My EU VAT Saga As A Self-Published Author: What I Learned (and Got Wrong Info About) from Amazon KDP Support

July 2
26 mins

Episode Description

If you're an indie author self-publishing wide, or specifically on Amazon KDP, and you're based in the EU, this episode is for you (or at least, it's for you to commiserate with me). I walk through my ongoing, unresolved, and occasionally maddening experience trying to figure out EU VAT reporting for my Amazon royalties as a Belgian-registered sole proprietor and US citizen self-employed author.

Topics covered in this episode:

  • Amazon KDP's EU VAT Invoices requirement and the self-billing agreement, and why that option isn't showing up in my account
  • What actually happened during a two-hour Amazon KDP support chat, including an agent who left mid-conversation and wrong information about my tax forms
  • Why a US citizen living abroad still has to file a W-9, not a W-8BEN, no matter where they live
  • What I found digging through KDP's own (and partly outdated) VAT help pages
  • The next step I've identified but haven't tackled yet: submitting VAT invoices to Amazon manually
  • A Patreon update: three new paid tiers now live (Emotional Support Crew, Spicy Pickles, and Raccoon Author), and what free members and newsletter subscribers can still expect
  • An early audiobook release for # Sweets For Love, going out chapter by chapter on Patreon
  • A Barnes & Noble payment update and a quick note on my ongoing TikTok experiment

Disclaimer: This episode is not tax, VAT, or legal advice. It's a personal account of one indie author's experience. Please consult a qualified tax advisor, VAT specialist, or your local tax authority for guidance specific to your situation.

Stick around for the blooper reel. I still cannot say "EU VAT" cleanly.

Links mentioned:

  • Contact: elodie AT elodienow.com
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