Update: GET_VAT_TRANSACTION_DATA now includes a date limitation for report generation
Amazon now limits GET_VAT_TRANSACTION_DATA to be called on or after the 3rd calendar day of each month. Requests on the 1st or 2nd return a FATAL error. Sellers must shift automated pulls (e.g., cron from 0 2 1 * * to 0 2 3 * *) to avoid failures.
Overview
Amazon has tightened the generation window for the GET_VAT_TRANSACTION_DATA report. The report can now be requested only on or after the third calendar day of each month; any earlier call returns a FATAL error. Sellers who depend on timely VAT data must shift their download routines to avoid failed pulls and potential filing delays.
Key Points
- Release day — The VAT transaction file becomes available starting the 3rd day of every month, regardless of marketplace.
- Premature request outcome — Submitting the API call before the 3rd triggers a FATAL status, indicating the report is not yet produced.
- Scope of change — All Amazon sites that support VAT reporting, including Germany (DE), France (FR), Italy (IT), Spain (ES) and other EU locales, are subject to the new rule.
- Automation impact — Scripts or third‑party services that habitually pull the report on the 1st or 2nd will now encounter errors and must be rescheduled.
- Compliance timing — Companies need to align their internal VAT filing calendars with the new availability window to keep monthly submissions on track.
How GET_VAT_TRANSACTION_DATA Works (What's Changing)
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Submit API call — A seller’s system sends a GET_VAT_TRANSACTION_DATA request, specifying the month for which VAT details are needed.
- Example: On April 1, an ERP platform for a UK merchant issues a request for April’s VAT transactions.
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Validate request date — Amazon compares the request’s timestamp against the 3rd‑of‑month cutoff.
- Example: Because the call arrives on April 1, the platform flags it as too early and returns a FATAL code, signalling that the report cannot be generated yet.
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Generate report after cutoff — Beginning on the 3rd, Amazon compiles every qualifying transaction for the requested month and creates a downloadable CSV file.
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
The new 3‑day cutoff means any early API call will fail, potentially delaying VAT filing for EU sellers. Automated scripts that previously ran on the 1st will now hit FATAL errors, requiring schedule adjustments and error‑handling to keep monthly reporting on track.
Key Takeaways
- GET_VAT_TRANSACTION_DATA can only be requested on or after the 3rd day of each month across all EU marketplaces.
- Calls made on the 1st or 2nd now return a FATAL status instead of a partial or in‑progress response.
- Typical cron jobs must be updated (e.g., from 0 2 1 * * to 0 2 3 * *) to align with the new window.
Recommended Actions
- →Update your scheduled pull in Seller Central or your server (e.g., Linux crontab) to run on day 3 or later: edit crontab entry to 0 2 3 * *.
- →Add fallback logic in your API integration to catch FATAL responses, log them, and retry after a delay (e.g., 12 hours).
- →Create a CloudWatch/monitoring alert for repeated FATAL codes and adjust the schedule if alerts fire.
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