New requirements for sellers who ship to Germany

[FidosFlowers]

Hi all, 

We wanted to let you know that the German packaging law, VerpackG, which impacts those of you who ship to German buyers, will officially start being enforced by the German government this coming July. The law applies to sellers who use packaging materials made of cardboard, glass, aluminum, plastic, cardboard composite materials, and a few more (see the VerpackG official website for more details). 

This law states that if you ship to German buyers, you’ll need to register your tax ID and information with LUCID Packaging Register, the German government database. If you don’t register you may face fines up to €200,000 and a prohibition in sales, and your goods could possibly be confiscated during delivery. 

Check out this updated article in the Seller Handbook to learn more about this law and what steps you need to take in order to stay compliant. 

[FidosFlowers]

Hi everyone, 

The changes to German packaging law that we mentioned above take effect starting July 1. We want to remind you that if you want to continue to ship to Germany, you’ll need to register for and add your LUCID ID number to your Etsy account before then. 

If you don’t register, you could face fines from the German government up to €200,000 and a prohibition in sales, and your goods could possibly be confiscated during delivery. 

As a reminder, the aim of the German Packaging Act is to reduce the negative impacts of packaging waste on the environment and to significantly increase recycling rates in Germany. 

Packaging types that are more readily recycled by your buyers, such as corrugated boxes or paper envelopes, or packaging that contains recycled materials such as recycled paper or plastic, are subject to lower fees. Reusing existing packaging like boxes continues to be a great option. If you’ve been thinking about switching to more sustainable packaging, this could be a great time to seek out an eco-friendly packaging supplier. 

To bring your shop into compliance, follow these four steps:

1. If you haven’t already, register your business in Germany’s LUCID system to receive your LUCID identification number. 
2. Once you’ve received your LUCID identification number, submit it to the Legal and tax information page.
3. Scroll down to the section titled Government registration and click on the Add info button to enter your LUCID identification number. 
4. Start licensing your packaging with a dual system.

We’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with Lizenzero. Lizenzero enables its customers to license their packaging as claimed by the German Packaging Act. Thanks to their experience with small and medium-sized manufacturers and sellers, Lizenzero helps make licensing packaging easier. They also offer customer support via phone and email. For more info, visit the Lizenzero informational page. Lizenrezo offers a 5% discount on your license fee with voucher code ETSY5*.

If you still have questions about these new laws and what steps you need to take to stay compliant, check out this updated article in the Seller Handbook to learn more. 

* Services solely provided by Lizenzero and not Etsy. Voucher valid until 31 December 2022. Discount on net value of goods. No payout possible. One voucher per order and customer redeemable. No combination with other discount campaigns possible. Subsequent redemption not possible. The legal process is excluded. Additional terms may apply.