Once a parcel leaves the UK for an EU country, it’s an import. Customs needs to know what’s inside, where it was made and what it’s worth, item by item. If you’ve collected EU VAT at checkout, it also needs your IOSS number to show the VAT is already paid.
Without the right setup, EU customers are asked to pay VAT before their parcel is delivered, and couriers can add a handling fee on top. Parcels sit at customs, and some are refused and sent back. Marketplace orders add another layer, because orders from Amazon, eBay and Etsy need the marketplace’s IOSS number, not yours.
Zenstores handles all of this at order level. Customs data comes from your products, the right IOSS number is picked per order, and the documents print with the shipping label. Most customers are shipping internationally within a few days of signing up.
- Decide whether you need your own IOSS number
IOSS is optional, and it only covers goods worth under €150. It lets you collect EU VAT at checkout and report it in one monthly return. UK businesses can’t register for IOSS directly, so you’ll need an EU IOSS intermediary. Zenstores works with EAS, which handles IOSS registration, intermediary services and VAT filings. If you only sell to the EU through Amazon, eBay or Etsy, the marketplace’s own IOSS number covers those orders, so you may not need one at all.
- Add your IOSS number to Zenstores once
Enter your IOSS number in your Zenstores settings. Zenstores then applies it automatically to every qualifying EU shipment from your own store. On orders from Etsy, Amazon and eBay, Zenstores detects the marketplace’s IOSS number and applies that instead. The rest of the declaration comes from your products.
- Store HS codes, customs descriptions and country of origin on each product
Import these straight from Shopify with your products, or fill them in manually in Zenstores. They’re stored at product level, so you set them once and they apply to every shipment containing that item. Item values come from the item price, so the customs declaration fills itself when you book. With the customs data in place, each EU order is ready to route.
- Route EU orders to the right carrier service automatically
Create a Shipping Rule that triggers on destination country, and Zenstores Automations applies it as each EU order comes in. You can send EU orders through Royal Mail, DHL Express or whichever carrier you use for Europe. Zenstores also checks the customs data on every international shipment before dispatch, including your EORI number, HS codes and IOSS number. Any issue shows up before the shipping label prints, so it doesn’t cause a delay later.
- Print shipping labels with customs documents attached
When you print, Zenstores generates the customs documentation from your product data. CN23 forms or commercial invoices print alongside the shipping label, depending on the carrier service. The IOSS number goes with the shipment data, so EU customs can see the VAT has been paid. The parcel leaves with everything it needs to clear customs in whichever EU country it’s heading to.
We've been using Zenstores for over a year now. The system is very easy to use and integrates very well with Royal Mail, shipping rules that can be set have saved us a lot of time manually entering shipping information. Zenstores has also enabled us to reopen EU and US shipping. The support is excellent always available to answer any questions or talk through what the app can do.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an IOSS number to ship to the EU from the UK?
No, IOSS is optional. Without it, VAT isn’t collected at checkout. That means your EU customers pay it on delivery, often with a courier handling fee on top, and some refuse the parcel. Zenstores ships EU orders either way. If you do register, you add your number once and Zenstores applies it to every qualifying shipment.
How does IOSS work with Shopify orders?
Add your IOSS number to your Zenstores settings once. Zenstores then applies it automatically to qualifying EU orders from your Shopify store. HS codes can be imported from Shopify with your products, so the customs data is ready as soon as orders come in.
What happens with EU orders from Amazon, eBay or Etsy?
Zenstores applies the marketplace’s IOSS number automatically. On these orders, the marketplace collects the EU VAT at checkout, so its IOSS number goes on the declaration instead of yours. You don’t need to change anything per order.
Does using IOSS mean my customers pay no customs duty?
No. IOSS covers the import VAT, but since 1 July 2026 the EU has applied a temporary €3 customs duty per item on consignments worth up to €150. This runs until 1 July 2028. The duty is worked out per item from its tariff classification, which is why Zenstores applies HS codes to each item, not just to the parcel as a whole.
What about EU orders worth more than €150?
IOSS only covers consignments up to €150, so VAT on higher-value orders is collected at import instead. If you’d rather your customer had nothing to pay on delivery, Zenstores supports DDP on carrier services that offer it. With DDP, duties and taxes are calculated and paid at dispatch.
