Why can't I register for a VAT number online?

[DangerousLadies]

Attempting to register for a VAT number online, as we'll be shipping physical goods to the UK, however the UK government portal says we do not need to register as soon as I answer "no" to this question. Am I interpreting the question wrong? We are located in Canada and do not make any taxable supplies in the UK.

[Imogen]

Hi there, @DangerousLadies. Thanks for jumping into the Shopify Community with your VAT question. It's nice to meet you.

I noticed it's been a few days since you posted this question, so I wanted to jump in here and chat! Shopify is unable to support folks with information regarding their tax obligations, so we won't be able to advise specifically on why you may be getting this error. 

The best information we can recommend to you is for you to reach out to a Local Tax Expert about your VAT obligations. Someone well-versed in Canadian Tax should be able to help explain your VAT obligations, and also explain why you're encountering this error while attempting to register for a VAT number. We always recommend for folks to speak to a tax expert anyway regarding this obligations, so we definitely recommend taking some time to do this, especially with this situation.

If you have any additional questions for me, feel free to follow up here and let me know. What types of products are you looking to ship to the UK? Are these large products, or something small that would just be arriving in an envelope?