Overview

Amazon has issued a reminder to sellers operating on its European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK) marketplaces to confirm that the VAT registration numbers on file are accurate and up‑to‑date. Failure to align Amazon’s records with the official tax‑authority databases can trigger account restrictions, making verification a critical compliance step for any cross‑border seller.

Key Points

• Valid VAT numbers required — Every EU and UK marketplace where a seller lists products must have a current, active VAT identifier recorded in Seller Central.
• Business details must match — The legal name, registered address, and tax identification shown on Amazon must be identical to the information held by the respective tax authority.
• Threshold for consumer sales — Once cross‑border B2C sales exceed €10,000 across the entire EU, sellers must be VAT‑registered in each country where the sales occur.
• FBA inventory creates obligations — Sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in multiple European fulfillment centers are automatically liable for VAT in every nation that stores their stock.
• Country‑specific rules still apply — Some nations impose lower thresholds or additional registration criteria, so a one‑size‑fits‑all approach does not work.

How to Verify VAT Registration Works

1. Gather marketplace data — Log into Seller Central, open the “Tax Settings” page for each EU and UK marketplace, and note the VAT number, business name, and address listed. Example: A seller sees VAT DE123456789 for Amazon.de and VAT FR987654321 for Amazon.fr.
2. Check EU numbers via VIES — Visit the European Commission’s VIES portal, enter the VAT number and the country code, and confirm that the system returns a “valid” status with the correct company name. Example: Entering DE123456789 returns “Valid – Acme GmbH, Berlin.”
3. Validate UK numbers through HMRC — For the UK, use HMRC’s online VAT checker or the “Check a VAT number” service on the government site, entering the UK VAT number to receive a confirmation.