Amazon FBA and Temporary EU Storage: When You Need a a VAT Number

Amazon FBA VAT registration is something every online seller should understand. Even if you’ve disabled Pan-EU FBA, Amazon may still move your stock between EU countries. Learn when this triggers VAT registration and how to stay compliant with Amazon FBA VAT rules across Europe.

If you use Amazon’s logistics network, Amazon FBA VAT registration becomes essential as soon as your stock is stored or moved across EU borders — even if you’ve selected single-country storage.

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Why Amazon Moves Your Stock Across Borders

Amazon’s logistics network is designed for speed and efficiency. Even when you select “Germany-only” or “UK-only” storage, Amazon may temporarily move inventory to another EU country, such as Poland or the Czech Republic, to:

• Speed up delivery times to local customers

• Balance stock levels across fulfillment centers

• Optimize warehouse space and transport routes

These “temporary” transfers are completely normal — but they can create VAT obligations in other EU countries, making Amazon FBA VAT registration an essential compliance step.

Even if you didn’t activate Pan-EU FBA, such stock movements are recorded in Amazon’s VAT transaction reports and are treated as storage events by tax authorities.

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When Does Temporary Storage Require Amazon FBAVAT Registration?

Under EU VAT law, VAT registration is required in any country where goods are stored for the purpose of sale or fulfillment. This means that VAT obligations depend on how Amazon uses your inventory, not just where it is temporarily located.

To clarify your VAT obligations, you need to confirm with Amazon whether the stock in question was available for fulfillment and shipment to customers from the temporary storage location. Amazon’s role is to confirm how the goods were handled, but the decision about whether VAT registration is required is governed by EU VAT law. If goods were made available for sale, tax authorities will consider that country a VAT-relevant location, and registration will be legally required.

So, if Amazon uses the warehouse in another country to fulfil customer orders, that country becomes a VAT-eligible location — and your business must register for VAT there.

In practice, this means that Amazon FBA VAT registration may be required even for temporary storage events, since Amazon often fulfils orders from whichever warehouse is closest to the buyer.

👉 To learn more about registration thresholds and requirements, read our guide:
EU VAT Registration

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How to Confirm Stock Movement Purpose

To determine whether your goods were simply stored temporarily or made available for sale, contact Amazon Seller Support.

You can ask:

“Was my stock in [Country] only moved for logistics purposes, or was it available for fulfillment and shipment to customers from that warehouse?”

Keep their written response for your records. If Amazon confirms that the stock was used to fulfil orders, you must register for VAT in that country.

If the movement was only for transit, you can document it and retain proof for future reference in case of an audit.

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What to Do if VAT Registration Is Required

If Amazon confirms that goods were available for fulfilment, here’s how to proceed:

1. Register for VAT in that country (e.g., Poland, Czech Republic).

2. Start filing local VAT returns for sales originating from that country.

3. Update your OSS setup to ensure cross-border sales are correctly reported.

4. Track future stock movements to avoid repeated registration triggers.

If you’re managing VAT across multiple EU markets, the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) scheme can simplify reporting for cross-border B2C sales. Learn how it works here:
👉 One-Stop-Shop (OSS) Explained

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Why You Shouldn’t Delete Storage Alerts

If your VAT software or Amazon dashboard flags storage in another country, do not delete the record — even if Amazon confirms it was temporary.

These notifications serve as audit evidence, proving that you tracked and verified the movement. Removing them could increase your compliance risk in case of a tax inspection.

💡 Tip: Always keep a record of Amazon’s response, your VAT registration timeline, and any communications about stock transfers.

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Avoiding VAT Risks with Amazon FBA

Managing Amazon FBA VAT compliance can get complicated, especially when storage occurs across multiple countries. To stay compliant:

• Review your Amazon inventory reports every month

• Monitor stock movements detected by your VAT tool

• Keep all written confirmations from Amazon

• Verify whether each storage event triggered a VAT obligation

If you use Pan-EU FBA or the CEE Program, these movements are even more common — and VAT registration is often required in all participating countries.

Managing Amazon FBA VAT registration across several countries can be challenging, but with automated tracking and filings, hellotax makes it easier for sellers to stay compliant.

Risks and Penalties of Ignoring Amazon FBA VAT Registration

Failing to complete the required Amazon FBA VAT Registration in a country where your goods are stored or dispatched can lead to serious consequences. EU tax authorities consider unregistered storage or fulfilment as non-compliance, even if it happens unintentionally. This may result in fines, backdated VAT payments, and interest charged on late filings. In more severe cases, tax authorities may suspend your VAT number or block your marketplace sales. Taking Amazon FBA VAT Registration seriously from the start helps protect your business from costly penalties and disruptions.

OSS and FBA Storage: Why It’s Not Always Enough

Some sellers mistakenly believe that using the One‑Stop‑Shop (OSS) replaces the need for Amazon FBA VAT Registration. While OSS simplifies VAT reporting for cross‑border B2C sales, it does not cover VAT obligations linked to physical stock storage in different EU countries. If Amazon temporarily moves your products to Poland, France, or the Czech Republic for fulfilment, Amazon FBA VAT Registration is still required locally. OSS cannot be used to report domestic sales from those warehouses, so local VAT numbers and filings remain mandatory for sellers using Amazon’s fulfilment network.

Real Example: When Amazon FBA VAT Registration is Unexpectedly Triggered

Imagine a German seller who selected Germany‑only storage, yet later received a notification requiring Amazon FBA VAT Registration in Poland. After reviewing their Amazon inventory reports, they realised Amazon had temporarily transferred part of their stock to a Polish warehouse to speed up local delivery times. Even though Pan‑EU FBA wasn’t activated, the storage and fulfilment activity triggered a legal VAT obligation. This real‑life scenario shows how quickly Amazon FBA VAT Registration becomes necessary and why sellers must regularly check stock movement reports to stay compliant.

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How hellotax Helps Amazon Sellers Stay Compliant

At hellotax, we specialize in helping Amazon FBA sellers manage VAT obligations seamlessly across Europe. Our software and expert team assist you with:

• Automatic tracking of FBA stock movements across EU countries

• VAT registration in each required location

• Ongoing VAT filings and OSS submissions

• Fiscal representation where required for non-EU businesses

• Real-time monitoring via a central VAT dashboard

Whether you sell through Amazon, Shopify, or your own website, hellotax ensures your business stays compliant — even when Amazon changes its warehouse logistics unexpectedly.

👉 Book a free consultation with hellotax and let our VAT experts guide you through your Amazon FBA VAT registration.

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Related Reading

• Fiscal Representation in the EU – Learn when non-EU sellers need a local representative.

• Common VAT Mistakes in the EU – Avoid common compliance pitfalls that cost sellers time and money.

• EU VAT Registration – Step-by-step explanation of where and how to register for VAT.

For official guidance on how VAT applies to storage, fulfilment, and cross-border logistics in the EU, you can refer to the European Commission’s overview of VAT rules. It provides up-to-date information on how tax authorities interpret warehouse use, intra-EU movements, and online sales under current legislation.
👉 Visit the European Commission – VAT Rules on Storage and Fulfilment

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Key Takeaway

Amazon FBA VAT registration may be required even for temporary stock storage in another EU country.
Always confirm with Amazon whether your goods were available for fulfilment — and if so, register locally to avoid penalties.

With hellotax, sellers can automatically detect cross-border stock movements, manage VAT registrations, and ensure compliance across Europe — all in one streamlined platform.

📣 Ready to simplify your Amazon FBA VAT registration?

👉 Book your free consultation today