- Checking VAT numbers is important for tax compliance when selling B2B
- VAT fraud is a problem, so it’s important to verify business tax IDs
- VAT numbers have 4-15 digits, starting with a country code
- Most countries provide a VAT number lookup tool on their public tax agency website
- In the EU, the VAT lookup service is provided through the European Commission’s official validation system, VIES
- In the UK, you can check a VAT number on the HMRC’s website
- In South Africa, you can use the SARS eFiling system VAT Vendor Search to check a VAT number
Source: quaderno.io
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
