Today Amazon published new headlines in Amazon Seller Central about the VAT Regulations for Online Marketplaces. It seems the net is closing on VAT Evaders.

We are hoping this is a sign that HMRC are now taking action against the sellers and issuing take down notices to Amazon.

Here is the Headline:

UK VAT Regulations: Important Updates
3 Nov 2016
We are writing to inform you that further United Kingdom (UK) Value Added Tax (VAT) legislation which may affect you was enacted on 12 September 2016.

What is the impact of the new legislation?

HMRC is tracking VAT compliance, and under UK law, Amazon is required to disclose to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) select seller account data on request if HMRC believes a seller may not be compliant.

Under the new legislation, HRMC can now inform websites such as Amazon Marketplace if it believes a seller is in breach of VAT regulation and require that we stop the seller from selling through Amazon.co.uk and that we remove the account.
As per Amazon’s Terms and Conditions, sellers on Amazon must comply with all applicable laws including VAT regulations.

How to avoid potential interruptions of your online business?

If you have any questions about your VAT compliance, we recommend that you consult with your tax advisor now to understand your VAT obligations and take appropriate action to avoid any risk of your account being suspended due to VAT non-compliance. If you would like to refer to a list of tax advisors who can provide additional guidance, including discounted VAT consultancy rates available for Amazon sellers, please visit our VAT page.

If you are required to be VAT registered in the UK as well as other European countries where you operate, please remember to enter your VAT numbers in your Seller Profile in your Amazon Seller Account as soon as available.

Get informed about VAT

What is VAT and how does it work? Learn more here.

How do you know if you are required to be VAT registered in the UK? Learn more here.

You are a business outside the EU selling to UK customers and fulfilling orders from inside the UK? Read here the information provided by the HMRC.