Keep VIES validation records
Many finance teams keep a record of VAT number checks to support invoicing and tax-control review processes.
Two dates and an identifier answer different questions.
A VIES date and a record-creation timestamp are different pieces of provenance. Read the source of each field before using it to explain when a check happened.
Invented record · no registration claim- VIES response date
viesRequestDate
2026-10-30The VIES
requestDatestored in the record. The upstream schema defines a date, not a time of day.
- Record timestamp
recordedAt
2026-10-30T15:05:00ZWhen the VAT Validate server created this record. The Z denotes UTC. It is not a timestamp issued by VIES.
- Consultation identifier
consultationNumber
(empty in this example)Preserve an identifier when supplied by the relevant workflow. An empty field must remain empty; do not invent one.
| Record field | Provenance | What not to infer |
|---|---|---|
viesRequestDate | Mapped from VIES requestDate. | An exact time of day, if the source only supplied a date. |
recordedAt | VAT Validate’s server-side record creation timestamp. | A fresh VIES check at that same second. |
consultationNumber | Identifier supplied to the record; VIES calls its response field requestIdentifier. | That a blank value means valid or invalid, or that a local record ID is a Commission identifier. |
A date-only value cannot be subtracted from a timestamp to measure response latency. A stored record also does not prove the VAT number is still valid today or that an authority will accept a particular tax treatment.
The product-field descriptions above reflect VAT Validate’s record schema and server code reviewed on 30 October 2026. They explain provenance; they do not change retention, the saved record or the result of a lookup.
European Commission / Your Europe: checking a VAT number in VIES.
European Commission: VIES service schema. Defines requestDate as a date and requestIdentifier in the approximate-check response. See VAT Validate’s evidence field mapping.
What to record
Useful evidence can include the VAT ID checked, country code, result, timestamp, returned name or address, and the source used.
If a consultation number is available in a specific workflow, store it with the validation evidence.
What this free checker does
VAT Validate lets you copy a result after a check, but it does not store a user history of VAT IDs in this MVP.
A future audit-export product should make retention explicit and configurable.
Validating VAT numbers at volume?
Join the batch/API list for CSV validation, retries, audit exports, and developer access.
Related VIES guides
- XI VAT number checkerCheck XI VAT numbers and understand Northern Ireland VAT validation in VIES.
- Greece EL VAT numberWhy Greek VAT numbers use EL in VIES and how to enter them correctly.
- VIES not workingTroubleshoot VIES not working, unavailable member states, and failed VAT checks.
- VAT VIES UK check: GB vs XINeed a VAT VIES UK check? Use VIES for XI Northern Ireland VAT IDs and HMRC for GB registrations, with steps for each.
- VIES VAT checker: check an EU VAT numberCheck an EU VAT number against VIES, see a valid, invalid or unavailable result, and download a dated record. Review company details when the member state provides them.
- EU VAT number validationValidate EU VAT IDs and learn when VAT checks matter for cross-border trade.