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Comparison website Parcel2Go has launched an information hub to guide users through European Union VAT changes introduced on 1 July this year.

The changes, aimed at making the EU VAT system more streamlined, see the end of the €22 VAT threshold exemption on goods imported to the EU, making all EU commercial imports subject to VAT, regardless of value. VAT now has to be charged based on customers’ locations, has to be declared for customs clearance, and VAT returns must be submitted.

The EU has introduced the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) electronic portal where sellers can register to get a single VAT IOSS ID number that applies to distance sales in all EU countries and which allows their carriers to go straight through customs.

However there have been reports from businesses applying for the IOSS ID number of a backlog of up to six weeks. In addition some sellers have found that their carriers do not have the right technology in place to receive the numbers.

Parcel2Go’s hub aims to provide a one stop shop for sellers to avoid these problems. The hub is split into specific sections for business shippers and casual consumer senders and its features include guides, checklists and EU country VAT calculators.

Adam Harris, Parcel2GO MD for comparison sites, said: “When creating the International Shipping Hub for our customers, we set out to build a genuinely useful resource to help UK businesses and everyday senders avoid delays to their shipments.

“With the post-Brexit changes to the way VAT is calculated and applied to UK originating shipments, we recognised that getting to grips with the new regulations could be challenging – hopefully, we’ve helped explain and simplify things for our customers by creating easy to use solutions that add value to the shipping process.”

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