Challenge
A Canadian entrepreneur wants to sell vitamin gummies through Instagram across multiple EU countries. They plan to set up a French entity and use the One-Stop Shop (OSS) for VAT compliance while expanding to Italy and Spain. Their main concern is finding a legal representative since they’re based outside the EU, particularly with the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) requirements for food supplements.
Solution
As a non-EU resident, the entrepreneur cannot act as the legal representative for their French entity. EU regulations for food supplements require an EU-based representative. They have three practical options:
- Use their EU manufacturer or fulfillment provider as the legal representative (most straightforward)
- Hire a professional representative service in France (ideal for a French entity)
- Potentially use a friend in Spain as an EU representative (though not optimal for a French business)
For OSS VAT registration as a non-resident, they’ll need an EU-based intermediary to properly sell across France, Italy, and Spain.
Need more info? Please contact us below or find an expert to talk to in our database.
