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Documentation Index

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VATextract automatically validates supplier VAT numbers against official EU VIES and UK HMRC databases.

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How It Works

1

Extraction

When an invoice is processed, the supplier’s VAT/Tax ID is extracted.
2

Validation

The VAT number is checked against the appropriate government database (EU VIES or UK HMRC).
3

Matching

The registered company name and address are compared with the invoice data.

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Validation Statuses

StatusDescription
VALIDVAT number is registered and active
INVALIDVAT number not found or inactive
PENDINGValidation in progress
NOT_FOUNDNo VAT number detected on invoice
ERRORValidation service temporarily unavailable

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Match Quality

Beyond validating the VAT number, VATextract compares the registered company details with the invoice:
QualityDescription
EXACTCompany name matches the VAT registry exactly
CLOSEMinor differences (e.g., “Ltd” vs “Limited”)
NO_MATCHSignificant discrepancy—may indicate fraud
A NO_MATCH result doesn’t necessarily indicate fraud. Company names on invoices often differ from official registry entries. Always review manually before rejecting.

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Supported Countries

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European Union (VIES)

All 27 EU member states including:
  • Germany (DE), France (FR), Netherlands (NL)
  • Spain (ES), Italy (IT), Poland (PL)
  • And all other EU countries

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United Kingdom (HMRC)

  • UK VAT numbers (GB prefix)
VAT validation happens asynchronously. Results typically arrive within 1-5 seconds of invoice processing.

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Validation Response Data

Each validated VAT number includes: 
{
  "vatValidationStatus": "VALID",
  "vatMatchQuality": "EXACT",
  "vatValidatedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "vatValidationData": {
    "vat_number": "DE123456789",
    "country_code": "DE",
    "company_name": "Example GmbH",
    "company_address": "Musterstraße 1, 10115 Berlin"
  }
}

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Best Practices

Review Mismatches

Investigate NO_MATCH results before processing payments

Revalidate Periodically

VAT registrations can change—revalidate suppliers annually