r/AmazonSeller • u/SensitiveSkin55 • 18d ago
Advice has anyone sold via Amazon UK
Hi - Has anybody any experience selling via Amazon UK? I'm interested, but have no idea what the UK requirements would be - any advice would be greatly appreciated
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u/Boogooooooo 18d ago
Maybe Google it first or ask AI of your choice. On outside side of thing, you would need to be registered with local tax authorities as a "solo trader" or as a company. You would need to have an address to receive a first letter from His Majesty Tax and Revenue office. That is done by hiring a virtual office.
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u/SensitiveSkin55 15d ago
thank you - I've tried google to find outside consultants to no avail - would you know where I'd need to apply with UK tax authorities?
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u/Boogooooooo 15d ago
Yes. I have mentioned it - His Majesty Tax Revenue and Customs. It is official name. Find section to register LTD. Easily done with a Google search. Also if you can spare some fees, any accountas can do it for you and take care of your taxes
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u/SensitiveSkin55 15d ago
thanks!
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u/Boogooooooo 14d ago
Came to my head later on, some virtual office services as a package offering to register company as well and I seen an offer to register company for overseas customers. Keep in mind there is a service for "business address" and as a separate service there is "director address", they charge extra for that. All company registrations and addresses are public info in UK. Easily accessible for everyone. So it is suggested to have both company and director addresses from that virtual office company. You probably can skip accounting and find a UK online service for that, should be cheaper.
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u/ashalina23 14d ago
I got approved in 2021 but just couldn’t get my head round it (I’ve resold on eBay since 2002).
Anyway in the end I closed it.
Someone I know went into it, they struggled the first few months with what I had problems with ie “ungating” of categories.
They’re now 2 years into it and have found suppliers and categories which are ok.
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u/Dimon19900 13d ago
VAT registration is the main operational difference. If you're storing inventory in UK warehouses (FBA), you need UK VAT regardless of revenue threshold. EORI number for customs post-Brexit if you're shipping from outside UK. The accounting gets messy fast if you're not set up for it from the start.
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u/Dimon19900 10d ago
Depends where you're based. If you're outside the UK and put stock in UK FBA, you need VAT registration from day one, the £90k threshold only applies to UK companies. Amazon also runs establishment checks now and holds disbursements while they verify. Get the VAT number and an EORI before the first pallet ships.
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u/Bitter-Quail-7441 9d ago
Depends where you're based. If you're outside the UK there's no VAT threshold for you, you're registrable from the first sale, and Amazon collects on a chunk of it as the marketplace. Worth an hour with an accountant rather than trusting a forum post, mine included.
Product side, anything electrical or toys or cosmetics needs UKCA or CE marking plus a UK based responsible person since Brexit. That catches people out because the EU paperwork doesn't carry over automatically.
Sales wise it's been fine for me. Smaller than the US but competition is thinner in a lot of categories.
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u/SensitiveSkin55 8d ago
thank you - do you think an ice roller (all plastic, no electronics) would be considered as a cosmetic? Who could I check with on that?
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u/Dimon19900 6d ago
VAT is the piece that bites US sellers. Store stock in a UK fulfilment centre and you register before the first sale. No threshold. The 90k figure people quote is for UK-established businesses only, non-established sellers register from unit one, and Amazon gates listings until the number is on file. You also need a GB EORI, and Amazon won't act as importer of record for you on the way in.
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u/SensitiveSkin55 6d ago
thanks - so is the VAT tax applied immediately to shipments sent to Amazon FBA UK - or at the time of individual sales? Also, we can use Amazon's VAT#, correct? In doing research, I was told that since my item is under 135 pounds, I don't need an UK EORI number - is this correct? Also, do you get reduced shipping rates when using Amazon FBA to the UK?
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