Checking a UK VAT number’s validity is important to ensure eligibility for VAT refunds, compliance with tax regulations, and prevention of fraud or penalties.
The UK VAT number verification service can be accessed at: www.gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number.
Through this service, users can:
- Verify the validity of a UK VAT registration number.
- Obtain information about the business associated with the registered number, including its name and address.
Additionally, UK taxpayers can request a certificate as proof of having checked the validity of a VAT registration number at a specific date and time. This certificate becomes crucial, especially when engaging with new suppliers, as it can safeguard against potential issues with HMRC. If the VAT number provided by a supplier is later discovered to be invalid, HMRC might revoke the taxpayer’s ability to reclaim the input VAT they’ve paid. With the certificate, taxpayers have valuable evidence to demonstrate that they acted in good faith. This can be essential when facing challenges from HMRC regarding input tax recovery or requests for payment of lost VAT.
For EU-wide VAT number validation, the European Commission offers an online service accessible at: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/#/vat-validation. This service allows taxpayers to check the validity of any quoted VAT number from within the EU.
