From 1 August 2024, selling fees charged by Amazon to UK vendors will be subject to VAT at 20%.

This is because of a change in the legal entity that charges the fees. Previously, fees were charged by Amazon Service Europe S.a.r.l (ASE), which did not have a UK establishment, so the fees were subject to the VAT reverse charge procedure. From 1 August, fees will be charged by Amazon EU S.a.r.l (AEU), which has a UK branch. This means that AEU must charge VAT at 20% on fees.

Vendors who are VAT-registered will be able to reclaim the VAT, subject to the usual partial exemption rules. Those who are not VAT-registered will see their selling fees increase by 20% because they cannot claim the VAT.

Generally, such increases in VAT are largely borne by the consumer, as vendors pass the increased costs onto their customers.