Tax & VAT Specialism
Ecommerce Tax & VAT
Know what is included before you commit
- Specify VAT registration, return periods, tax filings or advice required.
- Confirm who prepares the underlying books and whether historical corrections are needed.
- List overseas registrations and filings separately, including who will deliver them.
- Agree the fee, any VAT and software costs, deadlines and records you need to supply.
We confirm the fee and scope before work starts. Compare the work included in your quote.
What Ecommerce Tax & VAT Actually Involves
For a UK-established business, VAT registration is usually required when taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 over a rolling 12 months, or you expect more than £90,000 in the next 30 days alone. Review sales across your business rather than bank deposits after marketplace deductions. Separate rules can apply to businesses established outside the UK.
VAT return preparation starts with reconciled sales, purchase invoices and the evidence supporting the tax treatment. We agree whether bookkeeping is already complete or needs bringing up to date before a return can be prepared.
Import VAT needs customs records and a clear account of who imports the goods. Eligible UK VAT-registered businesses can use postponed VAT accounting. We check the records supporting the return, including the postponed import VAT statement where applicable.
For overseas sales, we map where goods start, where customers receive them and when a marketplace collects VAT. EU stock, direct exports and digital products can need different treatment. Any overseas registration or filing work is scoped separately.
Sole traders and limited companies have different tax filings. We agree the accounting period, accounts and returns you need, including Self Assessment or Corporation Tax where relevant.
Where Ecommerce Tax & VAT Catches Sellers Out
A platform reporting sales to HMRC does not calculate your taxable profit. Keep your own sales and expense records and reconcile them with the platform reports.
Union OSS can cover eligible consumer sales between EU countries. IOSS applies to eligible imports into the EU in consignments with an intrinsic value no greater than €150. Neither scheme replaces every local VAT obligation; the supply chain and marketplace role matter.
Northern Ireland has particular rules for goods traded with the EU. Tell us where your business and stock are based before applying advice written for Great Britain.
Late registration and missed returns need a review of the original deadlines and records. We agree the historic periods to investigate before quoting for corrections. We do not promise a particular tax saving or penalty outcome.
Illustrative tax and VAT checks
Checking turnover across two sales channels
Illustration only. A UK-established seller has £55,000 of taxable Amazon sales and £40,000 of taxable Shopify sales in the same rolling 12 months. The combined £95,000 exceeds the usual £90,000 registration threshold. The seller needs to establish when it was crossed and the correct registration date.
Separating imports from EU warehouse sales
Illustration only. A seller dispatches some orders from Great Britain and others from stock in an EU warehouse. These are different supply chains. Review import arrangements for the first and local VAT plus eligible Union OSS reporting for the second; one registration cannot be assumed to cover both.
Understand the records behind the numbers
UK-wide remote support
Our remote service covers online sellers across the UK. Tax advice reflects where your business, stock and customers are located.
Common questions about tax & vat.
When do I need to register for UK VAT as an ecommerce seller?
For a UK-established business, check both the rolling 12-month taxable-turnover test and the next-30-days test. The usual threshold is £90,000. Count the relevant sales across the business, not just one platform. Different rules can apply if the business is established overseas.
What is the difference between OSS and IOSS?
Union OSS can cover eligible intra-EU consumer goods sales. IOSS covers eligible low-value imports into the EU. The non-Union OSS scheme covers certain services to EU consumers. Which scheme applies depends on your transactions, and local VAT obligations can remain.
Does Etsy or Amazon collecting VAT mean I do not need an accountant?
The marketplace only handles tax for transactions covered by its obligations. You remain responsible for your own records and any returns or registrations that apply to the business. We can review where marketplace collection starts and ends.
Can you help with overdue returns or late VAT registration?
Tell us the missing periods, any HMRC correspondence and the records available. We assess the work and quote for it separately from ongoing support. The outcome depends on the facts and HMRC rules.
How much does ecommerce VAT support cost?
We quote for the specific registrations, returns or advice required. The fee depends on the periods, record quality and countries involved. Your quote identifies bookkeeping, software costs, VAT on our fee and any work outside the agreed scope.