VIES – VAT Information Exchange System: Check a VAT number

VIES is a service of the European Commission that allows you to check whether a company is registered for tax purposes and if it is allowed to trade cross-border within the European Union. Learn here about VIES check a VAT number.

What is the VIES

Although it looks like a database, VIES is more like a search engine. This VAT information exchange system is available in 23 languages and is provided by the European Commission. It is used to check the validity of a VAT identification number.

This way you can make sure that your VAT registration is valid. Further, in case you are not sure if a sellers is trustful, the VIES can help you to be on the safe side.

If you enter a search query, there are two possible results. All you have to do is enter the Member State and the VAT number to be checked.

Outcome 1: The information requested can be found in the national database where the company is supposed to be located.

Outcome 2: The request is unsuccessful and the tax information is invalid.

Since there are some countries within the EU that require special registrations for intra-EU transactions, an invalid number may be the result of an incomplete registration. In most cases, if the number is invalid, the VAT number simply does not exist or has not been activated.

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