eBay VAT charge

[liam221165]

Why have eBay taken £36 VAT from my account after having bought and paid for an item within the UK..

[rusticrye · Accepted solution]

VAT should only be added onto your invoice if you've purchased the item from outside the UK. If it's otherwise happened, you will have to ask Ebay that question. Live Chat and request-a-callback are available in Help & Contact during working hours. For this particular issue, I'd recommend a callback.

I don't see how it can be VAT on an import, though, as the maximum would be £27.00.  Platforms like Ebay are now required to collect VAT on imports at POS (Point Of Sale) and pass it on to the government, but only on purchase values up to £135.00. Import tax is due on purchases over that value, as well as VAT, and that has to be assessed and charged by UK Customs as before, so is either paid on entry into the UK, or direct to the global shipper if the seller is in Ebay's Global Shipping Programme.

@liam221165 

[liam221165 · Accepted solution]

I am in the North of Ireland and I believe this is a factor, although goods shipped from UK to N.I. are supposed to be treated the same as anywhere else within the UK as long as the item is not being shipped elsewhere..

[billh7671 · Accepted solution]

Platforms like Ebay are now required to collect VAT on imports at POS (Point Of Sale) and pass it on to the government.

OK then, I've exhausted the "chat" help and still can't get eBay's VAT number to make it valid. What is eBay's VAT number? Any other UK business has to provide a VAT invoice if they are VAT registered so that if the purchaser is VAT registered, the VAT can be entered into their accounts. Bill

[pixiesen2012]

are you sure the seller is UK registered?

[liam221165]

Yes they are.. and are VAT registered

[ggdelectronics]

ebay has also withdrawn 20% VAT for a sale made in the UK today and I am a registered seller in the UK with VAT and LTD an item that I sold for 77 pounds ebay has already withheld 20% I still don't understand how it works, this Vat charged will then be paid by ebay to the Government, or do I have to pay it the second time?

[liam221165]

I am in N. Ireland and it seems that they are taking 20% VAT from the buyer also, as in my case??
Was the money taken from you or the buyer??
The N. Ireland protocol states that this duty should not be charged in the case where goods are staying in the North of Ireland and items are not being sent elsewhere.. ie into the European Union

[ggdelectronics]

I am in Scotland and they took the money from me.

[liam221165]

Wow, someone has to pay for brexit??

[ggdelectronics]

Hello, if ebay collects the taxes and pays them to the government, that's fine, but if he withdraws them and doesn't pay them to the government, then I have to pay them too and it's double. We need to clarify this issue

[liam221165]

As far as I can see they are being paid double? eBay would seem to have gotten things all wrong...

[ggdelectronics]

I think so to me on 2 sales made in the UK he immediately withheld 20% tax. Of course we have to pay ebay and the government should leave ebay immediately

[liam221165]

It's all here,..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/paying-items/paying-tax-ebay-purchases?id=4771&st=2&pos=2&query=P...

[ggdelectronics]

Thank you but still unclear, I am a UK registered seller and resident in UK with UK VAT and LTD, the goods are in UK and are shipped to UK customers so I just don't understand

[liam221165]

It's my belief that eBay are in the wrong and apparently don't know what their responsibilities are..
To take VAT from a buyers account as in my case, is completely wrong as the seller is UK based and VAT registered..

In your case they are undoubtedly wrong in what they have done and it needs to be challenged..

[liam221165]

Quote from another post

"'Starting from 1 January 2021, eBay will have to collect VAT on UK imports and remit it to the relevant authorities. This means that sellers will need to provide the applicable VAT rate used to calculate the gross price of each of the items they list.
'What happens if I don’t do anything?
'If you don’t provide a VAT rate and gross price for each of your listings, eBay will automatically add VAT on top of the listed price."

[ggdelectronics]

Hello, if ebay withholds the VAT and pays it on my behalf to HMRC I'm fine there is no problem, but if it keeps it and does not pay it ??

[delp.uk2015]

I have been incorrectly charged VAT on a purchase- Ebay have admitted it was an error on their part and has happened to a lot of customer but they have not got back to me in three weeks - Anyone else had similar issues??