J&P Certified Chartered Accountants in Manchester

It may come as a shock to many of you ecommerce sellers to learn that you could be missing out on countless sales due to the delivery options you offer. Research has shown that delivery options are one of the main factors that consumers consider when making a purchase, with 45% of consumers claiming they are much more likely to buy a product if there is the option for next day delivery.

IOSS stands for Import One Stop Shop. The system is designed to lessen the administrative burden on foreign sellers for their low-consignment deliveries (under €150). Essentially, the system allows sellers from outside the EU to submit all of their sales that do not exceed €150 to EU countries in one monthly tax return to one country in which they are registered in, rather than filing an individual returns to each individual EU country. The EU tax authorities will then distribute the VAT.

Did you know that exporters and importers can claim a relief which allows them to pass less Customs Duty and VAT when they re-import to the UK? This is thanks to a mechanism created by the UK government. Termed Returned Goods Relief, the mechanism minimises the amount of customs fees importers and exporters will have to pay.

The first change for the customs control coming into effect is that exporters will have to provide pre-notification of the export of all animal origin and certain animal by-products. This will be required from the 1st of October 2021. Also, from this date, if traders haven’t made a full customs declaration for an exports consignment, their haulier or carrier will need to submit a standalone exit summary declaration providing safety and security information. The next change, which will affect every exporter, is that the process for importing or exporting goods from or to the EU will be the same as the rest of the world. This essentially boils down to making supplementary declarations. Here’s what you can do to prepare for this.

A commodity code is a code that allows sellers to categorise their goods. This allows the products to go through customs much more efficiently and will make filling in declarations and other paperwork much simpler. This code allows sellers and customs agents to work out what rate of import VAT should be paid, whether the duty is suspended, and whether sellers will need a license to distribute the goods. The code will vary in length but are usually a 10-digit code. The first 6 are the HS code which are recognised globally, and then the last 4 are country-specific.

As stated, almost all the products that need the CE marking will now need the UKCA marking if you wish to sell them in the UK. This means that if you sell products in the UK that already have the CE marking it is heavily advised that you seek advice to see if the products now needs UKCA marking. This also applies to products that use the ‘reverse epsilon’ marking. The UKCA marking will only be valid in the UK, just as the CE marking will only be valid in the EU. Thus, if you wish to sell a product in both the UK and the EU it will have to have both markings – UKCA when sold in the UK and CE when sold in Europe.

The OSS & IOSS are the biggest changes that have come into effect with the new EU VAT rules. In a nutshell, the OSS allows sellers based inside and outside the EU to report all their sales to one country in a quarterly VAT return. The IOSS works similarly, but for import VAT and for sales up to €150. The IOSS also requires monthly returns, and you may need an EU-based intermediary depending on which country you register with.

The rules regarding when you have to register for VAT in France are very similar to the rules adopted by most of the European countries. If you are based outside of France, you will have to register for VAT if you hold stock in the country, provide services related to a property in France (accommodation, office space etc.), ship goods from France and, as of the 1st of July, if you are based outside of the EU and make any sales to French consumers.

The 27th of July marks the annual World MSME Day. This day is devoted to championing Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and raising awareness of the value they provide and the struggles they face. Globally, MSMEs are responsible for about 70% of employment and 50% of GDP. Bearing this in mind, there has perhaps never been a time when recognising the significance of MSMEs has been more important…

Amazon announced they were launching the competition earlier this year in order to support and champion emerging and innovative European startups. They received over 1,800 applicants from 26 different European countries who were all vying to be named as the best and most innovative startup of 2021. Amazon’s judges, who were assessing the applicants’ products on their aesthetics, social and ecological sustainability and uniqueness, have whittled the applicants down to 5 finalists. All of these finalists will receive $10,000 in prize money but only the winner, who will decided by the public vote, will receive the first placed prize of $100,000. So let’s take a look at the five finalists. Read to the end to find out how you can vote and be in with a chance of winning a £50 Amazon voucher.