Question 1

Where do you ship from?

Accepted Answer

Shipping origin drives VAT strategy. If every consignment departs from outside the EU and you avoid EU storage, consignments up to EUR 150 can use IOSS to collect destination VAT at checkout and clear customs without double taxation. The moment you place inventory in an EU warehouse or 3PL, you create a fixed establishment and need local VAT IDs plus OSS for cross-border B2C shipments. Document warehouse locations and inventory movements so filings reconcile.

Question 2

Typical order value?

Accepted Answer

Order value determines IOSS eligibility. For consignments at or below EUR 150 shipped from outside the EU, you can charge destination VAT via IOSS and avoid border collection. If baskets exceed EUR 150 or combine items that push the intrinsic value over the limit once shipping or insurance is included, IOSS cannot be used and import VAT applies. Monitor your average basket size and set guardrails in checkout to keep qualifying orders within the threshold.

Question 3

Do you target UK shoppers?

Accepted Answer

UK VAT has its own £135 rule. Goods at or below £135 require VAT to be charged at checkout and remitted via a UK VAT registration, unless a marketplace is the deemed supplier. Above £135, import VAT is collected at the border instead. Keep exchange rates current so a £135 ceiling is not breached by shipping or insurance, and align customer messaging on DDP/DAP terms to avoid surprise charges at delivery.

Question 4

Do you run analytics or ads?

Accepted Answer

Analytics and ads need consent before scripts fire. Implement a GDPR and UK GDPR-compliant consent banner that blocks GA4, Meta, TikTok, and similar tags until the user opts in. Respect Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control signals, log consent IDs with order references, and honor DSAR timelines. Without consent, non-essential cookies and marketing pixels must stay disabled to avoid enforcement risk and data deletion requests later.

Question 5

Selling into FR/DE?

Accepted Answer

France and Germany require packaging EPR IDs before launch. Register with a French eco-organisme for Triman labeling and obtain German LUCID plus a dual system contract. Publish DSA operator details in footers and invoices, and mirror IDs on marketplace listings. Keep packaging weight data handy for filings, and store proofs of registration to avoid takedowns or fines when marketplaces request evidence during compliance reviews.

Question	Answer path	Tool
Where do you ship from?	Outside EU vs EU storage drives IOSS vs local VAT	VAT/IOSS Checker
Typical order value?	≤ EUR 150 enables IOSS	IOSS vs OSS guide
Do you target UK shoppers?	Orders ≤ £135 trigger UK VAT point-of-sale collection	EU VAT explained
Do you run analytics or ads?	Deploy cookie consent + DSAR stack	GDPR & UK GDPR Generator
Selling into FR/DE?	Need eco-organisme + LUCID IDs	French & German packaging

Platform	VAT tasks	GDPR & consent	Packaging/DSA
Shopify	Enable multi-origin shipping, configure country-specific VAT, use tax overrides for OSS numbers	Customer Privacy API + CMP app, sync DSAR form with Flow	Add legal menu linking to French/German IDs; update shop locale footers
WooCommerce	Enable EU VAT base addresses, install OSS plugin, set tax classes per country	Use server-side consent plugin + log table, connect to CRM for DSAR tracking	Expose Triman/LUCID info via widget; update shipping classes with packaging surcharges
Custom Next.js	Use VAT/IOSS Checker output to set API-based tax logic	Implement middleware + CMP from GDPR & UK GDPR Generator	Render DSA operator component, host eco-ID JSON for marketplaces

EU market quick start guide

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