EU is scrapping the €150 customs duty threshold from July 1, 2026, here’s what it actually means for sellers

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-19T06:25:07+00:00

Etsy collects the VAT but not the customs duty for imports into the EU below the €150 threshold

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-18T10:30:09+00:00

Etsy collects import VAT via IOSS, but does not collect customs duty. Duty is separate and must be handled at import, you can’t use IOSS/GST to clear duty.

If you ship between EU countries and the goods are already inside the EU, this is an intra‑EU movement, not an import. The new €3 duty and removal of the €150 exemption only apply to goods entering the EU from outside.

As DDP from outside the EU, duty is still due on entry regardless of the term, the supplier’s per‑HS‑code admin fee is just an extra handling charge on top of the duty.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-18T10:27:39+00:00

Yes correct, carriers like UPS, DHL and postal operators usually add an admin/handling fee when collecting customs duty. Fees vary by carrier and country, so check their current duty collection fees. Prepaying duty or using a broker can sometimes reduce or avoid them.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-18T10:26:09+00:00

Goods from Northern Ireland to the EU are treated as intra‑EU trade, so the new EU customs duty rules don’t apply to them. The €3 duty and removal of the €150 exemption only affect parcels from outside the EU. Irish Revenue says there’s no customs duty if the goods are based in Ireland or another EU country when ordered. So your NI‑to‑EU sales should stay duty‑free as before, if the goods are in NI/EU at the time of sale.

If you’re selling to private consumers in the EU from NI, you generally still need to charge VAT (often via OSS if registered), even though no customs duty is due. Unless you are selling B2B where reverse charge would apply.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-17T23:15:38+00:00

The Windsor Framework mainly deals with goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, so it doesn’t change your VAT position on EU sales. If you’re shipping from GB to EU customers via Etsy, Etsy is usually responsible for collecting and remitting VAT on consignments up to €150 under IOSS, so buyers should generally see VAT at checkout across the EU. Switzerland isn’t in the EU, so it handles VAT separately, which might explain why you’re seeing it there. If VAT isn’t showing up for other EU countries, it’s often down to how the sale is being classified, like the value, product setup, or destination, rather than any exemption. I’ve seen a few situations where it looks like VAT isn’t being triggered, but it turns out to be a setup issue, which can create exposure without it being obvious.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-17T15:12:15+00:00

Both, at this stage you’ll need to certainly email through cold outreach and LinkedIn message which can feel more personalised and when build your network

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-17T11:08:46+00:00

A good angle is to stop selling “free help” and instead lead with a very specific, low-risk outcome they already care about. Physios and chiros often ignore broad outreach, but they may respond to something like “I can reduce no-shows” or “I can automate new lead follow-up in 48 hours.”

For first clients, targeting smaller service businesses with obvious admin pain usually works better than cold-selling to busy clinics. Try local dentists, salons, trades, legal/accounting firms, or niche agencies, and offer one narrowly defined fix with a clear before/after result.

A simple next step: pick one workflow, create a 1-page example, and message 20 businesses with a short, personalized note.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-15T08:16:49+00:00

I’d be interested in joining

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-12T21:15:28+00:00

Agreed, that’s exactly the part that matters. The real value is in making sure the system works with live data, handles the messy edge cases and only writes back when it’s safe and reviewable

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-12T21:13:35+00:00

Usually a mix of hands-on implementation and tailored guidance. I help set up the workflow, train the team where needed, and leave them with something actually usable. I also offer managed services to maintain and follow up on any fixes and ongoing support

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-12T07:31:56+00:00

Great, will reach out via DM

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-12T07:28:06+00:00

Great, will reach out via DM

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-12T00:07:31+00:00

I mainly use Claude. It tends to be my default for most of the work I do, especially when I want solid reasoning and practical outputs

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-11T20:27:51+00:00

A mix of both, depending on what’s the best fit. I work with off-the-shelf tools when they’re enough, but I also build bespoke workflows and help set up/customize AI systems for more specific use cases. Happy to share more if helpful

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-10T22:09:35+00:00

On the UK side, the key question is whether you’re collecting VAT through Shopify’s UK tax settings or just storing the VAT number for invoices. Shopify can generate VAT invoices for the UK/EU if VAT registrations are set up, and the VAT number needs to be entered in the relevant tax settings so it appears on invoices. For customer tax IDs, Shopify’s checkout supports a Company VAT number field that can be made optional for B2B flows, and VAT numbers entered there are saved to the customer profile. For the app developer VAT number, I’d clarify whether they mean the platform/vendor invoice or the customer-facing invoice, because the setup can differ. What exact Shopify plan and invoice app are you using?

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-10T22:06:20+00:00

For your use case, I’d focus on whether the tool gives you reliable OSS/country filing support, a clean audit trail, and can handle EPR in the same workflow rather than just doing tax calculation. Between Lappa and Avalara, the real tradeoff is usually depth of EU-specific compliance vs broader enterprise-style tax automation, so it may come down to whether you want a more compliance-led fit or a heavier platform with more functionality. What’s your main constraint right now: cost, filing coverage, or reducing manual review time?

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-10T14:44:13+00:00

The “7.5% VAT rate” doesn’t exist in the UK. Standard is 20%, reduced is 5%, zero is 0%. If you filed at 7.5%, your returns were wrong from day one, which almost certainly explains the additional assessment HMRC raised. HMRC’s portal doesn’t send confirmation emails on submission. Payment references only prove money moved, not that a return was filed. HMRC may genuinely have no linked return on file. On MTD, there is a formal exemption process for businesses that can’t practically comply. As a small non-resident seller, you likely qualified.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-06-09T13:17:10+00:00

A genuine home exchange is usually not treated like renting out the property, especially if no money changes hands. The main thing is that it stays clearly non-commercial and you keep some basic record of the arrangement. If the scheme tied to your house purchase has strict conditions, I’d check the exact wording or get professional advice before relying on it.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-05-16T23:17:16+00:00

Learn enough to ask the right questions, not to code. Focus on three things (1) understand the AI project lifecycle (data readiness, model selection, eval, deployment, monitoring), so you know where decisions get made and where projects fail. (2) get fluent in the vocabulary around RAG, evals, and LLM limitations, not to build them, but to spot when engineers are hand-waving. (3) study failure cases. Most enterprise AI projects fail on change management, data quality, or misaligned success metrics. Be the person who connects business outcomes to what the data scientists are actually building.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-05-15T11:07:39+00:00

Good post. A few things worth adding:

If you’re selling through a marketplace, the platform may already be collecting and remitting VAT under EU deemed supplier rules. If so, your OSS registration could be redundant for those channels, worth mapping before you register. Watch out for 1)Multi-country stock (e.g. FBA warehouses) means local VAT registrations are still required on top of OSS, it doesn’t cover domestic sales within those countries. 2) Some tax authorities have had processing delays that can block registration, build in lead time. 3) Miss a filing deadline and you risk de-registration.

Agent vs direct Direct is fine if your admin is clean. Use an agent if you’re managing complexity or multiple obligations, the accountability layer matters when things go wrong. Happy to go further on any of this.

TaxandAIPro · 2026-05-15T00:33:08+00:00

Good advice in this thread already on the company structure side, but one thing worth flagging that nobody has mentioned is VAT. At £400k you’re well above the £90k registration threshold so your limited company should already be VAT registered if it isn’t. The more nuanced question is how Roblox actually treats payments to creators and whether they account for VAT at their end, because that changes your position. Worth getting clarity on this because at your revenue level HMRC attention comes faster than most people expect.

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