Does Bookvault Charge VAT on Books?

Books printed and shipped by Bookvault UK are zero-rated for VAT in the UK, meaning UK VAT is charged at 0% on books.

However, if your order is being delivered outside the UK, local VAT, customs duties or other taxes may apply depending on the destination.

What happens when my books are shipped outside the UK?

The tax applied to an international shipment depends on the destination country's rules and the shipping option selected.

For example, a book printed by Bookvault UK and shipped to France may be subject to the French VAT rate applicable to books when it enters the country.

Bookvault can now support DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) for eligible international shipments. With DDP, applicable duties and taxes are paid upfront so the recipient should not be asked to pay them on delivery.

If an order is sent using DDU/DAP, the recipient may instead be asked to pay applicable VAT, customs duties or courier handling charges when the shipment arrives.

What about orders going to the EU?

If you're regularly selling to customers in the EU, you may be able to use an IOSS code.

When you're charging the relevant VAT at checkout through your eCommerce store and the appropriate IOSS information is supplied, this can be passed to the courier or postal service so the customer isn't charged the same VAT again on delivery.

IOSS isn't applicable where the shipment has a commercial value greater than €150 or where the shipment is being sent to a business.

For more information:

 How is customs and taxes dealt with by Bookvault UK? DDU, DDP & IOSS