Selling into Europe from the US? Here’s what you need to know about European VAT for US companies.

If you sell on Amazon, Shopify or eBay and store stock in the EU, import goods in your own name or make other taxable supplies there, you may need one or more European VAT registrations. The exact requirements depend on where your goods are stored, how they enter the EU and whether you sell through a marketplace or your own website.

hellotax helps US companies manage VAT registration, reporting obligations, and ongoing compliance, so you don’t have to navigate multiple European tax systems on your own.

How it works

1. Free assessment. Tell us where you sell and where your stock is stored — we’ll identify which countries may require VAT registration and explain your European VAT requirements.
2. We register you. Local VAT numbers, fiscal representation, and OSS setup are handled end-to-end by our team.
3. We file, you sell. Ongoing monthly and quarterly VAT returns are prepared and filed on your behalf, tracked through a single dashboard.

European VAT for US Companies: OSS explained simply

The EU’s One-Stop Shop (OSS) allows eligible sellers to report intra-EU cross-border B2C sales through a single quarterly return, reducing the need for separate VAT registrations solely because customers are located in multiple EU countries.

It can be especially useful for a US company that holds an EU VAT registration and dispatches goods from an EU stock location to consumers in other EU Member States.

It’s the single biggest simplification available to a US seller shipping into the EU.

We handle both: your local registrations where you store stock, and your OSS return for everything cross-border.

Set up OSS with hellotax

European VAT for US companies: VAT filing without the spreadsheets

Monthly and quarterly VAT returns across every country you’re registered in, prepared from your Amazon, Shopify or WooCommerce transaction data and filed on time — with a single dashboard showing what’s due, where, and when.

European VAT Requirements by country

We support VAT registration and compliance across many of the European markets most commonly used by US Amazon and ecommerce sellers. Read through for country-specific information on registration requirements, VAT filings, and fiscal-representation obligations.

Germany: Common FBA stock location. No fiscal representative for US businesses

United Kingdom: Separate post-Brexit VAT system

Ireland: English-speaking EU registration. No fiscal representative for US businesses

France: Fiscal representation available

Italy: Additional requirements such as Fiscal Rep and Bank guarantee may apply

Spain: Popular Pan-EU market. No fiscal representative for US businesses

Netherlands: Major EU import hub. No fiscal rep for standard VAT registration; required for Article 23 import VAT deferment

Poland: Growing FBA warehouse market. VAT registration with fiscal representation

Czech Republic: Central Europe stock storage. No fiscal representative required

Sweden: Nordic ecommerce expansion. No fiscal representative required

Full breakdown of rates, timelines, and fiscal-representation rules for all those countries in our EU VAT country comparison guide.

Common European VAT triggers for US companies

US companies commonly need a European VAT registration when they:

• Store stock in an EU warehouse or Amazon FBA fulfilment centre.
• Import goods into the EU in their own name.
• Make domestic sales from stock held in an EU country.
• Transfer stock between EU countries.
• Carry out other taxable activities that create local VAT obligations.

Understanding your European VAT requirements early can help avoid registration delays and compliance issues.

Many VAT issues arise because sellers are unaware of their obligations until stock is already stored in Europe or sales have already taken place. Common mistakes include missing VAT registrations, incorrectly relying on OSS, or failing to report stock transfers between EU countries. Read our guide to common VAT mistakes in the EU for US sellers to learn how to avoid the most frequent compliance errors.

Switching from Avalara, Sovos, or Taxually?

Many US sellers review their VAT provider as their European operations grow. When comparing providers, consider:

• Country coverage
• VAT registration support
• Fiscal representation costs
• Filing services
• Ecommerce integrations
• Pricing transparency
• Onboarding and switching processes

Here’s the short version:

See the full provider-by-provider comparison including SimplyVAT, Amavat, Marosa and Taxdoo.

Get a free assessment, no sales call required

Frequently asked questions