No VAT shown on invoices - now just packing slips

[gemolade]

Hi all,

I just wondered if anyone else is having the same issue; when we print our 'invoices' on the seller hub, it now only produces 'packing slips'.  We can't find a way of producing an 'invoice' to include the VAT amount for the customer.

As we state on our listings "I provide invoices with VAT separately displayed",  I am not sure how we can do this, if eBay have removed the option to show the VAT amount?

Is it just a blip on our account?

[leylandlabels]

Same here, we're scratching our heads and wondering what to do?

[electrical-lighting-superstore]

Same, the option for printing the original invoice with vat element has disappeared. Hopefully it's fixed soon. Or maybe it's another brilliant "update" where you get less features as previous!

[4_bathrooms]

Having checked, it's the same for me. I don't rely on eBay for generating VAT invoices as it has never worked if the buyer collects in person (only if the item is delivered).

I'm curious about something, though. A VAT registered business must provide a VAT invoice when supplying another VAT registered business but is not obliged to when supplying a consumer or an unregistered business. Has anyone had a purchase from a VAT registered account and - if so - is the ability to print a VAT invoice still missing?   

[ett1954]

Another issue to be wary of here.  I had a sale via GSP to pack this morning to the United States.  The packing slip didn't show the GSP hub in Litchfield as the postal address but the buyer's address in the US.  Fortunately my account is integrated to Royal Mail's Click & Drop account which was printing the shipping address to the GSP hub.

Anyone using the address on the packing slip to copy and paste for the postal address to the buyer needs to be careful; this could lead to a very expensive problem.  It also throws up the question of whether you are shipping to the address stated by eBay if you receive an INR.

It appears eBay have let the children, sorry programmers, loose again.

[4_bathrooms]

Ahhh, OK. It sounds like the "Print invoices and more" option is just plain broken rather than having anything to do with a theory I had. 

[gravedigga1]

The same thing has happened with us so it looks like it may be an issue across the board. If it's a glitch, does anyone know if eBay have spotted it and is working on it?  eBay may not even be aware of the bug but, as has been written here already, it's a requirement for many businesses.

[themobilephonehut]

Its a bug, I have just got off the phone to merchant support !

[4_bathrooms]

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@gravedigga1 wrote:

eBay may not even be aware of the bug but, as has been written here already, it's a requirement for many businesses.

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A VAT registered business is only required to supply a VAT invoice when supplying another VAT registered business. It isn't necessary for a VAT registered business (nor eBay) to display a VAT breakdown to eBay buyers. However, a VAT registered business must supply a VAT invoice if the buyer identifies themself as a business.

Note that supplying a valid VAT invoice is the VAT registered business's responsibility; not eBay's. eBay has never had a way for a VAT registered business to supply a correctly formatted VAT invoice to all buyers who might need one so eBay should not be relied upon to provide that functionality. Of course, it would be nice if they did but even before this clanger the functionality to do so wasn't properly available.

[dave@ebay]

Hi All,

There is an open tech issue for this, Ive added all the above to the report.

I don't have a time frame for the fix but Ill post back here once I have an update.

Thanks,

Dave

[pcs-cables]

I'm having the same issue - no idea why this has been fiddled with by ebay. We used to be able to print out all our orders in a list form, whereas now we get a pge for each order. Madness. If they were going to change how you print packing slips / invoices I would have thought it would be to make it easier to send a VAT invoice but they seem to have just broken it completely now. Very frustrating as a business seller they keep making things more difficult yet charging us more than ever. 

[dave@ebay · Accepted solution]

Hi @pcs-cables 

Ive added your account to the bug report for this issue. It's still being worked on and we will roll out a fix ASAP.

Thanks,

Dave

[gemolade]

Looks like its now been sorted!  Many thanks.

[4_bathrooms]

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@gemolade wrote:

Looks like its now been sorted!  Many thanks.

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It's back to how it was; I suppose that counts as "sorted". There is still no valid VAT invoice if the buyer collects in person, which is exactly what was happening before.

Weirdly, for a brief time whilst this was being "fixed" there was a valid VAT invoice available when the buyer was collecting in person. The "invoice" was split over two pages with the first page showing as it does now and the second containing the seller's details such as the business name, address, VAT number etc. Both pages could be married together as they had the same (unique) eBay order ID on them which should have been enough to satisfy HMRC. 

[dave@ebay]

Thanks for the update @gemolade 

Let me know if you see it happening again.

Thanks,

Dave

[pcs-cables]

Hi Dave - I am still having issues. It is showing VAT on new orders, but I have a buyer who ordered with us on 26/2 and is waiting for VAT invoice and his still shows zero when printing. 

Thanks, Craig

[pcs-cables]

This is fine for me now. 

In case anyone else is having the same problem - if you click on view order details on the order you have an issue withm it may be that the VAT rate is set at 0%. If you change it back to 20% then re print it, you should find that it works.