Has anyone ever had that buying something from within Europe online? I bought some stuff recently, not very expensive, but something got screwed up in their system and they sent me the stuff without VAT on it even though I’m registered in their system as a private individual. I only spotted it as the final price I paid was less than I was expecting.

As far as I can see it’s for them to pay the VAT and not me, there is no way I can do it, but they insist it’s my problem. In any case it’s way easier for me just to send it back to them and get them to refund me than piss around with this. We had a similar thing a few years ago where we informed the electricity company that something was up with our bill and when they finally found out we were correct they they tried to ‘fine’ us for the error. It took months, lawyers and ombudsmen to sort it so it really isn’t worth the hassle

However, just wondering if anyone here has had any similar experiences and what the outcome was?

They still have to pay the VAT. It’s not for you to sort out.

The fact that they forgot to charge that amount to you, isn’t your problem.

As a private customer, you have nothing to do with VAT whatsoever, and you cannot be held responsible for it.

Yeh I wouldn’t worry about it.

The should however charge you for the VAT and then pay it themselves. If you’re not registered, you won’t be able to pay VAT, even if you wanted to.

Hmm.

Contract of sale: They have offered you goods (it used to be called “an invitation to treat,” dunno if it still is), you have shown an intention to purchase, they have given you a price, you have paid that price, they have taken the payment which implicitly means that they have accepted the sale at that price. It’s their mistake and they are now legally bound to honour that contract of sale.

It’s a pricing error, end of. WHY it’s a pricing error is an irrelevance to you as far as I can see. Should they subsequently have to pay VAT on the sale, they’ll be paying VAT on the selling price, not the full value of what it should have been.

(As I understand it, anyway. Usual disclaimers apply.)

And devil’s advocate: who would know anyway, unless they’re now chasing you for more money.

If you’re not registered, you won’t be able to pay VAT, even if you wanted to.

That’s what I thought. For some reason they have assigned me their VAT number

I suspect that the people on the front end dealing with my questions don’t really get it so think ignoring it will make it go away. Then it bumps up a level when they do their returns (this month I guess) and I get another 20 emails further down the line

or, I stick it back in the post and it goes away :). It’s only interesting as I’ve never heard of this happening before apart from being doing stuff off book of course

And devil’s advocate: who would know anyway, unless they’re now chasing you for more money.

that’s also an interesting question. I would guess no-one

However… I didn’t do anything funny to make this happen. I searched a product online, clicked on the link on Google, added it to the basket and some other stuff, went to pay, registered an account as and individual and paid. Only a while after paying did it click that something was wrong with the amount and I spotted it

So, I’m guessing there is something up with their system and I’m not the only person this has happened to :).

Under the EU reverse recharge scheme they should only be selling without vat to other vat registered businesses in EU countries other than their own, I contract to a company that does this daily and they check the validity of the customers vat number before each shipment, if they were found to be flouting the rules of the scheme as your seller has they’d be liable to pay the vat they should have charged you.

if they were found to be flouting the rules of the scheme as your seller has they’d be liable to pay the vat they should have charged you.

I don’t think they are deliberately flouting rules. I think their software has screwed up and applied their VAT number to me for some reason. They also sell B2B but I’m definitely a B2C customer.

Was it from Germany? They are pretty sharp over there, the VAT men. I once bought some (big) woodworking kit from DE and gave my VAT number over the phone and paid the Net price by transfer. Drove over & picked up the goods and returned to UK. A few weeks later I had a very flustered shop owner on the phone saying the VAT man was chasing him for the VAT as my VAT number was not valid. He read out the number he had and it was clear that 2 numbers were backwards. Either I had read it wrong or he had written it down wrong, who knows. Anyway, corrected the number and heard no more so it was obviously all cleared up.

I don’t think they are deliberately flouting rules. I think their software has screwed up and applied their VAT number to me for some reason. They also sell B2B but I’m definitely a B2C customer.

As their software is their responsibility I can’t image their VAT office offering them any compassion or leniency, HMRC wouldn’t.

If you’re a private individual, not VAT registered then yes it sounds like a mistake. Should be charged VAT (unless it’s zero rated item).

I know it’s not the case here, but if you’re registered for VAT and you buy from another EU state supplier, then you don’t get charged as you are supposed to pay the VAT to your local government instead of it going to the end supplier and their government.

More confusing is if you’re on flat rate. I’ve had some EU purchases and don’t get charged VAT. Asked accountant what to do and they said not to worry as it’s roughly covered in the flat rate, but HMRC might check if there’s an investigation.

I don’t think they are deliberately flouting rules. I think their software has screwed up and applied their VAT number to me for some reason. They also sell B2B but I’m definitely a B2C customer.

From the customers point of view (you) it doesn’t really matter.
YOU are not responsible for an error they have made.
YOU are not responsible for paying the VAT on THEIR sale.

You don’t need to send it back to make it “go away”

There is nothing they can do about it.
They just need to pay the relevant VAT amount for the amount you paid.

Forget about it and enjoy whatever it is you bought at as bargain price.

(I hope it was a yatch or a flat pack house or something massive 😆 )

I’m with Neal on this. Not your problem.

I’m with Neal on this. Not your problem.

Ditto, it’s definitely not your problem

🙂 the wisdom of STW prevails I think

More confusing is if you’re on flat rate. I’ve had some EU purchases and don’t get charged VAT. Asked accountant what to do and they said not to worry as it’s roughly covered in the flat rate, but HMRC might check if there’s an investigation.

Even more confusing if you’re selling outside the EU. We’ve just started selling b2c international when previously only B2B in UK and we’re still on flat rate. Can’t charge vat on exports to outside EU (zero rated) but we still have to pay HMRC VAT even though we didn’t collect!

Was it bike stuff? If so, who from? I could use an extra 20% off.

Was it bike stuff? If so, who from? I could use an extra 20% off.

It’s more like 16.67% off. 😉

If it was from Germany then only 16.0% off 😉

Indeed.

(15.97% actually 😆 )