Brexit is adding new requirements on small business owners outside the UK by putting the burden of calculating and collecting VAT on us, rather than the typical process of having the customer pay when picking up their package at the post office.
Wick Wish does not do enough shipping to the UK to warrant an individual tax identity, but Etsy can fulfill that requirement by processing sales to the UK through them. If you are a UK customer looking to make a purchase, please follow the steps below.
1. Add items to your cart like normal on www.wickwish.com.
2. At checkout, use code UKCUSTOMER and your product total will be reduced to $0.
3. Select the free shipping option once you enter your UK shipping address. (Other rates are estimates for you to calculate your final total.)
4. Ensure you enter a working email otherwise I will not be able to contact you to complete your order!
5. Complete checkout -- your total should not exceed $0 -- by submitting your order.
** This will ensure a hold will be placed on the items you wish to purchase, and your invoice will be used to create a custom listing on Etsy. Etsy will calculate the appropriate VAT -- estimate 20% of the order total (including shipping) to anticipate what you will owe. Once your custom listing is created, I will use the email address provided on your order to send you a link.
6. Use the Etsy link I send via email to complete your purchase. You will be able to see tracking updates in your Etsy portal once your order ships.
I hope the extra step of checking out 'officially' on Etsy isn't too much hassle, but for the time being it's the best process to ensure I can continue shipping to the UK while maintaining proper tax requirements for my business. This process will be reviewed and adjusted as needed.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact me.