HMRC UK IOSS registration portal

[Rob-Ed]

It's time for my company to start pursuing EU mail order sales again, we've been using DDU (i.e. standard export) as our preferred option since 2021. Obviously DDU comes with its own problems and deters EU customers. I didn't really want the ongoing costs of using an EU intermediary and, frankly, I'm not happy to hand over my personal identification details to a third party company that I have no history with, or reason to trust.

During my latest search for a reputable intermediary I found a couple of references to the HMRC's own IOSS portal and upon further digging found that HMRC launched this portal on 1st March 2024. I was thrilled to find this option and went about registering. My excitement was short lived when I went through the process and found that UK businesses cannot register unless based in Northern Ireland (!). I could also register if I was based in Norway (?!). Ridiculous. I appreciate N.Ireland is a special case but should the rest of the UK's small businesses be trampled/ignored in the rush to fulfil obligations to N.Ireland?

Here is HMRCs misleading page https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-for-the-vat-import-one-stop-shop-scheme

Here's one of two pages I found which convinced me that a UK VAT reg'd business could register https://www.vatcalc.com/united-kingdom/uk-launches-full-eu-ioss-vat-registration/

I spoke to HMRC's VAT dept as I couldn't quite comprehend the situation. The agent I spoke to had no idea but he did some checking and confirmed that 'no, UK non N.Ireland businesses can't register'. He was unable to advise whether UK IOSS reg via HMRC was likely to be a future option.

My question to the forum is: Does anyone know if HMRC is likely to facilitate UK companies registering for IOSS in future? I don't want to commit to an intermediary in the meantime if we can implement IOSS cleanly and inexpensively in the near future.

Thanks
Rob

 

[DefinitelyMaybeUK]

My question to the forum is: Does anyone know if HMRC is likely to facilitate UK companies registering for IOSS in future? I don't want to commit to an intermediary in the meantime if we can implement IOSS cleanly and inexpensively in the near future.

You need to sit down and read this thread if you haven't already:

EU IOSS Signup

Has anyone found a way to sign up to the IOSS system in the EU without having to appoint an EU VAT intermediary. The guidance says it is not necessary to have an intermediary if there is a vat mutual assistance agreement, which the EU and UK now have.

www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk

Nothing has changed and nothing is likely to change IFAIK - what's quoted in this post still stands.

I don't think HMRC have been misleading on their new portal in light of the above. As ever, depending on your expected volume of IOSS orders you may be better on a PAYG route to start with rather than an intermediary.