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Not sure if you need German VAT yet? Find out before you read on.
You buy from a supplier in Spain and ship straight to a German Amazon FBA warehouse. That is an intra-community movement, not an import: with your German VAT ID the supplier zero-rates and you self-report the intra-community acquisition on your German return. No German import VAT, usually no Spanish VAT registration, but still a German registration for the stock.
What documents you need to register for German VAT, by country of origin. UK, US, China, and Hong Kong checklists, what an apostille is and when you need one (China joined the Apostille Convention on 7 November 2023), and the universal items every foreign seller must provide.
The EU GPSR has applied since 13 December 2024: non-EU sellers need an EU Responsible Person for products sold to EU consumers, and Amazon enforces it. What GPSR is, who needs a Responsible Person, and how it sits alongside your German VAT obligation.
The German Packaging Act makes every seller register in the LUCID packaging register before selling. LUCID is free and direct with the ZSVR; the dual-system licence is a separate paid obligation. Why Amazon asks for your LUCID number, why it is not part of VAT registration, and why Vaytax flags but does not file it.
An EORI number is free, valid across the whole EU, and one per company. How a non-EU or UK seller gets an EU EORI for Germany, why a GB EORI stopped working after Brexit, and how the EORI differs from German VAT registration and import VAT recovery.
VAT Services on Amazon shut down on October 31, 2024, and no in-house Amazon replacement has appeared. What the programme covered, how to choose its successor, and the step-by-step checklist for switching providers without missing a German deadline.
A US company with no EU base owes German VAT once it stores stock in Germany, crosses the €10,000 B2C line, or supplies German-place-of-supply services. EORI and reclaimable import VAT, the fiscal-rep myth, and Union OSS through Germany.
eBay collects German VAT as the deemed supplier on some sales (low-value imports, non-EU sellers from EU stock), but storing stock in Germany still triggers your own registration. Where the line falls under §3 Abs. 3a / §25e UStG.
German stock (a 3PL, Amazon FBA, or consignment) triggers VAT registration from the first unit, with no turnover threshold. Import VAT and EORI, the €10,000 EU-wide OSS line, and how marketplace vs own-store changes what you owe.
TikTok Shop collects German VAT as the deemed supplier on some sales, but storing stock in a German warehouse still triggers your own registration from the first unit. Where the line falls under §3 Abs. 3a UStG.
Shopify is not a marketplace facilitator, so no platform collects or remits your German VAT, unlike Amazon, Etsy, or TikTok Shop. When a Shopify seller must register, and why "Shopify doesn't collect for me" means more responsibility.
An Umsatzsteuer-Sonderprüfung is a German VAT special audit. Foreign Amazon FBA sellers get them most often, triggered by warehouse stock and marketplace data under §22f and §25e UStG. What gets checked, and how to respond.
Received a Prüfungsanordnung announcing an Umsatzsteuer-Sonderprüfung? How to recognise the notice, what the Finanzamt requests, the deadlines, and the calm step-by-step response.
A non-EU seller (UK, US, China) with stock in a German warehouse can use the Union OSS scheme with Germany as its Member State of Identification. One German VAT registration plus one quarterly OSS return covers B2C across the EU, no EU subsidiary required.
Foreign sellers get one of five Finanzamt letter types: Aufforderung (14d), Mahnung (14d), Anhörung (14d), Schätzbescheid (30d), or Amazon §25e. Side-by-side comparison: deadlines, cost if ignored, legal basis, response action.
Four worked examples for foreign Amazon FBA sellers: small late filing on €5K VAT, typical 3-month panic on €10K/mo, worst-case Schätzbescheid at 3× estimate, and a Hungarian seller catching up Q1. With step-by-step math.
How to identify the letter type without reading the body. What the 14 and 30-day deadlines really mean. The four most common scenarios for foreign sellers. What NOT to do (don't ignore, don't Google-translate a reply, don't pay before confirming the amount).
amavat operates pan-EU through the HLB network with quote-based pricing. Vaytax is the Germany-only Steuerberater specialist at €1,199/year all-in (registration included), or €79/month with an existing German Steuernummer. Side-by-side feature matrix, when each fits, and switching cost.
SimpleVAT is pan-EU software (~$470 + $240/year per country) covering 8 countries with OSS automation. Vaytax is the Germany-only Steuerberater (€1,199/year all-in, or €79/month with an existing German Steuernummer). Hybrid setups work well; when each fits and why.
An Anhörung is the §91 AO notice that an adverse decision is being prepared. Foreign sellers have 14-21 days to respond before the binding Bescheid lands. Here's the four-element response template and what each path costs.
A Mahnung is the first formal reminder. The window to respond is short (7-14 days) but the cost of acting is small. Here's what each Mahnung type means and how to keep it from becoming a Schätzbescheid.
§22f obliges Amazon to report your sales to the Finanzamt; §25e makes the marketplace jointly liable if your VAT goes unpaid. Here's how the chain creates retroactive assessments for foreign sellers and what to do when listings get deactivated.
German VAT on hotels, taxis, and trade fair stands is reclaimable through your monthly UStVA. Other-EU VAT needs a 13th Directive refund. Two paths, two procedures, which one applies to you.
Germany does not require fiscal representation for most foreign companies, unlike France, Italy, or Portugal. A licensed Steuerberater is sufficient, and saves €1,000–€3,000/year vs competitors charging for it.
Taxdoo exited VAT compliance on 30 April. The full handover plan: engagement letter in 24h, Vollmacht filed, May UStVA by us by 10 June. 5 steps, no Steuernummer change.
Amazon Pan-EU FBA now requires VAT in 5 countries, Germany, France, Poland, Italy, and Spain. What changed, who’s affected, and how to fix it.
Taxdoo is exiting VAT compliance on 30 April 2026. Compare the best alternatives for German VAT, pricing, filing method, migration steps, and what to ask before you switch.
The complete 2026 filing calendar: monthly Voranmeldung due dates, Dauerfristverlängerung deadlines, ZM deadlines, annual declaration, and what happens when you file late.
A 9-minute walkthrough of your first USt-Voranmeldung through the Vaytax dashboard: what to gather, how Kz codes work, what happens after submit, and how SEPA payment works.
We’ve rebranded from VATdesk.io to Vaytax.com. Same licensed tax advisor, same €79/month pricing, same Finanzamt filing, here’s what changed and what didn’t.
Late filing triggers automatic penalties from day one. Verspätungszuschlag, Säumniszuschlag, Zwangsgeld, every penalty type explained with exact amounts and how to avoid them.
Two German tax numbers, two different purposes. Clear comparison of Steuernummer and Umsatzsteuer-ID, format, who issues them, and which goes on which document.
SEPA Direct Debit, credit transfer, or international wire? Payment methods, grace periods, and how to avoid Säumniszuschlag when paying the Finanzamt from outside Germany.
Brexit made the UK a third country for EU VAT. No OSS, no distance-selling threshold, mandatory German registration. Here's exactly what UK sellers need to do.
Kompletter Leitfaden auf Deutsch: zuständiges Finanzamt, Unterlagen, Ablauf und laufende Pflichten für ausländische Unternehmen. Für Steuerberater und deren Mandanten.
One-Stop Shop or full German registration? A decision guide for Amazon FBA sellers, drop-shippers, and UK sellers post-Brexit.
The German tax registration form explained section by section. No official English version exists, this guide fills the gap.
Timeline by Finanzamt, what causes delays, and how to speed up the process. Direct answers based on real registration experience.
Distance selling thresholds, Kleinunternehmer rules, FBA warehouse obligations, a clear breakdown of every threshold that matters.
Why filings prepared and signed by a licensed German Steuerberater carry weight with the Finanzamt, and how foreign companies should think about it.
Side-by-side comparison of pricing, service model, and filing method for German VAT compliance.
Transparent fixed pricing vs quote-based. Direct tax advisor vs partner network. How Vaytax and countX compare for German VAT compliance.
Avalara is built for multinationals filing across 60+ jurisdictions. Vaytax is €79/mo flat for Germany only. When each one fits, and the structural reason cost differs by 5×.
AVASK bundles 5+ EU countries; Vaytax is a Germany specialist. Where the break-even sits, and the hybrid pattern most Pan-EU sellers should run.
A no-nonsense comparison of the top VAT compliance providers for Germany, pricing, features, reviews, and what to watch out for.
After Amazon ended its free VAT Services in October 2024, every seller needs an alternative. Here's what changed and how to stay compliant.
Everything you need to know about registering for VAT in Germany, requirements, documents, timelines, and step-by-step instructions.
