Profile · E-commerce & Amazon FBA
E-commerce & Amazon FBA:launch and run your company from Portugal
Selling online across the EU is not a single VAT rate: it is a mechanism of thresholds, one-stop shops and obligations that trigger depending on where your customers are and, above all, where your stock sits. I set up your Portuguese company, support you through opening the bank account, and connect you with a partner Contabilista Certificado who runs your OSS/IOSS and IVA filings. The goal: a clean structure, a reduced SME IRC rate, and zero cross-border surprises.
75+ entrepreneurs supported since 2025 · Lisbon, Portugal
The point no one explains to you
The Amazon FBA trap: VAT from the very first euro
With Amazon FBA, your goods are stored in Amazon's warehouses, and storage changes everything. As soon as your stock is physically present in an EU country, you must register for local VAT there from the very first euro of sale, with no threshold at all. The OSS scheme, designed for distance selling, does NOT cover storage: it does not exempt you from a local registration where your products are warehoused. And with Pan-EU FBA, Amazon automatically spreads your stock across several countries, multiplying your registration obligations accordingly. It is the most costly mistake made by French-speaking sellers who relocate.
VAT schemes, without the jargon
OSS, IOSS, the €10,000 threshold and storage
Four distinct mechanisms that are often confused. These are the 2026 principles in exact terminology: your actual filing is run by the partner Contabilista Certificado according to your flow.
The dropshipping case
Dropshipping: you are liable, not your supplier
In dropshipping, many believe import VAT is the non-EU supplier's problem. That is wrong, and dangerous. On distance sales of imported goods, the dropshipper is liable for VAT on the full value of the order, even if the foreign supplier mis-declared or undervalued the parcel. The possible outcome: double taxation, customs hold or seizure of the parcel, and an unhappy customer. The only protection is a clean flow, correctly configured schemes (IOSS in particular), and a Contabilista Certificado who follows it all.
The recommended structure
Why an Unipessoal Lda for e-commerce
For an e-commerce or FBA project run solo, the Unipessoal Lda (single-member private limited company) is generally the most suitable structure. Here is why, with no promise of results, each case being validated with the partner tax adviser.
Reduced SME IRC
IRC (corporate income tax) is 19% in 2026, with a reduced 15% rate for SMEs on the first €50,000 of taxable profit, a clear framework for an e-commerce margin that is scaling up.
Limited liability
Your personal assets are separate from the company's. For an activity with stock, suppliers and customs risk, this separation is an essential safety net.
€1 share capital
The share capital of an Unipessoal Lda is €1 per partner, not €5,000. The entry barrier is not the capital, but proper VAT and accounting structuring from the start.
Credibility & NIPC
A registered company holds a NIPC, eases opening professional Amazon/marketplace accounts and the banking relationship, where an unstructured activity quickly hits a ceiling.
The right word
Get it right from the start
Portuguese terminology is not a detail: using the right word with the bank, the Autoridade Tributária or Amazon avoids costly misunderstandings. A few markers we will keep updated together.
- Unipessoal Lda
- A single-member private limited company by quotas. It is NOT an “EURL”: we never use the French equivalent, which has neither the same legal basis nor the same regime.
- IVA
- Portuguese VAT (Imposto sobre o Valor Acrescentado), standard rate 23%. In local procedures we do not say “VAT” but IVA.
- NIPC
- The legal entity's identification number (the company). Not to be confused with the NIF, which identifies an individual (a private person).
- Contabilista Certificado
- The certified accountant registered with the OCC, mandatory for a company. It is they, not the consultant, who produce and sign your IVA, OSS and IRC filings.
Frequently asked questions
E-commerce & FBA: what people ask me
- I sell on Amazon FBA: do I need to register for VAT in every country?
- As soon as your stock is physically warehoused in an EU country, yes: you must register for that country's local IVA (VAT) from the very first euro of sale, with no threshold. OSS does not cover storage. With Pan-EU FBA, Amazon spreads your stock across several countries, which multiplies these registrations. This is a point to map from the start with the partner Contabilista Certificado.
- What is the single €10,000 EU threshold for?
- It is a single annual threshold for the combined total of your intra-EU B2C distance sales, all countries together. Below it, you apply your own country's VAT; above it, you apply the destination country's VAT on each sale, declared quarterly via the OSS one-stop shop. Note: this threshold does not concern storage, which has its own rules.
- What is IOSS and who is concerned?
- IOSS is the simplified scheme for VAT on goods imported from third countries whose value does not exceed €150. Since July 2021, the VAT exemption on low-value parcels has gone: every import is now taxed. IOSS lets you collect VAT at the point of sale and smooth the customs clearance.
- In dropshipping, who pays the VAT if my non-EU supplier makes a mistake?
- You do. On distance sales of imported goods, the dropshipper is liable for VAT on the full value of the order, even if the foreign supplier mis-declared the parcel. The risk is real: double taxation, customs hold or seizure. A clean IOSS setup and accounting follow-up sharply reduce this risk.
- Which structure for a solo e-commerce project, and what capital?
- For a project run solo, the Unipessoal Lda is generally the most suitable: limited liability, IRC at 19% (15% for SMEs on the first €50,000) and share capital of €1 per partner, never €5,000. I set up the company and support you at the bank; accounting and taxation are run by my partners. The right setup depends on your case, validated with the partner tax adviser.
To go further
Related steps
Disclaimer
This page is for information only and does not constitute personalised legal, accounting or tax advice. Business Portugal is a company formation and setup support service: IVA, OSS, IOSS and IRC filings are handled by a partner Contabilista Certificado registered with the OCC, and taxation by a partner tax adviser. The schemes and figures quoted (IRC 19%, SME rate 15% on the first €50,000, IVA 23%, EU threshold €10,000, IOSS ≤ €150, share capital €1) are current as of 2026 and subject to change. Your situation depends on your actual flow and on where your stock is located. For an analysis of your project, book a meeting.
Let's launch your e-commerce company in Portugal
A first free conversation, with no commitment, to map your flows, your stock and your VAT obligations, then cleanly structure your Unipessoal Lda. We look at your case, identify the right partners, and move forward together.
No commitment · Formation + introductions · Lisbon, Portugal