Swiss VAT law is changing as of the beginning of next year and it will impact sellers of low value goods who sell goods to the value of more than 100,000 Swiss Francs annually.
Low value goods are defined as all goods sent from abroad into Switzerland, with a tax value below 5 Swiss Francs, where the tax is currently not collected from the customer by Swiss Post or other carriers. From the 1st of January 2019, sellers must collect Swiss VAT on sales of low value goods into Switzerland, where the seller has exceeded a cumulative threshold of 100,000 Swiss Francs in the previous 12 months in sales of low value goods delivered into Switzerland.
Amazon are emailing their merchants and you will find more detailed information on the new law and the latest guidance on the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (SFTA) here . If you will require VAT registration in Switzerland you’ll need to complete your Swiss VAT registration by January 1, 2019.
It’s important to remember that, whilst you may have received notification from Amazon, it is your total ecommerce sales to Switzerland that will determine if the Swiss VAT law change will impact your business.
There are various tax advisors and accounting firms who can assist you with VAT registration and VAT returns in countries around the world. If you’d like to avail yourself of their services you’ll find a selection of companies that can help in the Tamebay Guide.
