Insights
Practical guidance on VAT, VIES and EU tax compliance for non-EU sellers, brands and marketplaces expanding into Italy and Europe.
US Amazon Sellers: VAT in 6 Countries
A US LLC or corporation can sell in Europe without a local company, but it needs a VAT number — listed in VIES — in every country where Amazon stores its inventory. For US businesses a fiscal representative is mandatory in Italy, France and Spain, and Italy also requires a €50,000 VIES guarantee.
ViDA 2028: Fewer EU VAT Registrations
ViDA, the EU's VAT in the Digital Age reform, starts on 1 July 2028. Through an extended OSS, a mandatory B2B reverse charge and a new scheme for transfers of own goods, it reduces the number of EU countries in which a seller has to register for VAT — without creating a single EU-wide VAT number.
Is Italy Really a Difficult Market?
Italy is not a difficult market. It is a market with clear rules, enforced rigorously. The €50,000 VIES guarantee that puts most sellers off does not have to be paid in cash, and a surety policy covers it for a fraction of that amount.
PPWR Heavy Metal Limits in Packaging
EPR registration and recycling fees concern your business. The cap of 100 mg/kg on four heavy metals concerns the packaging itself — and since 12 August 2026 it is a directly applicable obligation that has to be proved on paper.
CONAI Registration: Foreign Sellers
The PPWR does not ask for it. Italy's own packaging EPR does: an overseas business with no establishment here cannot complete CONAI registration without designating a domicilio speciale — an Italian address for notices and filings — and that is what sends most sellers looking for an Italian-based representative.
Why Italian Customs Blocks Goods
Set aside counterfeits and undervalued declarations, and most goods stopped at the Italian border are stopped by paperwork: a missing EORI, an absent conformity mark, or a VAT number closed ex officio that the importer still believes is active.
EPR Compliance in Europe: 2026 Guide
European producer responsibility is not one system but a set of national ones, and 2026 is the year they all move at once: the EU packaging regulation applies from 12 August, and France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK have each changed their own rules within the same twelve months.
VIES Rules for Non-EU Companies
VIES is what makes a VAT number valid for cross-border trade inside the EU. What brings it into play is not where your company is based, but how your goods move — and the rules that follow differ from one member state to the next.
How to Register for Italian VAT and VIES: A Guide for Non-EU Companies
Registering for an Italian VAT number is only half the job. For non-EU companies selling into Europe — especially through Amazon — VIES registration and, since 2025, a €50,000 guarantee are what actually unlock cross-border trade.