VAT Status check by Amazon

VAT Status check by Amazon

Author
Discussion

DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

15,135 posts

209 months

Thursday 25th January
quotequote all
They’ll sit on your cash until you prove you’re registered.


Simpo Two

87,082 posts

272 months

Thursday 25th January
quotequote all
Seems reasonable - otherwise Amazon could be assisting fraud.

PF62

4,065 posts

180 months

Thursday 25th January
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Seems reasonable - otherwise Amazon could be assisting fraud.
Worse than that, under the rules introduced a few years ago HMRC could come after Amazon for the VAT - hence the check and if you can't prove the VAT status then Amazon just boot you off their marketplace so they can show compliance and don't become liable.

Ham_and_Jam

2,567 posts

104 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
DSLiverpool said:
They’ll sit on your cash until you prove you’re registered.

Can you not just prove you’re registered ?

DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

15,135 posts

209 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
Ham_and_Jam said:
Can you not just prove you’re registered ?
Only if you are, Amazon know …..

Ean218

2,004 posts

257 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
DSLiverpool said:
Only if you are, Amazon know …..
How do they know that? There is no public register of VAT registered businesses.

Ham_and_Jam

2,567 posts

104 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
DSLiverpool said:
Only if you are, Amazon know …..
I would have thought they’ll just assume you’re not registered if you haven’t supplied them your VAT reg number?

Simpo Two

87,082 posts

272 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
Ham_and_Jam said:
DSLiverpool said:
Only if you are, Amazon know …..
I would have thought they’ll just assume you’re not registered if you haven’t supplied them your VAT reg number?
It's no more than the police asking if you have a driving licence IMHO.

So is the OP not registered, or does he just object to Amazon seemingly knowing something secret?

sgrimshaw

7,419 posts

257 months

Friday 26th January
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I've been chasing a VAT invoice from an Amazon Seller for over two months .... Amazon could not be less interested.

Ham_and_Jam

2,567 posts

104 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
sgrimshaw said:
I've been chasing a VAT invoice from an Amazon Seller for over two months .... Amazon could not be less interested.
Is it not automatically available in the invoice tab?

HoHoHo

15,157 posts

257 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
I have a second business that does very well on eBay, Shopify and Amazon.

I have recently deactivated all of my listings on Amazon so I can close the account after a 90 day order free period. I'm not selling on that platform any more mainly because their attitude, bullying of sellers and their lack of interest in helping sellers issues is beyond belief.

The VAT issue and proving you are a UK registered company should be simple, but they make it as difficult as they can.

My goods sell at such a low cost I offer free delivery but I can't include tracked delivery,it costs too much. In the last month alone I've had too many deliveries that took three days rather than 2 (down to Royal Mail, not me), buyer then have a chargeback and I've had funds taken from me only to find out the customers have received the good but it's too late by then (emails from the customers thanking me for the goods!)

I've had negative feedback on one product that should be verified but it's from someone who hasn't purchased and that's against their policy but they won't take the feedback down, they just ignore messages.

I still buy off Amazon, but won't ever sell on that platform again.

sgrimshaw

7,419 posts

257 months

Friday 26th January
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Ham_and_Jam said:
Is it not automatically available in the invoice tab?
No, it's an Amazon Seller, not Amazon themselves.

paulrockliffe

15,998 posts

234 months

Friday 26th January
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sgrimshaw said:
Ham_and_Jam said:
Is it not automatically available in the invoice tab?
No, it's an Amazon Seller, not Amazon themselves.
Every one of my Amazon purchases provides an invoice, whether it's Amazon selling or a third party. It's an offence under the VAT Act to not provide an invoice that meets the statutory definition and if you're VAT registered that means including the VAT number in many circumstances.

Amazon can't know whether those circumstances apply to individual transactions, so it's not really a surprise that they insist on having a VAT number if you're registered, regardless of the recent changes that leave them liable to pay your VAT in some circumstances.

It goes without saying that they are able to risk assess an account to see if it should have a VAT number. I wouldn't be surprised if they're using third party services to identify VAT numbers for the details that they do hold and then being difficult with accounts that then refuse to corroborate.

Ham_and_Jam

2,567 posts

104 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
sgrimshaw said:
No, it's an Amazon Seller, not Amazon themselves.
The majority of what I buy on Amazon for my business is from third party sellers.

They usually show up in ‘download invoice’, sometimes only available on a PC.

I think on the rare occasion this hadn’t been available Ive used ‘contact the seller’ and they have sent it.

DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

15,135 posts

209 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
Ean218 said:
How do they know that? There is no public register of VAT registered businesses.
They know your turnover and as per the pic I posted they ask you to prove your vat reg

DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

15,135 posts

209 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Ham_and_Jam said:
DSLiverpool said:
Only if you are, Amazon know …..
I would have thought they’ll just assume you’re not registered if you haven’t supplied them your VAT reg number?
It's no more than the police asking if you have a driving licence IMHO.

So is the OP not registered, or does he just object to Amazon seemingly knowing something secret?
It’s not bloody me :-) I run a e-commerce club and a few haven’t been listening

DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

15,135 posts

209 months

Friday 26th January
quotequote all
Ham_and_Jam said:
sgrimshaw said:
I've been chasing a VAT invoice from an Amazon Seller for over two months .... Amazon could not be less interested.
Is it not automatically available in the invoice tab?
Yes as a download IF the seller is VAT reg

chippy348

657 posts

154 months

Friday 26th January
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Nothing to add other than i am so happy i sacked off Ebay years ago and my Amazon foray was short lived !

NickZ24

264 posts

74 months

Saturday 27th January
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chippy348 said:
Nothing to add other than i am so happy i sacked off Ebay years ago and my Amazon foray was short lived !
I find it quite good to have tried several of those free offers.
You see that e-commerce is not a chlids play at all.

And nowadays the rules have changed a lot, specially amazon is asking for too much giving too little.
An independent shop solution is best to handle sales.

chippy348

657 posts

154 months

Saturday 27th January
quotequote all
NickZ24 said:
I find it quite good to have tried several of those free offers.
You see that e-commerce is not a chlids play at all.

And nowadays the rules have changed a lot, specially amazon is asking for too much giving too little.
An independent shop solution is best to handle sales.
I started building my Ecom site back in 2000 as a half hearted attempt, went live around 2004 after a few false starts, All done as a part time project but to compliment the main business. Also had a Ebay shop, used to put a flyer in every ebay order with a discount code for our website.

Jumped though so many hoops with Ebay, was a nightmare they always changed the goal posts what seemed like every 3 months and we would have to change all of the listings usually 1 at a time. I played along with the games as your discount/ good standing ETC all depended on it.

I cannot recall the year but i think it was 2010 i just let the listings expire, by this point the Ecom site was flying.

I know how hard it would be to start a Ecom from scratch, but you always wished you had planted a tree 10-15 years ago, you just need to put the effort in, and keep putting the effort in.

I note that my main 2 competitors are still Ebay only, it is the only game in town for them, and i know they are finding it hard to make it work with the increased Ebay "rules" and also the lack of visibility ebay are giving them over china sellers.

I say it again i am so happy i dont have the rely on these 3rd party platforms.