How to Import Goods to the EU after July 1st, 2021?

With these changes, sending goods to customers inside the EU becomes more expensive, slower, and more bureaucratic for both the customers and the marketplaces in China, the UK, the USA, and the rest of the world.

The reason for these changes is to put online stores outside the EU on an equal footing with EU merchants. Also, EU countries have lost significant budget revenue in recent years due to the Low-Value Item Tax Exception and mislabeled and mis-declared packages. This loss is only magnified by the e-commerce boom.

For low-value orders (up to 150EUR), there is a special procedure in place. WIth this, online stores can pay VAT either by registering in the country or by finding a tax representative in there for themselves. In addition, while the general principle in accounting is that documents must be kept for 7 years, the new regulation, which enters into force, sets the obligation to keep VAT data for 10 years.

The positive side is, that online shops can handle all VAT accounting and payment for all EU countries through the tax administration of one Member State. Meaning you don’t need to register in all 27 countries.

Until now, goods that are valued at 22EUR or lower have not required written declarations. And these packages make up about 90% of all goods entering Europe.

Thus, an insane increase in the number of customs declarations is expected from July. And in many countries, customers must start paying for the services of a customs agent every time they order any small item

What is more, right now, the declaration process starts when the goods reach customs. If the same practice continues, the huge number of declarations means that goods will pile in warehouses of postal and courier companies. And that will slow the process even more.

Even now, customs officials have had to physically inspect a substantial number of consignments to check their true value. Such controls cannot be effective under upcoming regulations. For the system to not fail, the application of technology is the key issue.

In the future, every EU consumer must be able to see information on taxes for goods added from the online shopping cart. Online shops will have to start calculating VAT based on each product’s category and country of destination. This cannot be done if the respective databases are not comprehensive and up to date.

Luckily, Eurora can easily help both marketplaces and carriers with these regulations. As our intelligent cross-border compliance platform has been tailored to handle all the new rules. Eurora’s Duty and Tax calculator is up to date with trade rules for most countries. And our electronic declaration service helps to make sure, all the paperwork is in order.

• Non-EU online shops will have to pay VAT on all shipments ordered to the European Union. The tax exemption for consignments of less than 22 euros will be abolished.
• The tax liability of the special scheme arises at the time of sale (no longer upon the importation of the goods).
• A non-EU online store must be a taxable person established in the EU or appoint a special VAT representative and apply for a VAT registration number.
• VAT data is transmitted through a single tax authority to the EU Member States where consumers ordered the goods during the declared period.
• VAT is reported monthly. So-called zero reports must also be submitted.
• To prevent misuse, the VAT registration number of online stores must not be published (meaning, this number may not be shown on invoices).
• All consignments must be the subject of a simplified customs declaration.
• Online shops and their agents must keep VAT records on their transactions for 10 years.