Guide for exporting Prescription Eyewear to the EU from the UK

Objective: Develop a simple, stepwise guide to help us start selling our prescription glasses and sunglasses from the UK to the EU. We need to make sure we’re doing everything by the book and keeping things running smoothly.

What We Need:

1. VAT Insights:
• Figure out if and how we need to register for VAT in the EU as we’re about to exceed the UK VAT threshold.
• Steps for VAT registration in key EU countries.
2. Export Duties and Rules:
• Check if there are any export duties on our products and any EU-specific rules we need to follow.
3. Shipping Setup:
• Advice on setting up international shipping through Shopify, including picking the right partners who can handle customs and taxes.
• List the documents we’ll need for customs.
4. Handling Taxes:
• How to manage different VAT rates in the EU on Shopify.
• Tips on pricing our products considering the local taxes and duties.
5. Market Entry Tips:
• Suggest ways to enter the EU market, including any tweaks needed for local preferences.

Deliverables:

• A clear simple guide with checklists.
• Examples of necessary documents for customs and tax stuff.
• A summary of potential hurdles and how to overcome them.


Extras:

• I think the Shopify platform is already set up to sell internationally on Shopify, but I’m sure it’s not as simple as that.
• Recommendations for EU service providers are welcome.