How to register for EU VAT
As well as installing the Easy Digital Downloads EU VAT plugin, you must register for VAT in an EU country in order to meet European VAT law. This allows you to submit quarterly tax returns for your EU sales.
If you collect VAT from UK customers then you should also register for UK VAT. This is necessary because the UK is no longer part of the European Union (read more about Brexit here).
Registering for EU VAT
To save having to submit separate VAT returns to each EU country, we highly recommend registering for Mini-One-Stop-Shop (MOSS). You can use this centralized VAT scheme to submit a quarterly single tax return and make one payment to cover all the EU VAT you collected. The MOSS service will distribute your payment to the relevant EU member states on your behalf, saving you a lot of time.
How to register for MOSS
There are two MOSS schemes, depending on whether or not your company is based in the EU (or has any establishments - such as an office - in the EU):
- Union SchemeEU companies should register for MOSS with their local tax authority.
- Non-Union SchemeNon-EU companies can register for VAT with the tax authority for any EU member state. It makes sense to choose a country that shares your language - for example, if you are English speaking then you can register in the Republic of Ireland. Here are some instructions for registering for MOSS with Ireland:
- Go to this page on the Ireland Tax and Customs website.
- Scroll down to the ‘Non-Union MOSS scheme registration’ section and click on the link to the the MOSS registration portal.
- Click ‘Register’ on the next page. This will open a registration form for Ireland’s MOSS scheme.
- Enter the required information, including your company details and UK VAT number. You might need to ask your bank for the international Account Number / IBAN and BIC / Swift Code for your UK bank account.
Registering for UK VAT
You should also register for UK VAT so that you can submit tax returns and make payments for the tax that you collect from UK customers.