Why is a tax ID required to use ShipStation in some countries?

ShipStation Content Team

Updated September 07, 2024 23:06

The UK, certain EU countries, and Australia require companies that provides business-to-business (B2B) services to confirm they are working with registered businesses to ensure compliance with their current legislation. Registering your ShipStation account with your country's required tax ID is the method we use to determine your company's business status.

Type of tax ID by country:

🇦🇺 Australia: Australian Business Number (ABN)
🇫🇷 France: Numéro de TVA
🇩🇪 Germany: Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: VAT Registration Number

If you instead need details on how to add your Tax Identifier Number to customs declarations, see our Tax Identifier Number Guide.

This Guide is Not Legal Advice

This article is only a guide and not a substitute for legal advice. Please consult a tax expert to discuss your specific business needs.

Types of Registration Numbers by Country

🇦🇺 Australia accounts: An Australian Business Number (ABN) is a unique 11-digit identifier issued by the Australian Business Register (ABR) which is operated by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The law requires each entity that carries on a business in Australia to have an ABN and that the ABN appear on each tax invoice and other tax-related documents issued by the entity.
🇫🇷 France: The Numéro de TVA is used to identify businesses approved to charge VAT. You receive this number when you register as a business.
🇩🇪 Germany: The Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer (USt-IdNr) is used to identify businesses as approved to charge VAT.
🇬🇧 UK accounts: A VAT Registration number (sometimes known as a VAT ID) is a number that identifies your business as approved to charge VAT. Businesses can sign up for a VAT registration number online.

How To Add the Tax ID To Your Account

You can enter your ID in the Payments & Subscription settings.

To access your Payment & Subscription settings:
1. Go to Account Settings.
2. Select Account, then choose Payments & Subscription from the left-hand sidebar.
Click the Add ID Number button.
Enter your ID number. Click Submit to finish.

Enter your ID number to avoid account suspension.

A notification to add your tax ID registration number will repeat upon login until you have done so.

The ID Number field only accepts numbers. You do not need to enter dashes or country codes.

Will ShipStation charge VAT/GST on subscription and label purchases?

ShipStation does not charge VAT/GST for subscription fees or ShipStation Carrier label purchases. To be more accurate, it is a 0% rate for these services. If you purchase labels through your own carrier accounts, it is up to that carrier whether they charge VAT/GST for their label purchases.

What if my ID is not accepted?

Ensure your registration number is accurate and up to date. The best way to check your ID number is to check your local tax ID registration website. You can also utilize VIES to look up your ID.

How do I update my ID number?

Send an email to our support team to edit or update your registration number in your account.

What if I do not have a tax ID number?

For merchants in the UK, France, Germany, and Australia, ShipStation only offers its services to registered businesses. Accounts that fail to add a their country's tax ID will be suspended.

We highly recommend registering your business. For UK or EU-based merchants, an alternative could be to use our partner shipping solution PackLink Pro.

Is my information secure?

Yes. ShipStation only uses your registration number to confirm we are selling our services to verified businesses. See our Privacy Policy for more details on how we manage private information.