The Dutch Intrastat obligation for sales of goods to other EU countries will be extended in 2021. As a result, your company may have to provide more data to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) in The Netherlands.
You may need to adjust your administration accordingly or research certain data. What do you need to take into account from 2021 onwards?
Intrastat obligation
Enterprises are required to submit detailed information about transactions with entrepreneurs in other EU-countries to CBS for statistical purposes. For example: the commodity code, the quantity and weight of the goods your company sells. You are required to submit Intrastat declarations if you buy for more than €800,000 a year and/or sell for more than €1 million a year to or from businesses in other EU countries.
Changes
The changes in 2021 only apply to the submission of Intrastat reports for sales to other EU countries. The following will change as of the January 2021 filing period (deadline 12 February 2021):
- Transaction code and sales to private individuals.
At the moment you can choose from eight different single-digit transaction codes. CBS has published a list of almost twenty different codes consisting of two-digit combinations for 2021. We advise you to check under which transaction codes you have to report from now on. For example, sales to private individuals now have their own transaction code and are required to report. This is a new requirement for many online sellers!
- Country of origin
For each commodity code, you will now have to indicate the country of origin of the goods. This is often not necessary at the moment. The country of origin is the country where goods have been produced, or where they have undergone substantial processing. This is not necessarily the country from which the goods were transported to your company.
The country of origin can often be traced on customs documents when imported into the EU, but you cannot go blind on this. Please note that the country of origin may change if the goods undergo certain operations in the EU.
Tip: always check that the country of origin of the goods sent is clear. If this is difficult, our international VAT and customs advisors will be happy to assist.
- Buyer's VAT identification number
This is the identification number of the VAT-registered traders in other EU countries to whom you sell goods. The VAT identification number is already reported in the monthly EC Sales Listing and is therefore likely to be available in your records.
In conclusion
Don't forget that the CBS may consider the failure or incorrect submission of Intrastat declarations as an economic offence and may impose serious fines for this matter. Especially when it concerns certain (strategic) goods.
Contact us if you have any questions
Do you need help to submit your Intrastat report correctly? Feel free to contact us. We will be happy to help you.
