Triangulation: non-EU shipments of goods, EU VAT zero-rating, post-Brexit arrangements, outward processing relief

The EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement signed at the end of 2020 made very little mention of the impact of VAT on UK businesses trading within the EU. Zero Tariffs and Zero Quotas were the most pressing concerns for companies looking to see minimal disruption to their trading activities. However, the complexities of VAT legislation and application for businesses are a stark reminder that difficulties remain when trading both out of and with the UK. One of these difficulties relates to the VAT Triangulation concept, essentially a transaction and supply of goods where there are three or more EU member states involved and the supply chain is not as simple as 1, 2, 3. Most importantly, however, is that the UK is no longer able to benefit from the VAT Triangulation simplification offered by the EU, which will therefore result in the need for UK businesses to have to register for VAT purposes when making sales into the EU.