EU Intra-Community VAT

EU Intra-Community VAT


Bargain Hardware is a trading name of 1st Technologies LTD, a VAT registered company in the UK (VAT Reg. No. GB696289467). All sales to customers in the UK and EU countries will include 20% VAT as standard. VAT registered customers within the EU need not pay UK VAT if they meet the following criteria:

  • VAT Registered within the EU (outside of the UK)
  • Delivery address outside of the UK

How can I setup an EU VAT business account?

  1. Choose 'Sign up' from the top of the page to create a new account
  2. In the 'Business Information' section, enter your valid EU VAT registration number
  3. Hit 'Validate' and ensure that the green text appears showing 'VAT ID VALID'
  4. If you do not see this message then please check your VAT ID is correct. You can also check that the VIES service is operating correctly here.
  5. With the 'VAT ID VALID' message present, you can complete your account creation and proceed to place your order

Can I change my VAT number after setting up my account?

Yes. Simply login in to your account, enter the 'Address Book' and choose 'Change Billing Address'. Ensure you enter the full VAT number (including country code, which must match your billing address country) and the new VAT number will be validated when you choose 'Save Address'.


How is my VAT ID verified?

During the account setup process your VAT number will be validated using the live EU VAT (VIES) database. After your order is completed, our finance and support teams will manually verify all EU VAT transactions to ensure compliance. At this stage we may contact you for additional details in order to ensure that the number used is valid.


If I'm EU VAT registered but paid VAT at checkout will you refund the VAT later?

No. You must ensure that your account is EU VAT enabled and that you do not pay VAT at checkout. Under no circumstances will we provide a VAT refund after your purchase has been shipped and invoiced from our facility. At that point, the VAT must be reclaimed from your own national tax authority as per the EU Taxation and Customs Union guidelines.