Home · Check VAT ID Online – EU VAT Number Check Tool

Check VAT ID Online – Validate EU VAT Number & Company Details

Instantly validate EU VAT numbers and retrieve official company name and address using VIES data. Free, fast and audit-proof.

Definition

What is a VAT Identification Number (VAT ID)?

A VAT Identification Number (VAT ID) is a unique identifier assigned to businesses registered for value-added tax within the European Union.

It is used to identify companies in cross-border B2B transactions and is a mandatory requirement for VAT-exempt intra-Community supplies.

Each VAT ID is issued by a national tax authority and consists of a country code and a unique identifier.

Use Case

Audit-proof VAT ID validation for EU businesses

With the CheckVAT ID API and web application, you can validate single or multiple VAT IDs simultaneously and automatically document all results in an audit-proof manner.

The solution supports bulk checks, recurring validations and system integrations, making it suitable for finance, tax and compliance teams.

All validation data is sourced directly from official authorities, such as the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) in Germany and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) in Austria.

Background

Why VAT number validation matters

Since January 1, 2020, a valid VAT Identification Number (VAT ID) of the buyer has been a mandatory requirement for VAT exemption on intra-Community supplies, following the EU VAT Quick Fixes reform.

Suppliers must ensure that the VAT ID of their customer is valid at the time of the taxable transaction (delivery or invoicing).

If a VAT ID is invalid or cannot be proven as valid, the VAT exemption does not apply, which may result in additional tax liabilities and administrative effort.

Benefits

Everything you need for compliant, scalable VAT ID validation

CheckVAT ID combines automation, reliability and audit-proof documentation in one solution — making VAT number validation across the EU fast and accurate.

Flexible access — via web or API
Use CheckVAT ID as an intuitive web application or integrate it seamlessly into your system via API for automated VAT validations.
Single, multiple or batch checks
Validate one or hundreds of VAT IDs at once. Easily upload CSV files for bulk checks in seconds.
Qualified validation with name and address matching
Perform simple or qualified checks for all EU27 member states — ensuring your business partner’s VAT details are correct and complete.
Official data from BZSt and BMF
All validations are conducted directly through the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt, Germany) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF, Austria).
Audit-proof documentation
Each check is archived with an official BZSt timestamp and securely stored for ten years — fully compliant and verifiable.
Flexible, usage-based pricing
Choose a billing model that fits your business needs, from occasional checks to large-scale, automated validation.

Comparison

CheckVAT ID vs. VIES — what’s the difference?

Feature	CheckVAT ID	VIES
Qualified validation (name & address matching)	Available	Not available
Web application with user login	Available	Not available
SAP S/4HANA integration	Available	Not available
Audit-proof documentation	Yes	No
Official timestamp	Yes	No
Bulk / batch checks	Supported	Supported
API access	Yes	No
System availability	High availability with fallback	Depends on member state availability

Reference

"Using CheckVAT ID, we can quickly check the VAT ID of our European clients and with little effort. The ability to check entire files is a real labour-saver!"

About AHP Merkle

AHP Merkle has been developing, designing and manufacturing high-quality hydraulic cylinders for global markets since 1973.

In addition to its headquarters in Gottenheim (Germany), the family-owned company operates sales offices in Giussano (Italy), Marinha Grande (Portugal), and in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Suzhou (China). AHP Merkle uses CheckVAT ID to efficiently process its trade transactions with European customers.

Lena Schopp, Claudia Meier
Team Dispatching

Questions about VAT ID validation?

Frequently Asked Questions About VAT ID Validation

Learn how CheckVAT ID works, which official data sources are used, how it differs from VIES, and why legally compliant VAT ID validation is essential for intra-Community B2B transactions.

What is CheckVAT ID? +

CheckVAT ID is an eClear solution that enables companies to validate the VAT identification numbers of their B2B trading partners within the EU and automatically document the results in an audit-proof manner.

The solution is available as a web application and can alternatively be integrated into existing system environments via API.

Which data sources are used? +

The validation uses official government data sources, including the German Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt), the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), and the European Commission's VAT Information Exchange System (VIES).

Integrated fallback solutions ensure that checks can continue to be performed reliably even in the event of temporary outages affecting individual data sources.

What is the difference compared to VIES? +

VIES provides basic validity checks and offers an API, but it is not sufficient for legally compliant documentation in a business context. It does not provide official timestamps, audit-proof archiving, or qualified validation that matches the company name and address.

CheckVAT ID was specifically developed to meet these requirements. Each validation is documented with an official timestamp, company data is automatically retrieved and matched, and the API complies with modern technical standards.

An integrated fallback solution also ensures that checks continue to work reliably even when individual EU Member States experience outages.

Why is VAT ID validation mandatory? +

Since January 2020, companies wishing to process intra-Community supplies as VAT-exempt must be able to demonstrate that they validated and documented the customer's VAT ID at the time of supply.

If this evidence is missing or the VAT ID is invalid, the VAT exemption may be revoked retroactively. This can result in additional tax payments, fines, and significant liability risks.

A simple VIES check is not sufficient for this purpose, as it does not provide audit-proof documentation or an official timestamp.

Can I validate multiple VAT IDs at once? +

Yes. In addition to individual checks, CheckVAT ID also supports multiple searches and batch validation via Excel upload.

For very large volumes, we recommend integration via the API.

Do I need a technical integration? +

No. The web application is browser-based and ready to use immediately, regardless of your ERP or platform environment.

Companies that want to integrate CheckVAT ID into existing systems can alternatively use the API. An SAP integration is also available.

Is an SAP integration available? +

Yes. CheckVAT ID is available as a ready-to-use SAP integration for S/4HANA Cloud.

The integration runs entirely through the SAP Integration Suite as middleware and automatically connects your S/4HANA environment to the CheckVAT ID API.

No custom development is required on your side. The solution automatically retrieves relevant business partner tax numbers, validates them, and writes the results directly back to the business partner record.

If you have any questions about the SAP integration, please feel free to contact us directly.

Can I try CheckVAT ID for free? +

Yes. You can try CheckVAT ID free of charge and without any hassle – no initial consultation or credit card required.

Simply create an account and get started right away. The free version includes up to 10 checks per month and is ideal for trying out the service.

You can upgrade at any time to access the full range of features.

Get started

Get free access to CheckVAT ID

Create your free account to validate more VAT IDs, save your check history, and unlock additional features for secure, audit-proof business processes.

No credit card required