If you only run a shop for the B2B area, a VAT number must be available at least in Europe.
See registration page for that field option:
At the moment, this field is not mandatory. This means that a private customer can also register.
The custumer then sees, for example, the prices without VAT, which is not permitted by competition law.
A simple attitude would help here. Under "Configuration > Customer Settings" there are the "Customer form fields". A "VAT reqired" checkbox query could fit in there.
Of course, this would also be a B2B or B2C, or a mixed shop. This can then imllicate this option.
That's a good idea for a B2B shop, but please note that this requires more consideration than just not allowing in anybody without a VAT number.
In many EU (maybe in all) countries there are turnover thresholds below what a company may chose not to register for VAT. In the UK for example is quite large, 85000 GBP yearly. (in Germany it is more complicated and the limit is much lower, but the thing exists there too: Kleinunternehmer) So you cannot just simply lock out a company from your shop because of not being registered for VAT.
Another thought: even a private person can enter any bogus or even a valid VAT number, so you have to check it anyway and approve the registration.
PS [OFF Topic] 'which is not permitted by competition law.' ...how I hate those Abmahnung-sharks (lawyers) in Germany. We do business in seven countries in Europe including Germany, I spoke even to more people in other countries also, but nowhere in EU it is so cruel as it is in Germany where you can lawfully be extorted for thousands of Euros for the smallest error in a webshop. I don't understand why the German businesses do nothing about this silly regulation.
Yes, the thing with the "Required" is in any case an option and you can decide yourself if you want to register someone without VAT number.
Also the objection that one uses a fake VAT is correct. But at least something was done.
All in all, there is still a lot to catch up on in B2B, B2C and Mixed Shop. So it wouldbe good to discuss, how to make a shop system better to be protected by those Competition law.
PS[Off Topic] Competition law, it is a very bad thing, I only know it from Germany, as well as the price dumping. It's just an idea, but I think there are too many lawyers in Germany, the whole politics is full of them. But those who haven't even made it there, these become those people...
Yeah, I have seen even software sold for lawyers that crawls the German internet for possible errors in webshops. (maybe I should join the dark side too by developing software for them :-)
...and the possibilities are huge beginning from so-called trade mark infringment (don-t think of something evil, just name a product beginning with 'M-', like M-Gizmo for example, and you are unknowingly infringing a BMW trademark) ranging thru price marking issues, and the classic not writing 'Zahlungspflichtig Bestellen' but only 'Bestellen' on your final checkout button, to the dozens of others (missing return rules, battery rules, 18+ years products shipping issues, and new thing, the GDPR rules, I could go on with some dozens more...)
Just a short example (to all who are not familiar with its cruelty):
I helped a friend to set up a webshop where she sold clothing in Germany. To have more audience (while it is damn hard to please SEO Gods to list you in the first million) she decided to list some of her items also on eBay. It went on sometime, when she received a letter from lawyer (Abmahnung) with a Courts Preliminary Decision already. The case: she was selling 3 pairs of sock as a product, but she did not to show the price for the physical unit (ie. one pair) It cost her almost 2000 EUR, and she paid it not to some authority (where the taxpayer's money go, so it would be spent on roads or some useful thing to the community) but the whole sum went to a dirty lawyer.
And all this was perfectly lawful (I asked another lawyer). She spent all of her webshop's profit on this, and lost her enthusiasm making the whole thing, and went out of business soon after this.
Who is this good for ? Why does eBay not protect its sellers from such racketing? What if nopCommerce could do this ahead of eBay (by implementing my Suggestion about the physical unit price :-)
(sorry for going on off-topic, it is Saturday, not much business on this forum, and maybe some could benefit of this info, nopcommerce is related to general webshop operation and tactics by the way)
Yes, I'm afraid I must agree. It's got a little better, but it's still very, very bad.
I would like to see a separate forum section here. A legally compliant list of things a shop must fulfil in Europe (especially in Germany).
In Germany you always have to state xy EUR incl. statutory VAT I have just looked at our largest shop "Am...", they have refined it now and it says: "All prices incl. German VAT".
This is the first time I've seen the state supplement. It looks like it's going to happen again, with the cease-and-desist letters.
I would like to see a separate forum section here. A legally compliant list of things a shop must fulfil in Europe (especially in Germany).
- upvoted
Just a last thought on this: Don't anybody get me wrong, I am not an outlaw person against laws or obeying the laws. I just find it unfair that:
1. These penalty money go to dirty lawyers, making their livings on proactively search (and many times provoking) the smallest mistakes.
2. The sum is way to high for these small errors. How does it compare paying 2000 Euros fine for not including one-pair price for a 3-pack. (She did not rob anybody for Christ's sake) ...especially in a country where you can get away with as low as 10 Euros for a speeding ticket.
