Under EU VAT regulations, VAT treatment is determined at the time of payment, based on the information provided at checkout.

If a valid VAT identification number is not provided before payment, the order must be treated as a consumer (B2C) order, and VAT exemption cannot be applied.

Since 1 January 2020, providing a valid VAT ID in advance is a mandatory legal requirement for VAT exemption on intra-EU business transactions.

As a result, VAT status cannot be changed or refunded after an order is paid.

To ensure correct VAT treatment and invoicing, EU business customers must complete VAT verification before placing an order.

• Register or log in as a business customer
• Enter a valid VAT identification number

Only after successful VAT verification can the system apply the correct VAT treatment and, where applicable, grant VAT exemption on your order.

If an order is placed without VAT verification, it will be processed as a B2C (consumer) order, even if the customer is a business entity.

In such cases:

• The order cannot be converted from B2C to B2B after payment.
• VAT cannot be refunded or adjusted based on VAT information submitted later.
• This applies to all EU and UK orders.

So, for orders placed by customers who have not registered as a business customer and have not yet been shipped, the order must be cancelled and refunded, and then:

• Register as a business customer
• Complete VAT verification
• Place a new order

If the orders already shipped, order modification is not permitted
The only available option is:

• Return the goods
• Complete business registration and VAT verification
• Place a new business order

Business customers located in Germany and the United Kingdom are also required to:

• Register as a business customer
• Complete VAT verification before checkout
• Although VAT exemption may not apply in these countries, VAT verification is required to ensure correct company invoicing and meet local tax compliance requirements