| Following the end of the Brexit Transition Period sales to customers in the EC are treated in a similar manner to those to customers in the rest of the world. Please see the Import Export Hub for current information. |
On this page:
- Goods to business and individuals in the EC
- Services to businesses in the EC
- Services to individuals in the EC
Goods to business and individuals in the EC
If you are selling goods to other EC countries and the customer you are selling to provides you with their VAT number then the goods will be zero-rated provided that the goods are sent to that country (UFS code EZG).
If the customer you are selling to doesn't have their own VAT number then the goods must be treated as if you are making a sale within the UK. This means that UK rates will still apply.
So, if you were selling a computer to a customer in France and they were unable to provide a VAT number you would have to charge VAT because a computer is standard-rated under UK VAT law.
If, however, you were selling a book rather than a computer, you would still zero-rate the supply as books are zero-rated under UK VAT law. However, you would use the UFS tax code ZR rather than EZG.
Services to businesses in the EC
These are normally zero-rated (UFS code EZS) unless they are one of the services listed below.
| Services to businesses with different rules | |
| Accommodation, Catering, Passenger transport, Services relating to land |
Will be treated as taking place where the activity is located and, assuming in most cases the activity will take place in the UK, the normal UK VAT rules will apply - see Sales/Income in the UK. |
| Education | Should be entered on UFS as EX- Exempt irrespective of the location of your customer. |
Remember you must have the customers VAT number if you want to zero rate supplies of goods and services to the EC.
Services to individuals in the EC
All sales to individuals within the EC will be treated as if they are supplied in the UK, and the normal UK VAT rules will apply