How to sell internationally - customs, taxes and shipping explained simply

Would you like to grow with your online store, your Amazon business or via social media? Selling products abroad? Great idea - the international market offers huge opportunities!

1. which countries do you want to supply?

You should know before you start selling abroad:

• Do you want within the EU sell? (e.g. to France, Italy, Spain)

• Or also in Third countries outside the EU? (e.g. Switzerland, USA, Turkey, UK)

Because: Within the EU different rules apply than when exporting to a Third country.

2. customs - What happens at the border?

Sale within the EU:

No customs duty! Thanks to the EU single market, you can deliver free of charge - just like at home.
But you need a Sales tax IDwhen you sell to companies.

Sales to third countries:

Here you must Customs declarations make. You need:

• EORI number (Apply once, free of charge - Customs.com)

• Customs tariff number (HS code) for each product

• Commercial invoice (Invoice)

• Customs declaration (for postal dispatch, e.g. CN22 / CN23)

Example:
You sell handmade soaps from Germany to Switzerland. You need an EORI number, fill out the commercial invoice and attach the customs declaration to the package.

3. taxes - What about sales tax?

Sales to private customers (B2C):

• Within the EU: Pay attention to the Delivery threshold regulation.
  Since 2021 there's the OSS (One-Stop-Shop). This allows you to report all EU sales centrally via the German tax office.
  Mandatory if you sell more than €10,000 per year to other EU countries.

• Outside the EU: You provide a tax-free invoice - the customer usually pays import sales tax in the destination country.

Sales to companies (B2B):

• Within the EUIntra-Community supply → tax-freeif the customer has a valid VAT ID has

• In third countriesExport delivery → also tax-free

Tip: Always document properly (invoices, proof of shipment)!

4. shipping - How your product arrives safely

Important points:

• Choose a reliable shipping service provider (e.g. DHL, UPS, FedEx)

• Clarify beforehand: Who pays customs & taxes in the destination country? You or the customer? (Keyword: DDP vs. DAP)

  • DDP = Delivered Duty Paid → You pay for everything

  • DAP = Delivered At Place → The customer pays customs duties/taxes

• Secure and internationally suitable packaging

• Use tracking system to give customers confidence

5. legal & customer communication

• Pay attention to local laws (e.g. product labeling, CE marking, packaging law)

• Inform your customers in the store about:

  • Delivery times

  • Shipping costs

  • Import duties (for third countries)

Example:
Your store delivers to Canada. You should clearly state: "Buyer is responsible for any applicable import duties and taxes."