Recently, many Amazon Europe sellers have reported that notices related to “Verify company establishment location for VAT purposes” have been appearing in Seller Central.

Based on current seller feedback, this round of review is especially important for sellers who use Hong Kong companies to register Amazon stores but have long relied on collective registered addresses provided by secretarial companies.

For Hong Kong-based sellers, once inconsistencies appear among company documents, follow-up verification may become noticeably more difficult.

1. Why are Amazon Hong Kong entities now receiving more scrutiny?

Many cross-border sellers register a Hong Kong company and then directly use the registered address provided by a secretarial company. This type of address is not automatically non-compliant. The real issue is that a registered address is not the same as an actual operating address.

If many companies are clustered under one address, and the seller cannot provide actual operating proof matching that address, problems may arise when Amazon further verifies the place of establishment and main business address.

This is especially likely in the following situations:

1. The company has a Hong Kong entity but no real office;

2. The company address is only a collective registered address provided by a secretarial company;

3. One address corresponds to many different seller entities;

4. The seller cannot provide address proof matching the company entity;

5. The actual operating location has long been inconsistent with the address filled in Seller Central;

6. There are clear differences among company information, VAT information, bank information, and the address in Amazon Seller Central.

Amazon also requires that submitted information be complete, true, valid, and consistent with identity verification documents.

2. This round of review mainly involves two risk situations

1. Deadline-based correction

These sellers receive a notice in Seller Central similar to “Verify company establishment location for VAT purposes.” It shows that the current account’s VAT processing status has not been set, and gives a specific date by which selling privileges will be removed.

Amazon requires sellers to supplement relevant information and clearly warns that if the key issue is not resolved, the account will be deactivated.

Different accounts may have different deadlines, so always follow the date shown in your own Seller Central. Once the deadline passes, selling privileges may be further affected, so do not delay after receiving the notice.

2. Unannounced risk type

Some sellers may not receive a long correction window.

If the system determines that company information, addresses, related accounts, or other factors present high risk, it may further trigger account restrictions, identity verification, or additional reviews.

In particular, Amazon’s review is ongoing. An address that worked before does not guarantee that it will continue to pass later KYC, VAT, or company information verification.

3. What exactly does Amazon want to verify?

Simply put, it wants to confirm whether you are a genuinely operating business.

Amazon’s official Europe KYC guidance already explicitly covers: company business license; company registered address or actual operating address; saved address information; postal code; detailed house number, floor, room and other information; address proof; bank account statements; contact phone number and other materials.

Therefore, in this round of review, do not assume that having a Hong Kong company registration certificate and submitting it will be enough.

If the platform asks to verify the actual operating address, what you really need is a set of company documents that can support and confirm each other.

These include company registration information, actual operating address, address proof, bank/tax and other company records, and Amazon Seller Central information. Ideally, these documents should form a complete logical chain.

4. Hong Kong entity sellers are advised to check these five items now

1. Check the company registered address

Confirm whether the current registration information of the Hong Kong company is normal. The Hong Kong Companies Registry provides electronic search services to check the current information and filed documents of registered companies.

2. Check the address in Amazon Seller Central

Focus on whether there are obvious conflicts among the company registered address, main business address, VAT-related address, and Amazon account address. If different addresses do exist, clarify the actual use and supporting documents for each address in advance.

3. Prepare address proof in advance

Prepare bank statements; utility bills; telephone/internet bills; and other materials that can prove the company’s actual operating location.

4. Check whether company information is consistent

Carefully verify the company name, company registration number, registered address, legal representative, bank information, VAT information, and Amazon Seller Central information. If any item is clearly inconsistent, sort it out in advance.

5. Do not temporarily buy “an address” to pass the review

If Amazon requires proof of a real operating address, simply finding an address and changing it in Seller Central will not solve the fundamental problem.

More importantly, the address must be real, verifiable, and able to reasonably explain the company’s operating situation.

Final note:

Amazon’s reviews increasingly emphasize the authenticity and verifiability of the business entity and address. Amazon also clearly recommends that the registered address or actual operating address should be able to receive mail normally and provide recent address proof.

Sellers are advised to complete address authenticity compliance checks in advance.

The above is the content shared by Yiju Overseas. Feel free to leave comments and discuss at any time!