Guides

VAT guides for small businesses

Which VAT to charge, to whom, and what the invoice must say, at home and across the EU.

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VAT answer for services to a Belgian business: 0 % VAT, reverse charge, with EU VAT rates.
The right VAT rate and invoice mention

The VAT on a sale depends on who the customer is and where they are. A business in another EU country usually means the reverse charge, a private customer abroad can mean their own country’s VAT through the One-Stop Shop, and a customer at home your usual rate. These guides explain each case, the wording the invoice needs and what to declare. To check one sale in a few clicks, try the free EU VAT checker.

The EU One-Stop Shop (OSS): VAT on sales to private customers in other EU countries EU VAT

The EU One-Stop Shop (OSS): VAT on sales to private customers in other EU countries

You sell from France to private customers in other EU countries? Above €10,000 a year, you charge each customer the VAT of their own country, and declare it all in one quarterly return: the One-Stop Shop. Here is how it works, with a worked example.

Read the guide → Automated VAT invoicing: what every invoice needs, and what to automate VAT invoicing

Automated VAT invoicing: what every invoice needs, and what to automate

Most invoicing mistakes are small: a wrong rate, a missing mention, a gap in the numbers. Here is what an EU invoice must contain and which steps are worth automating.

Read the guide → EU reverse charge: how to invoice a business in another EU country EU VAT

EU reverse charge: how to invoice a business in another EU country

Selling to a business in another EU country? In most cases you invoice without VAT and the customer accounts for it. Here is when that applies, what the invoice must show and what to declare.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

When do I charge no VAT to a customer in another EU country?

When the customer is a business with a valid VAT number in another EU country, most sales of goods and services fall under the reverse charge: you invoice without VAT, write the reverse charge wording on the invoice and show both VAT numbers. The customer declares the VAT in their own country. Check the number in VIES before invoicing.

What is the One-Stop Shop (OSS)?

When your sales to private customers in other EU countries exceed 10,000 € a year in total, you charge the VAT of each customer’s country. The OSS lets you declare and pay all of that VAT in one quarterly return in your own country, instead of registering in each country.

Can Tavalle choose the VAT rate for me?

Yes. Tavalle picks the VAT treatment from your company’s country and the customer’s country and status (business or private, EU or not), adds the required wording to the invoice and checks EU VAT numbers in VIES. You can also test one sale with the free EU VAT checker.

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