Tax Setup / Scenarios / Selling to the UK
Selling to the UK
A worked example, end to end — for an EU-based seller adding the United Kingdom.
Is this you? You sell from the EU and keep getting UK visitors who can't buy. The UK left the EU, so none of your EU setup (€10k, OSS, EX) covers it — but unlocking it is one registration and one checkbox, and it works alongside any EU path you chose.
Step 1 — register for UK VAT (outside Onelo)
You register with HMRC (the UK tax authority) and receive a number starting with GB. Onelo links to the official registration page right next to the checkbox.
No grace period for foreign sellers. The famous £90k UK threshold applies only to businesses based in the UK. As an EU seller you must be registered before your first UK sale — which is exactly why Onelo keeps the UK blocked until you confirm the registration.
Step 2 — turn it on in Onelo
WhereDashboard→Settings→Payments & Tax→Tax Setup→3 · Registrations→+ UK consumers
Tick “I am registered for UK VAT (HMRC)” (the Register at gov.uk ↗ link is right there), enter your UK VAT number (GB…), then Save changes. The toggle is independent of OSS/EX — it works whatever your EU path is.
What happens at checkout
| Buyer | What they pay | Why |
|---|---|---|
| UK consumer | 20% UK | UK VAT from the very first sale, collected by you and declared on your UK VAT return |
| UK business with a valid VAT number | 0% · reverse charge | The UK company accounts for the VAT itself — their number is checked against the UK registry (HMRC), not the EU one |
| Everything EU | unchanged | Your EU path (home / €10k / OSS / EX) keeps working exactly as before |
WhereDashboard→Settings→Payments & Tax→Tax Setup→4 · What happens at checkout
The “UK consumers (B2C)” row should now read “20% UK” and “UK businesses (B2B)” → “0% · reverse charge”.
Good to know
- Your home exemption doesn't travel to the UK. Even a VAT-exempt EU seller charges 20% to UK consumers once UK-registered — the UK doesn't recognise EU small-business exemptions.
- Invoices adapt automatically — UK sales carry your GB number and, where useful, the sterling VAT total alongside your currency.
- You file the UK VAT return yourself (with HMRC). The Transactions export gives your accountant the UK figures, badged separately from EU VAT.