In the previous article we said it plainly: compliant filing is the first — and most expensive — checkpoint in cross-border logistics.
But as soon as sellers hear IOSS, VAT, EORI, EIN, their heads spin — which one applies to me? What happens if I miss it? This article explains the customs compliance essentials for the EU, UK, and U.S. markets in one read.
EU: IOSS is the core
- IOSS: for parcels valued at ≤ EUR 150, the seller / marketplace declares and pays import VAT — faster clearance, no double-charging buyers; above EUR 150, standard VAT declaration applies.
- VAT number: your EU VAT registration — unavoidable for tax-included sales and customs duty payments.
- EORI number: Economic Operators Registration and Identification — the "ID card" customs requires.
- Electronics, toys and other categories also need CE compliance — no mark, and customs holds the goods.
UK: a separate system after Brexit
- UK VAT: a UK VAT number is not interchangeable with EU VAT — register separately.
- GB EORI: for UK clearance, note it starts with "GB", not the EU EORI.
Many sellers trip up shipping "EU paperwork" to the UK, and the goods sit in customs. Two systems — prepare both separately.
U.S.: filing discipline matters most
- EIN: Employer Identification Number — the common business identity for clearance.
- Declared value: truthful filing is the baseline; under-declaration, once caught, means fines plus cargo holds.
- HTS code: the classification that decides the duty rate — get it wrong and you overpay or get held.
- Certain categories (food, medical, children's products) need FDA and other prior approvals. "Lenient" is not "careless" — sloppy filing stalls you even in peak season when inspections spike.
The three most common traps
1. Under-declaring / omitting: risking it to save tax — once caught, the fine dwarfs the tax itself.
2. Shipping without the numbers: no VAT / EORI / EIN and it hits the dock and stops.
3. Non-compliant labels: destination labels and certification stickers missing — the whole batch is sent back.
These traps cost half an hour to check up front, and a tenth of the firefighting cost later.
How Carpamann works
As a tier-1 agent, compliance is the first step of tracking a shipment — not a post-hoc fix:
- Destination filing standards, IOSS / VAT handling — checked for you in advance;
- A document checklist per market, drawn up to match where you ship;
- A compliance check before goods leave — keeping "inspection risk" outside the door.
Which market do you mainly ship to? Fold compliance costs into the total math — get the Cross-Border Freight Cost Calculator, and let a specialist walk through your shipments if you need them checked one by one.
Shipping to the EU, UK, or U.S. — paperwork ready?
Carpamann runs a compliance check before goods depart, keeping inspection risk outside the door.
Submit a Compliance Check Freight Calculator