Get the facts!

When registering for OSS (One-Stop-Shop) in Germany, it’s important to understand that the German tax authorities require full transparency about where your goods are stored — both in Germany and in other EU countries.

This information helps the authorities determine where your taxable transactions take place and ensures that your VAT reporting under OSS is accurate and compliant.

1️⃣ Why warehouse information is required

When you apply for OSS registration in Germany, the tax authorities need to know:

• The addresses of all warehouses or fulfilment centres where your goods are stored.

• Whether the goods are stored in Germany or in other EU countries.

• Whether you use third-party fulfilment providers (such as Amazon FBA or 3PL warehouses).

This information is used to verify that your business activities match your declared VAT and OSS obligations.
If warehouse details are missing or incorrect, it can delay your registration or cause issues later with your OSS filings.

2️⃣ What happens if you change or add storage locations

Once your OSS registration is complete, you must keep your storage information up to date.
This means informing the German tax office whenever:

• You start storing goods in a new location (inside or outside Germany).

• You stop using a previous warehouse.

• You add or remove an Amazon fulfilment country (for example, if FBA adds Poland, France, or Spain to your storage network).

⚠️ Important:
If the tax office detects that your OSS registration does not reflect your current storage setup, your quarterly OSS return may be rejected.
Inconsistent or outdated storage information can also trigger compliance checks or requests for clarification.

3️⃣ How to update your storage information

If your storage locations change:

1. Notify hellotax immediately – send an email to your Account Manager or Registration Assistant with the following details:

   • New warehouse or fulfilment centre address

   • Country where the warehouse is located

   • Date you started (or plan to start) storing goods there

   • Provider name (if applicable, e.g. Amazon, 3PL, etc.)

2. hellotax will update your OSS registration – we will prepare and submit the required amendment to the German Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) on your behalf.

3. Wait for confirmation – updates usually take a few business days to be recorded in the system. We’ll let you know once it’s confirmed.

4️⃣ Why timely updates are important

Keeping your OSS registration up to date is essential for:

• ✅ Ensuring your OSS filings are accepted by the German tax office

• ✅ Avoiding delays, rejections, or penalties for inaccurate reporting

• ✅ Maintaining compliance if you expand to new EU marketplaces or warehouses

Even if your goods are temporarily stored in another EU country (for example, as part of Amazon’s Pan-EU FBA network), you are still required to notify and update your OSS registration accordingly.

5️⃣ Summary Table

💡 Tip:

If you use Amazon FBA or Pan-EU fulfilment, your storage countries may change automatically as Amazon redistributes your stock.
We recommend checking your Amazon Seller Central inventory reports monthly and notifying hellotax of any new storage countries as soon as they appear.