EU VAT
Why is Maven collecting VAT?
In January 2025, the European Union changed their legislation and live cohort-based courses became subject to VAT. Starting June 23, 2025, Maven collects VAT on your behalf.
Can I opt out?
No. This is required by law.
Will this affect how much I earn from each course sale?
No. You will continue to earn your course price less Maven’s platform fee (10%) and any Stripe transaction fees. VAT is paid by EU-based students on top of your course price (i.e., VAT is calculated on the gross sale price).
Why does Stripe Connect show a higher fee than 10%?
Stripe shows a higher fee because VAT is added on top of your course price and collected using the same system as our platform fee. This makes the fee appear larger, but your earnings stay the same. The extra amount is simply the VAT remitted to the government.
Do I need to update anything in my settings or pricing?
No changes are required. VAT will be automatically calculated and added on top of your course price for EU students.
Will I receive any VAT documentation for my records?
You won’t need to handle VAT reporting. Maven is responsible for remitting VAT to the EU. You can always access your Stripe reports to view total collected amounts.
How do I know if VAT was collected in Stripe?
Look at the transaction metadata and verify that “tax_amount” has a value. Here's an example:
If it shows a value, VAT was collected on that transaction. The number is in cents — e.g., “10340” = $103.40 VAT collected.
How do I issue refunds when EU VAT was collected?
If an EU student purchased your course and you need to issue a partial refund, you must also refund a proportional amount of the VAT collected. Example:
Student paid $100 for the course + $20 in VAT
You want to issue a 50% partial refund
Refund $50 from the course price + $10 from the VAT = $60 total
If you’re unsure how much to refund, we can process it for you. Email us at [email protected].
Washington State Sales Tax (USA)
Why is Maven collecting Washington State sales tax?
We are required to handle sales tax compliance in certain US states. We take care of it automatically so you never have to — just like we do for EU VAT.
Can I opt out?
No. This is required by law.
Which students are affected?
Only students based in Washington State (USA) are currently impacted. Students in other US states are not affected at this time. Our tax teams continuously monitor state requirements and will automatically ensure compliance on your behalf if needed.
Will this affect how much I earn?
No. You will continue to earn your course price less Maven’s platform fee (10%) and any Stripe transaction fees. Sales tax is paid by Washington-based students on top of your course price. There is zero extra work for you.
Do I need to update anything in my settings or pricing?
No changes are required. Sales tax will be automatically calculated and added for Washington State students.
How do I issue refunds when Washington State sales tax was collected?
Refunds for Washington-based students follow the same process as EU VAT refunds. If you issue a partial refund, you must also refund a proportional amount of the tax collected. Example:
Student paid $100 for the course + $10 in sales tax
You want to issue a 50% partial refund
Refund $50 from the course price + $5 from the tax = $55 total
If you’re unsure how much to refund, we can process it for you. Email us at [email protected].