Amazon is asking sellers on its Europe marketplaces to confirm a primary operating address in Seller Central. Amazon uses this field to decide where the business is established for tax purposes. If the address is wrong, Amazon says the tax treatment on the account can also be wrong.
This guide covers the Europe-wide request: what the field means, why Amazon needs it for VAT, and how to confirm it. Country document lists are not the same. Use the notice in your own Seller Central account.
Scope note: Last reviewed on September 20, 2026. Amazon’s tax and identity checks differ by marketplace and legal entity. Follow the document list and deadline shown in your account. This is not tax or legal advice.
What Amazon Means by Primary Operating Address
Amazon’s official email, quoted on the UK Seller Forums, defines the primary operating address as the physical location where you run the main day-to-day business. That can be either:
- Where central administration happens, or
- Where the business has a lasting presence in people, systems, and infrastructure. Amazon’s example is where employees are located.
Amazon staff have said this address is not automatically the same as the registered office. Since December 15, 2025, Amazon has used the primary operating address to decide whether a seller is established in the EU. In that reply, Amazon associate Jonathan described it as the place where the team works, where equipment sits, and where central administration is performed.
A warehouse, an FBA fulfillment center, and a mailbox service are not substitutes for that location. Amazon’s VAT materials treat a ship-from address as the place goods are dispatched, and the business address as the place the company is run.
Why Europe Sellers Are Being Asked
EU VAT e-commerce rules, in force since 1 July 2021, require marketplaces to know whether a seller is established in the EU. In defined cases, a marketplace is treated as a deemed supplier and must account for VAT. That includes certain import consignments of up to EUR 150, and certain EU sales to private customers by a seller not established in the EU.
Amazon therefore needs a reliable operating address, not only a company registration address. Its VAT Calculation Service FAQ says the primary tax registration number should belong to the primary place of business, because that number is used to calculate VAT or GST on seller fees. Amazon also says the company name and address in Seller Central should match each EU VAT registration. If you are unsure which address is the primary place of business, Amazon tells sellers to ask a local tax advisor.
How to Confirm the Address
Open Seller Central directly. Do not use a link in an unexpected email.
Amazon’s instructions are:
- Go to Identity Information.
- If the pre-filled primary operating address is correct, confirm it.
- If it is wrong, edit it and enter the address where the business is actually run.
Sellers have also found the field under Account Info > Business address and phone number. Menu labels can differ by marketplace.
Amazon’s own note: updating this address may trigger a document review. If the current address is already correct, confirm it. Do not edit the field to “refresh” the page.
Before you submit, check that the legal name and address match across Seller Central, VAT registrations, and the identity records already on file.
If Amazon Then Asks for Documents
Confirming the checkbox and completing an establishment verification are different tasks. The first can be a single confirmation. The second is a file review.
Amazon staff say Account Health usually shows one of these banners: submission required, evaluation in progress, or evaluation completed. The official document page for Europe accounts is:
Determination of “Establishment” for VAT
Amazon staff have said the file set often includes proof of physical operations at the stated address, evidence of resident staff where that applies, and business registration records. The exact list depends on the country of the address you claimed.
Do not upload another seller’s bills. Do not change the Seller Central address to a local mailbox because it “looks European.” If Amazon already treats the account as non-established, confirming a local address will not, by itself, change that status.
UK document lists are not the Europe rule
The UK has a separate, more detailed establishment check. Amazon has said that under UK rules from 1 January 2021, it must collect and remit VAT for sellers established outside the UK. For that UK review, Amazon has published a country-specific list: VAT evidence matching HMRC, proof of physical operations, a Companies House extract, and director identity or residence files. Amazon’s UK wording also says virtual offices and mail-forwarding addresses do not qualify as a UK primary place of business.
That list applies to UK establishment reviews. It is not the document set for Germany, France, Italy, or other EU marketplaces. If your notice is for the UK, use Amazon’s UK establishment page. If it is for another country, use the files named in that notice.
FAQ
Is the primary operating address the same as my registered office?
Not necessarily. Amazon has said it is where the main day-to-day business is run, and that this may differ from the registered business address.
Will editing the address start a review?
Amazon says it might. Confirm the current address if it is already correct.
Are UK utility bills required for every Europe seller?
No. Those files appear in Amazon’s UK establishment materials. Other countries ask for different evidence. Follow the list in your account.
Can a virtual office be used as the primary operating address?
Amazon’s UK establishment wording says virtual offices and mail-forwarding locations do not qualify. For other countries, use the rule in your notice rather than assuming a mailbox is accepted.
