 4-5 weeks to get an EORI number, and 2-3 weeks to register for OSS.
The Polish tax office will ask for:
- Existing EU VAT certificates (if any)
- Polish bank account (needed to refund Import VAT)
- Signed Power of Attorneys to be posted to Poland
| VAT | EORI | OSS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How long does it take? | 6-7 weeks | 4-5 weeks | 2-3 weeks |
| Number format | PL1234567890 | PL527288386100000 | |
| How often do you need to file? | Monthly | ||
| When do you get repayments? | Generally within 60 days of receiving the return. Made by the Polish tax authority National Revenue Administration (NRA) to a Polish bank account | ||
| Filing and payment deadline due | 25 days after filing period ends | ||
| Rates | Standard: 23% Reduced rate 1: 8% Reduced rate 2: 5% (generally applies to food and drink, medication and books) |
In Poland, refunds are usually subject to extensive audit, and you must be able to provide a notarised copy of a local Polish bank agreement.
How to get a VAT registration number in the Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, it takes 4-5 weeks to get a VAT number, but you don’t need to have an EORI or register for OSS. The tax office only requires a single document.
The Czech tax office will ask for:
- Hand-signed Power of Attorney
| VAT | |
|---|---|
| How long does it take? | 4-5 weeks |
| Number format | CZ1234567890 |
| How often do you need to file? | Monthly |
| When do you get repayments? | Within 30 days for credits over 200 CZK. Made to the usual payment account automatically |
| Filing and payment deadline due | 25 days after filing period ends |
| Rates | Standard: 21% Reduced rate: 12% ( food and medical equipment) Books: 0% |
Some useful further reading about VAT
VAT rates and rules in the EU
VAT rules and rates in the UK
Why is it so hard to get a Spanish VAT number?
We know the process is a challenge. The most difficult part is getting a POA and company documents apostilled and notarised, which would normally require you to go to Spain.
Speak to your account manager – we can put you in touch with US-based partners who do the process via Zoom instead, and you can sign all documents with them as witnesses. They notarise and apostille them, then send them to Spain.
Get started with VAT registration
As you’ve seen, some countries have easier processes and quicker times than others, and much of the time you need more than just the VAT number to trade. In any case, have your basic documents ready to go so that you can help us get the ball rolling.
We know that with each country setting their own rules, it can be time-consuming and complex – but avoiding roadblocks when growing your business is much easier with expert support and advice.
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