Hello,
I have recently activated the option to calculate and collect International taxes and duty at checkout.
Now, one of my customers is asking for my IOSS or IM number for their records.
Where do I find this number?
Thank you,
James
Hey there, @RockItCool . Thanks for reaching out to the Shopify Community with your tax question! I hope youâre doing well today! Before diving in, I just want to preface that us here at Shopify are not tax experts, and itâs best to bring any tax information related questions to a tax expert in your area. We can certainly help direct you on what settings to select to set up your taxes in your admin, but we cannot advise on how to get information, or what information is required.
I did some digging to turn up some information regarding IOSS and IM number information. It appears that these numbers are provided to you after registering with particular tax authorities in certain jurisdictions, and are not pieces of information Shopify provides you directly. I found this resource that covers specifically IOSS information which was drafted by us, and there is a step that describes registering with a tax authority within the EU for the IOSS number. In addition to that resource, I also have a link here to a European Union resource that has more information: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/ioss_en
I couldnât find any information related to an IM number in my research, but I feel that reaching out to a local tax expert that could provide you some information on European Union taxes may be able to shed some light. Since weâre not tax experts here at Shopify, weâre only able to advise on setting up your store to be able to collecting, not so much how or what information is needed to do so.
Take a look at those resources I provided, and hopefully they can assist you with tracking down this information your customer is looking for.
If Shopify collects VAT and import duty taxes in the name of my company, they must have all that set up already.
Youâre not tax experts yet you collect VAT and Import duty tax on my behalf?
Or, maybe you have someone else do it for you. If I could contact them, they may be able to provide me with the IOSS or IM number they use?
One of my customers needs the number to verify that they have paid the taxes correctly.
Hi again, @RockItCool . Thanks for getting back to me.
Though Shopify offers the settings to allow for different ways to handle the tax obligations of your business, Shopify cannot advise on what your tax obligations may be. We have to stress that Shopify Support employees are not tax experts, and that it is always best to consult with a local tax authority to determine your obligations, such as what registrations are important for your business to have. It is the responsibility of the business to make sure that they understand their tax obligations, and once that step has been completed, we can assist the business with adjusting their tax settings to meet those obligations accordingly.
If youâre looking to speak to someone about your Tax setup with your store, I recommend that you reach out to our Live Support Team via our Help Portal. Our team will be able to get you authenticated, and then be able to look at the settings you currently have enabled in your store, along with any information that may be associated. You can also ask them about this IOSS number, and they can touch base with our Tax Team to provide you with some information on some next steps.
I do want to provide a link to our EU Tax Reference Help Document once again, as well as an additional document on EU Taxes from our Help Center. The reference document mentions that registering for an IOSS with the tax authority of an EU member country is a step you will want to take if you plan on collecting VAT in your checkout. My digging through EU Tax websites and our own Shopify documentation did not yield any results on an âIMâ number. Is there a chance that this customer meant a different number, such as a Tax ID Number (TIN)? These resources will be helpful to you when it comes to chatting with our Team regarding any tax questions you may have about your account.
I donât think youâre understanding my position.
I signed up for someone to collect VAT on European shipments and they have been collecting it from the customer and passing the charges on to me.
Either Shopify or another company is acting on my behalf when it comes to VAT and import taxes.
They must have an IOSS number.
My customer needs that number to prove they paid the taxes.
My customer is a larger company and I assume they know what they are talking about.
Any help??
James
Hey again, @RockItCool . Thanks for getting back to us.
I fear that there may be some confusion regarding the information Iâve provided you. To re-iterate more concisely, Shopify will collect taxes at checkout depending on the settings that you enable. Itâs the responsibility of the business to recognize their tax obligations, and to ensure that their tax settings and enrollments match with their obligations. Shopify does not remit taxes on behalf of business. Essentially, though Shopify assists you by collecting taxes, itâs the responsibility of the business to make sure theyâre compliant with the appropriate tax authorities in regards to registrations and the like.
I recommend that if you have further questions about taxes and your account that you reach out to our Live Support Team via the help portal here: https://bit.ly/3cJkx8V. You will be able to speak with someone in real-time about your request for this number, and they can relay additional, account specific information to you as a result of reaching out via authenticated channels.
âIMâ is the beginning of IOSS special VAT scheme number , which is followed by three digits signifying the issuing country , client number and key.
You have to be registered with WU tax authorities to have this number. And what is important : If you have the number do not ever give it to anyone except apart from your logistics partner. If it ends up in wrong hands it can be used ofr imoprts into EU with you being responcible for someoneâs else VAT.
Shopify is not an Online marketplace and it does not collect VAT , it is the companies that use Shopify as tech platform collect VAT and are responcible for registration with EU tax authorities for IOSS special scheme and paying VAT. You customer cannot verify anything with IOSS number , he/she cannot even verify if it is valid or not (unlike VAT numbers). Sometimes destination postal operators ask for it to ensure that the delivery is done under IOSS spepcial scheme. I suggest that you provide the number directly to the postal opertor on behalf of you customer, otherwise - see above.
Rostislav ,
EAS project Oy , Finland
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I read the whole thread from the beginning till the end and I am truly shoked. I truly can not understand how one has someone else to collect taxes on his behalth without knowing who that person is.
I truly see that EU VAT complience is a nightmare for the E-merchant community, but it is as it isâŚ
Please put this statement in the documentation for this service.
âShopify will collect taxes at checkout depending on the settings that you enable. Itâs the responsibility of the business to recognize their tax obligations, and to ensure that their tax settings and enrollments match with their obligations. Shopify does not remit taxes on behalf of businessâ
No where did I find this information before I signed up for the service and was led to believe that Shopify was taking care of everything.
I am fully aware of the procedure for paying taxes in the EU. I went through the entire process with Amazon. Later they offered the type of service where you did not need to go through the lengthy process I went through. I thought your service would be the same and was never led to believe otherwise by the documentation.
James