Check EU VAT Numbers

Jump to section

The short version

Type the tax number on the customer. After a short pause Timelydo checks it with VIES. You see Registered, Not registered or Could not check. Use Check again on the customer page at any time.

The check

What is checked

VIES is the European Commission's public service that says whether a VAT number is registered. When a customer has an EU VAT number, Timelydo asks VIES and shows the answer next to the number. The check is a help for you. The invoice is not blocked by it.

Choose the Tax number type and type the number on the customer. The check needs the customer's country and a number.

When it runs

While you type. In the customer form, after a short pause in typing, Timelydo asks once and shows the answer under the number.
After you save. When a save changes the number, Timelydo checks it again in the background and keeps the answer.
When you ask. On the customer page, select Check again.

The customer page shows the date of the last check: Checked on and the date. To stop abuse, the form check is limited to 60 checks an hour.

Countries that VIES does not cover are never asked. The number simply stays as you typed it.

Results

The three results

Result	What it means
Registered	VIES knows the number. Where the country shares it, you also see Registered as the registered name. Germany does not share the name.
Not registered	The EU VAT service does not know this number. Check it for typing mistakes.
Could not check	VIES or the member state was busy or down. This is never treated as Not registered. You can still save, and you can Check again later.

Two more labels can appear. Check the number means the number does not look like a tax number from that country, so it was not sent to VIES. Not checked means no check has happened yet.

Check again

Open the customer page. Next to the tax number you see its status. Select Check again and Timelydo asks VIES once more. This is useful after a Could not check, or when your customer says they have just registered.

What it does not do

It never blocks a save. Even Not registered lets you save the customer and send the invoice.
It does not choose your tax rate or apply reverse charge. You set the tax on each invoice yourself.
It does not check numbers from outside the EU.

Timelydo does not work out tax for you. Read Tax and electronic invoices for what the app does and does not do.

Help

FAQ

Will a wrong VAT number stop me sending?

No. The check only tells you the result. It never blocks saving a customer or sending an invoice.

What does Could not check mean?

VIES or the customer's country was busy or down. It does not mean the number is wrong. Save the customer and select Check again later.

My customer says the number is right, but it says Not registered.

Check the number for typing mistakes and select Check again. If the customer registered only recently, the register may not show them yet. Ask them to confirm the number with their tax office.

Why is the registered name missing?

Some countries, such as Germany, do not share the registered name with VIES. The number can still be Registered.

Was this article helpful?

Let us know so we can keep improving our documentation.