Hi Simon,
Yes your requirement is very common, faced by every webshop in Eu and UK.
Your requirement i will classify in 3 parts.
1) Shipping Rate Calcuation based on size & weight
2) VAT 21%
3) Shipping Charges based Customer Location
1) Shipping Rate Calcuation based on size & weight:
In Magento we can vary shipping charges based on product weight and Location (source & desgination), there is no facility for size. You can calculate Dimensional weight in kg per package = Length x Height x Width in cm / 5,000 and if Dimensional weight exceeds Actual weight , then dimensional weight is considered. This can be customized through csv .
2) VAT 21%
Question a) Do you also allow guest customers to shop on your website.
b) Have you already implemented VAT validation in Customer Form.
Solution : When customer registers in your website , there will be an extra field for VAT validation.
so the customer now can be grouped based on Valid VAT , Invalid VAT , End User .
Now these above groups can be sub grouped as Customer TAX Class to Customers-outsideUK-inEU, Customers-inUK, Customers-Outside-UK-outsideEU, which can be assigned based on the billing location of Customer entered in the registered form.
Based on the tax class a customer falls , he will be charged 21% VAT.
3)Shipping Charges based Customer Location
The charges in the first part , can be extended to add Same Customer Group that we have created.
Thanks
crystalcloudteam