EU VAT guide
EU VAT number validation
EU VAT number validation helps businesses confirm whether a customer VAT ID is active for cross-border EU transactions.
When to validate
Validate VAT numbers before relying on a cross-border B2B VAT treatment, and keep a record of the check for your files.
If the check fails, ask the customer to confirm the number and whether it is activated for intra-EU transactions.
Format comes first
Every EU country has its own VAT number format. A local format check catches obvious typos before VIES is queried.
Format validation is not the same as VIES validation; a correctly formatted number can still be invalid or inactive.