Shipping item from Italy to USA - What VAT or tax ID do they need?

They're asking for this because in the EU, VAT (Value Added Tax) is typically charged on goods. But for exports outside the EU, items can be shipped VAT-exempt. The seller is trying to document that you're in the US so they don't have to charge you VAT. As an individual in the US, you don't have a VAT number. What you can tell them is that you're a private individual in the United States, not a business, and therefore you don't have a VAT ID. US citizens don't have VAT numbers. You could provide them with your mailing address and perhaps a copy of your shipping label as proof of US residency. Sometimes sellers are just unfamiliar with international shipping procedures, especially smaller shops.

After dealing with similar issues importing items from Europe, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me navigate all these international tax and VAT complexities. I was in the exact same position as you with an Italian seller demanding a tax ID I didn't have. I uploaded the confusing emails from the seller to taxr.ai and it analyzed everything, then generated a perfect response explaining the VAT exemption for exports to the US, with all the proper regulation citations. The seller accepted it right away and shipped my item without further questions!

Ok I was skeptical about taxr.ai but I decided to try it since my Italian seller was being completely unreasonable about needing a business VAT ID from me. The tool actually worked! It created this super official-looking document explaining the exact EU regulations that allow shipping to US individuals without a VAT number. I sent it to my seller and they finally understood and shipped my item yesterday! It even included the specific EU directive number (2006/112/EC) about VAT exemptions for exports. Wish I'd known about this months ago when I had similar issues with a German seller. Just wanted to follow up since it actually solved my problem.

If your seller is still giving you trouble even after explaining the VAT situation, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had a similar issue but needed to talk to actual US Customs about import requirements because my Italian seller was insisting I needed an import license (I didn't). Trying to reach Customs by phone was impossible - endless holds and disconnections. Claimyr got me through to a real person at CBP in under 15 minutes who confirmed I didn't need any special tax ID or import license for personal purchases under $800. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Saved me from losing a vintage item I'd been hunting for years!

Holy crap, I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, my Italian import got held at customs and I was panicking. Decided I had nothing to lose and tried the service. Got connected to a real CBP officer in about 11 minutes after spending TWO DAYS trying to get through on my own. The officer explained exactly what documentation I needed to provide and even sent me an email with the proper forms. My item cleared customs yesterday. Sorry for being so negative before - just wanted to update that it's actually legit and saved my $200 purchase from potentially being sent back to Italy.

The seller might be confusing personal imports with business imports. For context, I've been importing stuff from Europe for years. Here's what you need to know: 1) For items under $800 (de minimis value), you don't need a formal entry or customs bond as a US individual 2) The seller needs to mark it as "export sale" on their documents to avoid charging Italian VAT 3) Some sellers are just unfamiliar with proper procedures Just tell them you're a US individual importing for personal use, not for commercial resale. You could also suggest they talk to their local post office about the proper way to mark exports to the US.

has anyone mentioned how Italian tax forms work? my cousin is Italian and he said sometimes for higher value exports they are required to keep proof that the customer is non EU or they get in trouble with their tax auth. if u tell them ur a US individual and dont have VAT that should be enough... maybe send copies of ur ID if ur comfortable with that? but be careful ofc

Just share your EIN with them. All US citizens have an EIN for tax purposes and that's what they're asking for.

I work in international trade compliance and see this confusion all the time. The seller is likely required by Italian tax authorities to document that they're exporting outside the EU to justify the VAT exemption on their end. Here's what you should tell them: "I am a private individual residing in the United States. US individuals do not have VAT registration numbers as the US does not have a VAT system. Per EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC, exports to non-EU countries are zero-rated for VAT purposes when you can demonstrate the goods have left the EU." Your US shipping address serves as proof of export destination. If they're still hesitant, suggest they contact their local tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate) for clarification on export procedures to the US. Most sellers just need reassurance they're following the rules correctly. The $65 value is well under any threshold that would require additional documentation from you as the importer.

I had this exact same issue with an Italian seller last month! They kept insisting I needed some kind of tax registration number. What finally worked was explaining that the US doesn't have a VAT system at all - we have sales tax which is completely different and handled at the state level. I sent them a simple message saying: "I am a private US citizen purchasing this item for personal use. The United States does not have a VAT system, so US individuals do not possess VAT identification numbers. According to EU regulations, exports to non-EU countries like the US are VAT-exempt. My US shipping address serves as proof that this is an export sale." They shipped it the next day! Sometimes sellers just need reassurance that they're handling the paperwork correctly on their end. The key is being clear and confident about the rules rather than sounding uncertain.

I've dealt with this exact situation multiple times when importing from EU countries. The confusion usually stems from sellers not understanding the difference between VAT requirements within the EU versus exports to non-EU countries. Here's what's happening: Italian sellers are required to charge VAT on domestic sales, but exports outside the EU are VAT-exempt. They're asking for your VAT number because that's what they'd normally collect from EU business customers to verify VAT exemption eligibility. As a US individual, you simply don't have (and don't need) a VAT number. Send them this clear message: "I am a private individual in the United States purchasing for personal use. The US does not operate under a VAT system, so individual consumers do not have VAT identification numbers. Under EU VAT regulations, exports to non-EU countries are zero-rated. My US shipping address confirms this is an export sale." Most sellers accept this explanation immediately. If they're still confused, they can contact their local Italian tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate) for confirmation of export procedures. Your $65 purchase is well below any threshold requiring special documentation.

I've been importing items from Europe for my small business for years and this confusion is extremely common with individual sellers on platforms like eBay. The seller is basically stuck in "business mode" and doesn't understand that private individuals don't have VAT numbers. What worked for me in similar situations was being very direct: "I am a private US consumer, not a business. The United States does not have a VAT system. US individuals do not possess VAT identification numbers. This is a personal purchase for my own use, not for resale. Your sale to me qualifies as a VAT-exempt export under EU regulations." Sometimes I also add: "You can verify this with your local post office or tax authority if needed. Many US consumers purchase from EU sellers without VAT numbers - this is completely normal and legal." The key is sounding confident and knowledgeable rather than apologetic. They need reassurance that they're handling the export correctly, not more confusion from a buyer who seems uncertain about the process.

I've been through this exact situation multiple times as someone who regularly imports from EU countries. The seller is simply following their standard VAT procedures but doesn't understand that US consumers don't fit into their usual framework. Here's the straightforward explanation you should give them: "I am a private individual in the United States making a personal purchase. The US does not have a VAT system, so individual consumers do not have VAT identification numbers. Under EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC, exports to non-EU countries like the US are zero-rated for VAT purposes. My US shipping address serves as sufficient proof that this is an export sale." This isn't about you lacking required documentation - you literally cannot have something that doesn't exist in the US tax system. The seller just needs confirmation they can process this as a VAT-exempt export, which they absolutely can based on your US address. If they're still hesitant, suggest they contact their local Italian tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate) for clarification on export procedures to the US. Your $65 purchase is well below any threshold requiring special import documentation on the US side.

I've been dealing with Italian eBay sellers for years and this VAT confusion happens constantly! The issue is that many European sellers are used to B2B transactions where VAT numbers are standard, but they don't realize US consumers work completely differently. Here's what you need to tell them: "I am a private US individual making a personal purchase. The United States does not operate under a VAT system - we have sales tax instead, which is handled at the state level. US consumers do not have VAT identification numbers because VAT doesn't exist in our tax system. Under EU regulations, your sale to me qualifies as a VAT-exempt export since I'm shipping to a non-EU country." The key is being confident and educational rather than apologetic. You're not missing any required documentation - you literally cannot possess something that doesn't exist in the US tax framework. Your US shipping address is all the proof they need that this is an export sale eligible for VAT exemption. If they're still confused after this explanation, the problem is on their end for not understanding basic export procedures, not yours for lacking imaginary documents!

I see a lot of great advice here already, but let me add something from the US tax perspective. As an individual US taxpayer, you have a Social Security Number for US tax purposes, but that's completely irrelevant to Italian VAT requirements. The confusion often comes from sellers thinking "tax ID" means the same thing across all countries. In the US, businesses get EINs, individuals use SSNs for taxes, but neither of these has anything to do with European VAT systems. What you should emphasize to your seller is that the US has a fundamentally different tax structure - we don't have national sales tax or VAT at all. Our sales taxes are handled at state and local levels, and individuals don't register for them. Your seller just needs to mark this as an export sale on their customs forms and ship it normally. The fact that you're shipping to a US address is all the documentation they need to justify the VAT exemption to Italian tax authorities.

I ran into this exact same issue with a seller in Rome last year! After going back and forth for weeks, I finally learned that many EU sellers are just overly cautious about VAT compliance and don't realize how straightforward exports to the US actually are. What worked for me was sending a very clear, confident message: "I am a private US consumer purchasing this item for personal use. The United States does not have a VAT system - our tax structure is completely different from the EU. US individuals do not have VAT registration numbers because VAT does not exist in our country. According to EU VAT regulations, exports to non-EU countries like the US are VAT-exempt, and my US shipping address serves as proof this is an export sale." I also mentioned that they could contact their local Italian tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate) if they needed official confirmation about export procedures to the US. Once I stopped apologizing and started confidently explaining the actual regulations, they shipped my item within 24 hours. The key is understanding that you're not missing any required documentation - you literally cannot have something that doesn't exist in the US tax system. Stay confident and factual rather than apologetic!

I've been importing from EU countries for over a decade and this VAT confusion is incredibly common with individual sellers. The root issue is that many European sellers primarily deal with business customers who do have VAT numbers, so they assume all buyers should have them. Here's the definitive explanation to send your seller: "I am a private individual in the United States purchasing for personal use. The US does not have a VAT (Value Added Tax) system. Instead, we have sales tax which operates completely differently and is managed at state/local levels. US consumers do not possess VAT identification numbers because VAT does not exist in our tax framework. Under EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC, exports to non-EU countries are zero-rated for VAT purposes. My US shipping address serves as sufficient documentation that this qualifies as a VAT-exempt export sale." The beauty of this approach is that you're educating them about the fundamental difference between US and EU tax systems while citing the actual regulation that governs their VAT exemption. Most sellers immediately understand once you explain that VAT literally doesn't exist in the US - they can't expect you to have registration for a tax system that our country doesn't use. Your $65 purchase is well below any threshold requiring special documentation, and honestly, the seller should have known this basic export procedure before listing internationally on eBay.

I've been importing personal items from the EU for years and this VAT number confusion is probably the most common issue US consumers face with European sellers. The fundamental problem is that your Italian seller is applying business-to-business procedures to what is actually a simple consumer export. Here's what's happening: In Italy, sellers must charge VAT on domestic sales, but exports outside the EU are VAT-exempt. Your seller is asking for a VAT number because that's the standard procedure when selling to EU businesses - they need to verify the buyer's VAT registration to apply the exemption. However, as a US individual, you don't have (and cannot have) a VAT number because the United States doesn't operate under a VAT system at all. We have sales tax instead, which works completely differently and is handled at state/local levels. Send your seller this clear explanation: "I am a private individual in the United States making a personal purchase. The US does not have a Value Added Tax (VAT) system - our country uses a different tax structure with state-level sales taxes. Therefore, US consumers do not possess VAT identification numbers. Under EU VAT regulations, exports to non-EU countries like the US are VAT-exempt, and my US shipping address serves as proof this is an export sale." Be confident in your response - you're not missing any required documentation. The seller just needs reassurance that they can legally ship to you without charging Italian VAT, which they absolutely can based on your US address alone.