How to update your Shopify and WooCommerce settings to comply with Romania’s new VAT rates effective 1 August 2025 (21% standard, 11% reduced, including books and food).
The Romanian Parliament has approved changes to both standard and reduced VAT rates. These changes will take effect on 1 August 2025. As part of the new rules, the standard VAT rate will increase, and multiple reduced rates will be replaced by a single reduced rate.
Key VAT Changes:
The standard VAT rate will increase from 19% to 21%.
A new reduced VAT rate of 11% will replace the current 5% and 9% rates.
From 1 August 2025, only two VAT rates will remain: 21% (standard) and 11% (reduced).
Examples of changes:
VAT will increase from 5% to 11% for printed and digital books, newspapers, and magazines (excluding audiovisual or advertising content), and for access to cultural sites such as museums, monuments, botanical gardens, and similar institutions.
VAT will increase from 9% to 11% for medicines (human and veterinary), food and beverages for human and animal consumption, agricultural water for irrigation, chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and water supply and sewage services.
Some products and services currently taxed at 9% will move to 21%, including accommodation services, restaurant and catering services, housing delivered as part of social policy, supply and installation of renewable energy systems (e.g., solar panels, heat pumps), and access to fairs and sports events.
Shopify Customers
Shopify will automatically apply changes to the standard VAT rate. We have already notified Shopify of this change, but in past cases, updates to new VAT rates have been delayed by a few days.
Important: If your store uses tax overrides, these must be updated manually. This mainly affects stores selling food or books.
To update your overrides:
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Go to Settings > Taxes and Duties > European Union in your Shopify store.
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Check all overrides, including product-specific (e.g., books, ebooks, audiobooks) and shipping overrides.
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Update the VAT rate for Romania:
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Change 5% or 9% to 11%.
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Save your changes.
Bookstores using Shopify
Bookstores often have up to 4 override sets (shipping, printed books, ebooks, audiobooks). All must be updated to 11% for Romania.
Food stores using Shopify
Similarly, food stores with reduced rate overrides must change Romanian VAT rates from 9% to 11%.
When to apply changes:
Please implement these changes by 01.08.2025 to avoid order processing issues with EAS.
WooCommerce Customers
Actions are required before and after 01.08.2025.
Before 01.08.2025:
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Ensure your EAS EU & UK Compliance plugin is set to auto-update.
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In WooCommerce, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
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Find EAS EU Compliance, check that the auto-update option reads "Disable auto-update" (meaning auto-update is enabled).
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After 01.08.2025:
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Check your Tax settings in WooCommerce:
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Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Tax.
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Open Standard rate, Reduced rate, and any product-specific tax categories (e.g., "Books" or "Printed Books").
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What to verify:
Standard rate (Romania – RO): 21%.
Reduced rate (Romania – RO): 11% for food.
Books (printed/e-books/audiobooks): 11%.
If you do not have VAT rates set in WooCommerce (e.g., all VAT is handled by the EAS plugin), no action is required.
CSV Customers
If you provide VAT-inclusive sales data: No changes are needed.
If you calculate VAT yourself before adding data to the CSV file:
Apply 21% for standard goods.
Apply 11% for printed books, e-books, audiobooks, and food.
API-Integrated Customers
If your store calculates VAT, update the rates:
Standard rate for Romania: 21%.
Reduced rate for food: 11%.
Books (printed/e-books/audiobooks): 11%.
If EAS handles VAT/landed cost calculations, no changes are required — EAS will update all rates automatically.