No, you don’t need to register for VAT in every EU country you sell to. There are simplified VAT schemes available to help manage your tax obligations more efficiently.
If you’re based in the EU
If you’re based in the EU, you should register for VAT in the country where your business is established. Registration becomes mandatory once you reach your country’s domestic sales threshold.
If you also sell to customers in other EU countries, keep track of your cross-border sales. When your total cross-border sales exceed 10,000 EUR across all EU member states in a calendar year, you can register for the One Stop Shop (OSS) scheme.
What is the OSS scheme?
The Union One Stop Shop (OSS) is an EU-wide system that lets you:
- Register for VAT in one EU country
- Report and pay VAT on sales to customers across all EU member states in one quarterly return
- Work with the tax authority in your own country and language, even for cross-border sales
This greatly simplifies VAT obligations for online sellers.
If you’re based outside the EU
You can choose to register in one EU country; ideally, where you have the most sales. If you’re importing goods into the EU and selling to EU consumers, the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) scheme might apply.
What is the IOSS scheme?
The Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) allows you to:
- Collect VAT at the time of sale for goods imported into the EU (up to 150 EUR in value)
- Declare and pay that VAT through a single monthly return
- Avoid your customers having to pay import VAT when their package is delivered
This helps improve the buying experience and speeds up customs clearance.
What does Printful use?
We’re registered for both OSS and IOSS schemes, so we handle most VAT obligations for your orders within the EU and on imports under 150 EUR. That means you usually don’t need to register separately, unless you’re selling outside of the EU or have specific VAT needs.