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Selling internationally

Selling from Ireland on Shopify: UK shipping, EU VAT and multi-currency

A practical guide for Irish Shopify stores selling to the UK and EU: OSS and EU VAT, the UK £135 rule, Northern Ireland, multi-currency and shipping setup.

Written by

L. Broad

Published

Read time

7 min

Last updated: 14 October 2026

Selling from Ireland on Shopify means getting three things right: VAT on sales to other EU countries, customs and VAT on orders to the UK, and showing prices in each customer's own currency. Most of it can be handled inside Shopify once it's set up properly, but the rules behind it are different for the EU and the UK.

This guide covers the practical Ireland-to-UK and Ireland-to-EU details that generic Shopify advice tends to skip. It isn't tax advice, so always check your own setup with your accountant.

How does VAT work when an Irish Shopify store sells to other EU countries?

Once your online sales to consumers in other EU countries go over €10,000 a year in total, you charge VAT at the customer's country rate, not Ireland's 23%. Most Irish stores report and pay this through the EU One Stop Shop (OSS), a single quarterly return filed with Revenue.

  • Below €10,000. You can usually keep charging Irish VAT on EU sales. The threshold covers all your cross-border EU consumer sales combined, not each country separately.

  • Above €10,000. You charge each customer's local VAT rate. Germany, France and Spain all have different standard rates, and some products have reduced rates.

  • The OSS return. Instead of registering for VAT in every country you sell to, you file one OSS return each quarter and pay the VAT due. The return and payment are due by the end of the month after the quarter ends.

  • Records. OSS sales records have to be kept for 10 years.

  • Business customers. Sales to VAT-registered businesses in other EU countries are handled differently, usually at 0% with the customer's VAT number checked on VIES.

In Shopify: turn on EU tax collection in your tax settings, and tell Shopify whether you're registered for OSS. Shopify then calculates the right rate for each country at checkout. Check your prices are set to include VAT, since that's what EU consumers expect to see.

What changes when an Irish Shopify store ships to the UK?

Since Brexit, orders to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) are exports, so UK VAT and customs rules apply. For orders worth £135 or less, you're expected to register for UK VAT and charge it at checkout; for orders over £135, import VAT and any duty are collected when the parcel enters the UK.

  • Orders of £135 or less. The £135 is the value of the whole order, not each item, and usually excludes shipping if it's shown separately. You charge UK VAT at the point of sale and report it on a UK VAT return. There's no minimum sales threshold before this applies to overseas sellers.

  • Orders over £135. Normal import rules apply. Import VAT and any customs duty are paid when the parcel arrives, either by the customer or by you if you ship duties paid.

  • Customs duty. Goods that originate in the EU can usually enter the UK duty-free under the EU-UK trade agreement, as long as they meet the rules of origin. Goods made outside the EU, such as stock you import from Asia and resell, may not qualify.

  • Customs paperwork. Every UK parcel needs a customs declaration with an accurate product description, value, commodity code and country of origin. Most couriers and shipping apps build this in.

  • Changes coming. The UK has announced it will remove customs duty relief on low-value imports (£135 and under) by October 2028 at the latest. Keep an eye on this if the UK is a big market for you.

What about Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland is different. Under the Windsor Framework, goods sold from Ireland to Northern Ireland are treated much like sales within the EU: no customs declarations, and VAT is handled through the same EU rules and OSS return as your other EU sales, at the UK VAT rate.

In Shopify: set up the UK as its own market, turn on UK VAT collection once you're registered, and decide whether you'll show duties at checkout (delivered duties paid) or leave them for the customer to pay on delivery. Duties paid avoids surprise fees on the doorstep, which can lead customers to refuse parcels.

How do you set up multi-currency on a Shopify store in Ireland?

Use Shopify Markets with Shopify Payments to show prices and take payment in each customer's own currency, such as sterling for UK shoppers. You set the markets up once, then decide how prices are converted and rounded for each one.

  • Create a market per region. A common setup is Ireland, the UK and the rest of the EU, with more countries added as you grow.

  • Choose automatic or fixed prices. Shopify can convert prices from euro using exchange rates, or you can set fixed prices per market. Fixed sterling prices like £25 look more natural than £24.37.

  • Round prices sensibly. Use Shopify's rounding rules so converted prices end in .00 or .95 rather than odd numbers.

  • Keep prices VAT-inclusive. Consumers in Ireland, the UK and the EU expect the price they see to be the price they pay.

  • Check every touchpoint. Shipping rates, free-shipping thresholds, discount codes, gift cards and emails all need to make sense in each currency.

  • Think about payouts. Shopify pays out in your store's currency, so foreign currency sales are converted. A multi-currency business account can make it easier to track.

How should an Irish store set up shipping for the UK and EU?

Set up separate shipping zones for Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the EU, each with its own rates and delivery times. Then tell customers clearly what to expect before they reach checkout.

  • Separate zones. Northern Ireland and Great Britain need different rates, paperwork and delivery times, so don't group them as one "UK" zone.

  • Honest delivery times. Show realistic estimates on product pages, the cart and the shipping policy, and allow extra time for customs on orders to Great Britain.

  • Free-shipping thresholds per market. A €60 threshold in Ireland may need a different sterling figure for the UK once shipping costs are factored in.

  • A clear returns policy. Explain who pays for returns from the UK and EU, and how long refunds take. Returns from Great Britain also go back through customs.

  • The right shipping apps. A shipping app or courier integration that prints customs declarations automatically saves a lot of time on UK orders.

  • Christmas cut-offs. Publish separate last order dates for Ireland, the UK and the EU.

Want help selling into the UK and EU?

We help Irish Shopify stores set up markets, currencies, taxes and shipping so selling abroad feels as simple for customers as buying at home. We'll get the store side right and work alongside your accountant on the tax side.

See how we can help

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to register for VAT in every EU country I sell to?

Usually not. If your EU sales to consumers go over €10,000 a year, you can register for the One Stop Shop with Revenue and report VAT for every EU country on one quarterly return.

Do I need to register for VAT in every EU country I sell to?

Usually not. If your EU sales to consumers go over €10,000 a year, you can register for the One Stop Shop with Revenue and report VAT for every EU country on one quarterly return.

Do I need to register for UK VAT to sell from Ireland?

If you sell orders worth £135 or less directly to UK consumers, you're expected to register for UK VAT and charge it at checkout, with no minimum sales threshold. Check your situation with your accountant before you start selling.

Do I need to register for UK VAT to sell from Ireland?

If you sell orders worth £135 or less directly to UK consumers, you're expected to register for UK VAT and charge it at checkout, with no minimum sales threshold. Check your situation with your accountant before you start selling.

Do UK customers pay customs duty on orders from Ireland?

Goods that originate in the EU can usually enter the UK duty-free under the EU-UK trade agreement. Goods made outside the EU may face duty, and orders over £135 have import VAT collected at the border.

Do UK customers pay customs duty on orders from Ireland?

Goods that originate in the EU can usually enter the UK duty-free under the EU-UK trade agreement. Goods made outside the EU may face duty, and orders over £135 have import VAT collected at the border.

Is Northern Ireland treated as the UK or the EU for online orders?

For goods, Northern Ireland is largely treated like the EU. Orders from Ireland don't need customs declarations, and VAT is handled under the EU rules at the UK rate.

Is Northern Ireland treated as the UK or the EU for online orders?

For goods, Northern Ireland is largely treated like the EU. Orders from Ireland don't need customs declarations, and VAT is handled under the EU rules at the UK rate.

Can Shopify show prices in sterling and euro?

Yes. Shopify Markets with Shopify Payments lets you show prices and take payment in each customer's local currency, with automatic conversion or fixed prices per market.

Can Shopify show prices in sterling and euro?

Yes. Shopify Markets with Shopify Payments lets you show prices and take payment in each customer's local currency, with automatic conversion or fixed prices per market.

Should I charge duties at checkout for UK orders?

It's usually worth it. Showing duties at checkout means customers aren't hit with surprise fees on delivery, which helps reduce refused parcels and complaints.

Should I charge duties at checkout for UK orders?

It's usually worth it. Showing duties at checkout means customers aren't hit with surprise fees on delivery, which helps reduce refused parcels and complaints.