It just isn’t. You do not have to apply vat to all online sales of digital products.
(Yes, I’m teasing you now).
EDIT: Thread now closed?
But I can still edit this one, so for @Jannis and others…
## Sales not affected by these rules
Using the internet, or some electronic means of communication, just to communicate or facilitate trading does not always mean that a business is supplying e-services. Using the internet for the following does not count:
* supplies of goods, where the order and processing is done electronically
* supplies of physical books, newsletters, newspapers or journals
* services of lawyers and financial consultants who advise clients through email
* booking services or tickets to entertainment events, hotel accommodation or car hire
* educational or professional courses, where the content is delivered by a teacher over the internet or an electronic network (in other words, using a remote link)
* offline physical repair services of computer equipment
* advertising services in newspapers, on posters and on television
## Defining ‘electronically supplied’
This covers e-services which are automatically delivered over the internet, or an electronic network, where there’s minimal or no human intervention. This can be either:
* where the sale of the digital content is entirely automatic, for example, a consumer clicks the ‘Buy Now’ button on a website and either the:
* content downloads onto the consumer’s device
* consumer gets an automated email containing the content
* where the sale of the digital content is essentially automatic, and the small amount of manual process involved does not change the nature of the supply from an e-service
All e-services that are electronically supplied in these ways are digital services.