How to Order Tax-Free with Your EU VAT Number

Business Purchasing

How to Order Tax-Free with Your EU VAT Number

A step-by-step guide for EU-registered businesses ordering from SalonSelect

If your business is registered for VAT in an EU country, you may be eligible to purchase from SalonSelect completely free of the Netherlands VAT (21%). This guide explains how the exemption works and how to apply it at checkout — in just a few extra seconds.

What Is EU VAT Exemption?

When goods are sold across EU borders between two VAT-registered businesses, the transaction falls under the reverse charge mechanism (also called intra-Community supply). Under this mechanism:

  • The seller (SalonSelect, registered in the Netherlands) does not charge VAT on the sale.
  • The buyer (your business) self-reports and accounts for the VAT in their home country.
  • The result: you pay the net price only, with zero VAT added at checkout.

This is standard EU tax law and applies to all legitimate intra-EU B2B transactions.

Who Qualifies?

You qualify for VAT-free ordering if all three of the following conditions are met:

✓You are a VAT-registered business

Your business holds a valid EU VAT identification number issued by any EU member state.

✓You are shipping to an EU country other than the Netherlands

The delivery address must be in an EU member state outside the Netherlands. Shipments to NL addresses do not qualify.

✓Your VAT number is valid and verifiable

Shopify verifies your number against the EU's VIES database in real time. The number must be active and correctly formatted.

⚠ Important: the Netherlands (NL) VAT numbers do not qualify for exemption on this store. Since SalonSelect is registered in the Netherlands, domestic NL transactions are subject to the Netherlands VAT regardless of your VAT registration status.

VAT Number Format

Enter your VAT number exactly as it appears on your official VAT registration certificate — including the two-letter country prefix. Do not include spaces or dots.

Examples by country

Country Format Example
Germany (DE) DE + 9 digits DE123456789
France (FR) FR + 11 chars FR12345678901
Belgium (BE) BE + 10 digits BE0123456789
Poland (PL) PL + 10 digits PL1234567890
Spain (ES) ES + 9 chars ESA12345678
Sweden (SE) SE + 12 digits SE123456789001

Verify your VAT number on the official EU VIES portal: ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies

Step-by-Step: Applying Your VAT Exemption at Checkout

1
Add items to your cart and proceed to checkout

Browse SalonSelect, add the products you need to your cart, and click "Checkout" when ready.

2
Enter your email in the Contact section

Enter your business email address at the top of the checkout page. Your order confirmation and invoice will be sent here.

3
Fill in your Delivery details

In the Delivery section, fill in Country/Region (must be EU, outside the Netherlands), name, company, address, city, postal code, and phone.

4
Enter your EU VAT number — this is the key step

Scroll to the bottom of the Delivery section. You will see a field labelled "VAT number (optional)". Enter your full EU VAT number including the country code prefix (e.g. DE123456789).

Shopify will automatically validate your number against the EU VIES database in real time.

✕ VAT checkout screenshot
Shopify checkout — VAT number field

🔍 Shopify checkout: "VAT number (optional)" field in the Delivery section — tap to enlarge
5
VAT is automatically removed from your order

Once your VAT number is verified, the tax line in the order summary disappears. Your total updates to show the net price without VAT.

6
Complete your order

Proceed to payment. Your order confirmation and VAT-free invoice will be sent to the email address you provided.

Frequently Asked Questions

My VAT number is not being accepted — what should I do?

Double-check the number including the country prefix, with no spaces or dots. Verify it on the EU VIES portal. If it shows valid there but is still rejected, contact us at info@salonselect.nl and we'll process the order manually.

I'm shipping to the Netherlands — can I still get VAT exemption?

No. Since SalonSelect is registered in the Netherlands, all shipments to NL addresses are domestic transactions. the Netherlands VAT (21%) applies regardless of your VAT registration. This is a requirement of EU tax law.

When will I receive a VAT-free invoice?

Your VAT-free invoice is generated automatically and sent to your email immediately after order confirmation. It will show 0% VAT and include your VAT number as required for intra-Community supply documentation.

I placed an order but VAT was charged by mistake — can I get a refund?

Yes. Contact us at info@salonselect.nl with your order number and VAT details. We'll issue a corrected invoice and refund the VAT amount.

Questions about your tax-exempt order?

Contact us: info@salonselect.nl