The calculation of value-added tax (VAT) at Cargoboard depends on the country in which you are located as a customer and whether you provide a valid VAT identification number (VAT ID).
In general: If you have a valid VAT ID, you should enter it during the booking process or save it in your Cargoboard account. Please make sure to use the correct format (see below for details).
Customers Based in Germany
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With a valid VAT ID: 19% German VAT is charged.
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Without a valid VAT ID: VAT is calculated via the OSS (One-Stop-Shop) scheme, using the VAT rate of the country of dispatch (sender country).
Customers Based in the EU (Excluding Germany)
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With a valid VAT ID: The invoice will be issued without VAT under the reverse charge mechanism. The customer is responsible for VAT declaration.
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Without a valid VAT ID: VAT is charged via the OSS scheme using the VAT rate of the country of dispatch (sender country).
Explanation: The One-Stop-Shop (OSS) scheme simplifies cross-border VAT reporting within the EU. Instead of registering in every destination country, businesses can declare VAT centrally via their home country—in our case, Germany.
Customers Based Outside the EU (Third Countries)
- Shipments for customers based in third countries are currently only processed with a valid VAT ID.
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The Invoice is issued without VAT under the reverse charge mechanism. The customer is responsible for VAT declaration.
Important Note on VAT ID
Please make sure your VAT ID is entered correctly when placing a booking. Only then can we apply the appropriate VAT rate and issue a correct invoice.
Most Common Mistakes:
❌ Missing country prefix
❌ Adding a space between the country prefix and the number
🌍 VAT Identification Numbers in Europe (EU + non-EU countries)
| 🌐 Country | Example | Format explained |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇱 Albania | ALJ12345678L | AL + 1 letter + 8 digits + 1 letter |
| 🇦🇩 Andorra | AND123456L | AND + 6 digits + 1 letter |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | ATU12345678 | AT + U + 8 digits |
| 🇧🇾 Belarus | BY123456789 | BY + 9 digits |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | BE0123456789 | BE + 10 digits (often starts with 0) |
| 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | BA123456789 | BA + 9 digits |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | BG123456789 | BG + 9 or 10 digits |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | HR12345678901 | HR + 11 digits |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | CY12345678L | CY + 8 digits + 1 letter |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | CZ12345678 | CZ + 8, 9, or 10 digits |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | DK12345678 | DK + 8 digits |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | EE123456789 | EE + 9 digits |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | FI12345678 | FI + 8 digits |
| 🇫🇷 France | FRAB123456789 | FR + 2 letters or digits + 9 digits |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | DE123456789 | DE + 9 digits |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | EL123456789 | EL + 9 digits |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | HU12345678 | HU + 8 digits |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | IS123456 | IS + 6 digits |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | IE1234567X | IE + mix of digits and letters (7–8 characters total) |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | IT12345678901 | IT + 11 digits |
| 🇽🇰 Kosovo | XK123456789 | XK + 9 digits |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | LV12345678901 | LV + 11 digits |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | FL-123456.78 | FL + 6 digits + 2 check digits |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | LT123456789 | LT + 9 or 12 digits |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | LU12345678 | LU + 8 digits |
| 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | MK123456789 | MK + 9 digits |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | MT12345678 | MT + 8 digits |
| 🇲🇩 Moldova | MD123456789 | MD + 9 digits |
| 🇲🇪 Montenegro | ME12345678 | ME + 8 digits |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | NL123456789B01 | NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | NO123456789MVA | NO + 9 digits + MVA |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | PL1234567890 | PL + 10 digits |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | PT123456789 | PT + 9 digits |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | RO1234567890 | RO + 2–10 digits |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | RS123456789 | RS + 9 digits |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | SK1234567890 | SK + 10 digits |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | SI12345678 | SI + 8 digits |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | ESX1234567X | ES + 9 characters (mix of digits and letters) |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | SE123456789901 | SE + 12 digits (always ends with 01) |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | CHE123456789 | CHE + 9 digits (with or without dots) |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | TR1234567890 | TR + 10 digits |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | UA1234567890 | UA + 10 digits |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | GB123456789 | GB + 9 or 12 digits |