This is the complete 2026 reference for VAT number formats across 100+ countries. For each jurisdiction, you'll find the exact format, the local-language name, a real-world example, and the registration threshold — with a free validator tool to check any number against its country's pattern.
We maintain this list directly from 400+ government registries. If anything here is wrong, we want to know.
What a VAT number actually is
A VAT identification number (VATIN) is a unique identifier a tax authority assigns to a business when it registers for Value Added Tax. It's used to charge, collect, and reclaim VAT — and in cross-border trade, it's the piece of data that determines whether a transaction is zero-rated or not.
In the European Union, the full identifier starts with an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (with two exceptions: Greece uses EL, and Northern Ireland uses XI for intra-EU trade after Brexit). After the prefix comes between 2 and 13 characters — digits in most countries, a mix of digits and letters in some.
Outside the EU, the picture is more fragmented. Some countries issue a dedicated VAT number. Others use a general tax ID that doubles as a VAT identifier. A few — like the United States — don't have a VAT system at all.
Free VAT format validator
Format validation is the first line of defence. Paste any VAT number below and we'll check it matches the expected country pattern. This is format-level validation — to confirm the number is active and belongs to a real company, you'll need a live registry lookup (covered below).
VAT Format Checker
FreePattern validation for 90+ countries. Results are instant — no data leaves your browser.
VAT number formats by country
Sources: European Commission VIES & Taxes in Europe Database (TEDB), national tax authorities, OECD TIN directories. 110 jurisdictions, verified 2026.The table below lists every major VAT/GST/tax-ID jurisdiction alphabetically. Use Ctrl+F (or ⌘F) to jump to a specific country.
| Format | Example | Local name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇱 Albania | 10 characters (J/K/L after prefix) | ALJ12345678A | Numri i Identifikimit (NUIS/NIPT) | Register when annual turnover exceeds ALL 10 million. |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | 15-digit NIF | DZ000012345678901 | Numéro d'Identification Fiscale (NIF) | Register when annual turnover exceeds DZD 30 million. |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | 11 digits (XX-XXXXXXXX-X) | AR20-12345678-9 | Código Único de Identificación Tributaria (CUIT) | CUIT issued by AFIP at registration. All businesses register. |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 11 digits | AU51824753556 | Australian Business Number (ABN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds AUD 75,000 (AUD 150,000 for non-profits). |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | ATU + 8 digits | ATU12345678 | Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer (UID) | Register when annual turnover exceeds €35,000. |
| 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 9-digit TIN | BS123456789 | VAT Registration Number | Register when annual turnover exceeds BSD 100,000. |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 15 digits | BH200000000000002 | VAT Account Number (VAN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds BHD 37,500. |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 13-digit BIN (e-BIN) | BD1234567890123 | Business Identification Number (BIN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds BDT 5 million. Turnover tax (4%) applies between BDT 3M–5M. |
| 🇧🇧 Barbados | 13-digit TIN | BB1234567890123 | VAT Registration Number | Register when annual turnover exceeds BBD 200,000. |
| 🇧🇾 Belarus | 9 digits | BY123456789 | Учетный номер плательщика (УНП) | Issued automatically to all registered taxpayers — no separate threshold. |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | BE + 10 digits | BE0123456789 | BTW-nummer / Numéro de TVA | Register when annual turnover exceeds €25,000. |
| 🇧🇲 Bermuda | Variable TIN | — | No VAT | No VAT or GST system. Payroll tax and customs duty apply. |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 7 digits | BO1234567 | Número de Identificación Tributaria (NIT) | NIT issued by SIN at business registration. |
| 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 12–13 digits | BA123456789012 | Jedinstveni identifikacioni broj (JIB) | Register when annual turnover exceeds BAM 50,000. |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | CNPJ: 14 digits (XX.XXX.XXX/XXXX-XX) | BR12.345.678/0001-95 | Cadastro Nacional de Pessoa Jurídica | CNPJ assigned at incorporation. Brazil uses ICMS + ISS + PIS/COFINS rather than a single VAT. |
| 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | — | — | No VAT | No VAT, GST, or income tax. |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | BG + 9–10 digits | BG123456789 | Идентификационен номер по ДДС | Register when turnover exceeds BGN 100,000 over any rolling 12-month period. |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 9 digits + RT0001 | CA123456789RT0001 | GST/HST Number (Business Number) | Register when worldwide taxable supplies exceed CAD 30,000 over 4 consecutive quarters. |
| 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | — | — | No VAT | No VAT, GST, or income tax. Import duty is the main indirect tax. |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | 8 digits + dash + 1 check (0-9/K) | CL78965430-K | Rol Único Tributario (RUT) | RUT issued to all persons and entities. Same number serves as VAT ID. |
| 🇨🇳 China | 18 characters | 91310000XXXXXXXXXX | 统一社会信用代码 (Unified Social Credit Code) | Register from first taxable supply — no threshold. |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | 9 digits + 1 check digit | CO900123456-7 | Número de Identificación Tributaria (NIT) | Register when annual turnover exceeds COP 116 million. |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 9–12 digits | CR3101123456 | Cédula Jurídica | Cédula Jurídica assigned at company formation — no separate threshold. |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | HR + 11 digits | HR12345678901 | PDV identifikacijski broj (OIB) | Register when annual turnover exceeds €40,000. |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | CY + 9 characters (last is a letter) | CY12345678L | Αριθμός Εγγραφής Φ.Π.Α. | Register when annual turnover exceeds €15,600. |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | CZ + 8–10 digits | CZ12345678 | Daňové identifikační číslo (DIČ) | Register when turnover exceeds CZK 2,000,000 over any rolling 12-month period. |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | DK + 8 digits | DK12345678 | CVR-nummer / Momsregistreringsnummer | Register when annual turnover exceeds DKK 50,000. |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 9 or 11 digits | DO130000001 | Registro Nacional del Contribuyente (RNC) | RNC issued at business registration. |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 13 digits | EC1234567890001 | Registro Único de Contribuyentes (RUC) | RUC issued by SRI at business registration. |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | 9 digits | EG123456789 | Tax Registration Number | Register when annual turnover exceeds EGP 500,000. |
| 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 14-digit NIT | SV0614-241287-102-5 | Número de Identificación Tributaria (NIT) | Register when annual turnover exceeds USD 5,714. |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | EE + 9 digits | EE123456789 | Käibemaksukohustuslase number (KMKR) | Register when annual turnover exceeds €40,000. |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | FI + 8 digits | FI12345678 | Arvonlisäveronumero (ALV-nro) | Register when annual turnover exceeds €20,000. |
| 🇫🇷 France | FR + 2 check + 9-digit SIREN | FR12345678901 | Numéro de TVA intracommunautaire | Register when annual turnover exceeds €85,000 (goods) or €37,500 (services). |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | 9 digits | GE123456789 | Tax Identification Number | Register when turnover exceeds GEL 100,000 over any 12 months. |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | DE + 9 digits | DE123456789 | Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer (USt-IdNr.) | Register when prior-year turnover exceeds €22,000 or current-year is expected to exceed €50,000. |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | TIN format (11 chars) | GHC0001234567 | GRA TIN | Register when annual turnover exceeds GHS 200,000. |
| 🇬🇮 Gibraltar | TIN (variable) | — | No VAT / Import Duty only | Gibraltar does not operate VAT or GST. Import duty applies to most goods. |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | EL + 9 digits | EL123456789 | Αριθμός Μητρώου Φ.Π.Α. (ΑΦΜ) | Register from first taxable supply — no threshold. |
| 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 7 digits + check digit (1234567-1) | GT1234567-8 | Número de Identificación Tributaria (NIT) | NIT issued by SAT at registration. Small Taxpayer regime available for qualifying businesses. |
| 🇬🇬 Guernsey | TRC number (variable) | — | No VAT | No VAT or GST system. |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | 14-digit RTN | HN08011999000001 | Registro Tributario Nacional (RTN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds HNL 250,000. |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | HU + 8 digits | HU12345678 | Közösségi adószám | Register when annual turnover exceeds HUF 18 million. |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | 5–6 digits | IS135379 | Virðisaukaskattsnúmer (VSK) | Register when turnover exceeds ISK 2 million over any rolling 12 months. |
| 🇮🇳 India | 15 characters | 27AAACW0632L1ZZ | GST Identification Number (GSTIN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds INR 40 lakh (goods) or INR 20 lakh (services). |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 16 digits | ID123456789012345 | Nomor Pokok Wajib Pajak (NPWP) | Register for PKP (VAT-taxable entrepreneur) status when annual turnover exceeds IDR 4.8 billion. |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | IE + 7 digits + 1–2 letters | IE1234567T | Uimhir Chláraithe CBL | Register when annual turnover exceeds €85,000 (goods) or €42,500 (services). |
| 🇮🇲 Isle of Man | GB + 9 digits | GB123456789 | VAT Registration Number | Same £90,000 threshold as UK. Uses GB prefix under UK VAT territory. |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | 9 digits (zero-padded) | IL123456789 | מס' עוסק מורשה | Register when annual turnover exceeds ILS 120,000 (Osek Patur exemption threshold). |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | IT + 11 digits | IT12345678901 | Partita IVA | Partita IVA is assigned at incorporation — all businesses register. |
| 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 9-digit TRN | JM123456789 | General Consumption Tax (GCT) | Register when annual turnover exceeds JMD 10 million. TRN issued by TAJ. |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 13 digits | JP1234567890123 | 法人番号 (Hōjin Bangō) | Register when annual taxable sales exceed JPY 10 million. Qualified Invoice System registration required to issue tax invoices. |
| 🇯🇪 Jersey | TIN (variable) | JE1234567 | Goods & Services Tax (GST) | Register when annual turnover exceeds GBP 300,000. |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | 7 digits (GST number) | JO1234567 | General Sales Tax (GST) | Register when annual turnover exceeds JOD 30,000 (services). |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 12 digits | KZ050440004233 | БСН (BIN) / ЖСН (IIN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds 20,000 MCI (~KZT 73 million). |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | 11 chars (A + 9 digits + letter) | KEA123456789Z | KRA PIN | Register when annual turnover exceeds KES 5 million. |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 6-digit TIN (entities) | — | Tax Identification Number | Kuwait does not operate VAT. TIN is used for corporate income tax. |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | LV + 11 digits | LV12345678901 | PVN reģistrācijas numurs | Register when annual turnover exceeds €50,000. |
| 🇱🇧 Lebanon | TIN-4-digit suffix | LB1234-601 | Value Added Tax | Register when turnover exceeds LBP 5 billion over one to four consecutive quarters. |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | CHE + 9 digits + MWST | CHE123456789 MWST | Mehrwertsteuernummer (MWST) | Register when worldwide turnover exceeds CHF 100,000. Part of Swiss-Liechtenstein VAT union. |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | LT + 9 or 12 digits | LT123456789 | PVM mokėtojo kodas | Register when annual turnover exceeds €45,000. |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | LU + 8 digits | LU12345678 | Numéro d'identification à la TVA | Register when annual turnover exceeds €50,000. |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 12-digit TIN | MY123456789012 | Sales & Service Tax (SST) Registration | Register when annual turnover exceeds MYR 500,000. SST (not VAT). |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | MT + 8 digits | MT12345678 | VAT No. | Register when annual turnover exceeds €35,000 (goods) or €30,000 (services). |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 8 chars (VAT Registration) | MU12345678 | VAT Registration Number | Register when annual turnover exceeds MUR 6 million. |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 12–13 characters | ABC010101XYZ | Registro Federal de Contribuyentes (RFC) | RFC assigned at incorporation. All businesses register from first taxable activity. |
| 🇲🇩 Moldova | 7 digits (fiscal code) | MD1234567 | Codul fiscal | Register when annual turnover exceeds MDL 1.2 million. |
| 🇲🇨 Monaco | FR-format (same as France) | FR12345678901 | Numéro de TVA | Uses French VAT system via customs union — same thresholds as France. |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | 8 digits (ICE: 15 digits) | MA12345678 | Identifiant Fiscal (IF) / ICE | Register when annual turnover exceeds MAD 2 million (goods) or MAD 500,000 (services). |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | NL + 9 digits + B + 2-digit index | NL123456789B01 | Btw-identificatienummer | Register from first taxable supply — no threshold. Format NL999999999B01. |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 9 digits | NZ123456789 | GST/IRD Number | Register when turnover exceeds NZD 60,000 in any 12-month period. |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 12 digits (XXXXXXXX-0001) | NG12345678-0001 | Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds NGN 25 million. |
| 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | MK + 13 digits | MK4030000000000 | Единствен даночен број (ЕДБ) | Register when annual turnover exceeds MKD 2 million. |
| 🇬🇧 Northern Ireland (EU trade) | XI + 9 digits | XI123456789 | VAT Registration Number | Same £90,000 threshold as UK. XI prefix used for goods trade with EU member states. |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 9 digits + MVA | NO123456789MVA | Organisasjonsnummer (Orgnr) | Register when annual turnover exceeds NOK 50,000. |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | 15 digits | OM1100000000 | VAT Identification Number | Register when annual turnover exceeds OMR 38,500. Voluntary from OMR 19,250. |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 7-digit NTN + STRN | PK1234567-8 | National Tax Number (NTN) / Sales Tax Registration Number (STRN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds PKR 10 million (manufacturers). NTN for income tax; separate STRN for sales tax. |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | RUC format (variable) | PA1234567-1-123456 | Registro Único de Contribuyentes (RUC) | RUC assigned at company formation. ITBMS (indirect tax) rather than full VAT. |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 6–8 digits + dash + check digit | PY1234567-1 | Registro Único de Contribuyentes (RUC) | RUC issued by SET at business registration. |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | 11 digits | PE20123456789 | Registro Único de Contribuyentes (RUC) | RUC issued by SUNAT at registration. All companies start with "20". |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 12 digits | PH123456789000 | Tax Identification Number (TIN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds PHP 3 million. |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | PL + 10 digits | PL1234567890 | Numer identyfikacji podatkowej (NIP) | Register when annual turnover exceeds PLN 200,000. Intra-community VAT only assigned if EU purchases exceed PLN 50,000/year. |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | PT + 9 digits | PT123456789 | Número de Identificação Fiscal (NIF/NIPC) | Register when annual turnover exceeds €14,500. |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | TIN format (9–10 digits) | — | Tax Identification Number | Qatar does not operate VAT. Corporate income tax applies. |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | RO + 2–10 digits | RO1234567890 | Codul de identificare fiscală (CIF) | Register when annual turnover exceeds RON 300,000 (~€60,000). |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 10 digits (companies) / 12 (individuals) | RU7707083893 | ИНН (INN) | INN issued automatically on tax registration — no separate threshold. |
| 🇸🇲 San Marino | 5 digits | SM24165 | Codice operatore economico (C.O.E.) | Assigned on business registration — no separate threshold. |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 15 digits | SA310175397400003 | Tax Identification Number (TIN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds SAR 375,000. Voluntary from SAR 187,500. |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | 9 digits | RS123456789 | Poreski identifikacioni broj (PIB) | Register when annual turnover exceeds RSD 8 million. |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | UEN: 9–10 chars (varies) | SG200012345A | Unique Entity Number (UEN) | Register when annual turnover exceeds SGD 1 million. |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | SK + 10 digits | SK1234567890 | IČ DPH | Register when annual turnover exceeds €50,000. Number must be divisible by 11. |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | SI + 8 digits | SI12345678 | Identifikacijska številka za DDV | Register when annual turnover exceeds €60,000. |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 10 digits (starts with "4") | ZA4123456789 | VAT Number | Register when annual turnover exceeds ZAR 1 million. Voluntary from ZAR 50,000. |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 10 digits (XXX-XX-XXXXX) | KR123-45-67890 | 사업자등록번호 (Business Registration Number) | Register at business setup — no separate threshold. |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | ES + letter + 7–8 chars | ESB12345678 | Número de Identificación Fiscal (NIF) | Register from first taxable supply — no threshold. |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | SE + 12 digits | SE123456789001 | Momsregistreringsnummer (Momsnr.) | Register when annual turnover exceeds SEK 120,000. |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | CHE + 9 digits + MWST/TVA/IVA | CHE123456789 MWST | Mehrwertsteuernummer / Numéro TVA | Register when worldwide turnover exceeds CHF 100,000. |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 8 digits | TW12345675 | 統一編號 (Tax ID Number) | Issued with business license — same number serves as VAT identifier. |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 13 digits | TH0105556063542 | เลขประจำตัวผู้เสียภาษี (Tax ID) | Register when annual turnover exceeds THB 1.8 million. |
| 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | VAT registration no. (variable) | TT123456789012 | VAT Registration Number | Register when annual turnover exceeds TTD 600,000. |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 7-digit Tax ID + suffix | TN1234567A/A/M/000 | Matricule Fiscal | Register from first taxable supply — no general threshold. |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 10 digits | TR1234567890 | Vergi Kimlik Numarası (VKN) | Register from first taxable supply — no threshold. |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 12 digits | UA123456789012 | Ідентифікаційний номер (ІНПП) | Register when turnover exceeds UAH 1 million over any rolling 12 months. |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | TRN: 15 digits | AE100474674100003 | Tax Registration Number (TRN) | Register when annual taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000. Non-residents register from first taxable supply. Voluntary from AED 187,500. |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | GB + 9 digits (or 12 for branch) | GB123456789 | VAT Registration Number | Register when rolling 12-month turnover exceeds £90,000, or when expected to in the next 30 days. |
| 🇺🇸 United States | EIN: 9 digits (XX-XXXXXXX) | EIN: 12-3456789 | Employer Identification Number (EIN) | No federal VAT. Register for sales tax in each state where nexus applies. |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 12 digits | UY123456789012 | Registro Único Tributario (RUT) | RUT issued by DGI at company formation. |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 9 digits | UZ200001234 | СТИР (STIR) | Register when annual turnover exceeds UZS 1 billion. |
| 🇻🇪 Venezuela | J/G/V/E + dash + 9 digits | VEJ-305978631 | Registro de Información Fiscal (RIF) | RIF issued at registration. First letter identifies entity type. |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 10–13 digits | VN0100109106 | Mã số thuế (MST) | MST issued at business registration — no separate threshold. |
EU (e.g. Amazon's EU826009064).How to verify a VAT number
Format validation (checking that a number matches the expected country pattern) is the first step — and not sufficient on its own. The number has to actually exist in the national register, and it has to be active on the date of the transaction.
The official lookup endpoints
- EU (all 27 member states + XI): the European Commission's VIES portal confirms validity and returns registered name and address. VIES pulls data directly from each national tax authority.
- UK: HMRC's VAT number checker at gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number, which also issues an official reference number confirming the check.
- UAE: the Federal Tax Authority's TRN verification tool on EmaraTax.
- Saudi Arabia: ZATCA's TIN validation service.
- Switzerland: the Federal Statistical Office UID register at uid.admin.ch.
The real problem: 80+ endpoints, 80+ authentication schemes
Each of these sources uses a different interface, rate limit, and data format. Some return JSON. Some return an HTML page you have to scrape. Some require API keys, tokens, or certificate-based auth. Some have weekend downtime. At scale, maintaining direct integrations with 80+ national lookup services is a full-time engineering problem.
Why VAT verification fails at scale
Most compliance teams start with VIES for EU numbers and HMRC for UK, and assume that's enough. It isn't. Here are the specific failure modes we hear about from Mastercard, LSEG, Experian, PwC, and the other enterprise teams that switched to Global Database — in their own words, not ours.
VIES goes down — predictably
VIES depends on each member state's backend. When Germany's tax portal does weekend maintenance, VIES lookups for German numbers return "service unavailable" — not "invalid." Your validation logic can't tell the difference without a timeout-and-retry layer.
VIES doesn't return full addresses
Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands don't share the registered address through VIES — they only confirm validity. That means you can verify the number is real but you can't match it to a company name you onboarded. For KYB, that's a gap.
No historical lookup
VIES tells you if the number is valid right now. It doesn't tell you if it was valid on the invoice date three months ago. For audit defence on intra-EU zero-rating, that's the question that matters — and you have to rebuild it with timestamped logs yourself.
HMRC is rate-limited and CAPTCHA-gated
The HMRC UK VAT checker is built for humans, not for a 50,000-supplier verification batch. Automate against it and you'll get CAPTCHA challenges, rate caps, and eventually IP blocks. There is an HMRC API but it requires OAuth and a production subscription.
No single endpoint for non-EU
UAE FTA, Saudi ZATCA, Swiss BFS, Norwegian Brønnøysund, South African SARS, Brazilian Receita Federal, Indian GSTN — each one is a different integration, a different auth model, a different data shape, a different support team when something breaks.
Format-valid ≠ company-valid
A number can match the pattern, pass VIES, and still belong to a shell entity with no operational trading address, no filed accounts, and a director resigned 18 months ago. Real KYB needs verification against the company registry, not just the tax register.
VIES vs HMRC vs Global Database: how they compare
If you're deciding how to verify VAT numbers at scale — whether to build on public portals, use a VAT-only validator, or source from a broader company intelligence layer — here's the unvarnished comparison.
| Capability | VIES (EU) | HMRC (UK) | Global Database API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country coverage | ◐ 27 EU + XI only | ✗ UK only | ✓ 200+ countries, 400+ registries |
| Registered company name | ◐ Sometimes (member-state dependent) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Always, in full legal form |
| Registered address | ◐ Missing for DE, ES, NL | ✓ Yes | ✓ Full registered + trading address |
| Historical "was valid on date X" | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Timestamped history of every change |
| Company status (active, dissolved, etc.) | ✗ Not exposed | ✗ Not exposed | ✓ Live status from company registry |
| Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ UBO graph with ownership percentages |
| Financial statements | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Where filed publicly, full history |
| Rate limit | ◐ Fair-use (undocumented throttling) | ◐ CAPTCHA / OAuth required at volume | ✓ Contractual, tier-based SLA |
| Uptime SLA | ✗ Best-effort, no SLA | ✗ Best-effort, no SLA | ✓ Enterprise SLA with credits |
| Fuzzy name matching | ✗ Exact only | ✗ Exact only | ✓ Fuzzy + phonetic + transliteration |
| Authentication | None (public) | OAuth for API / CAPTCHA for web | API key, one integration |
| Cost | Free | Free (with rate limits) | Commercial; unit economics scale with volume |
| Best for | One-off EU lookups by a human | Occasional UK checks by a human | Automated KYB / compliance / onboarding at scale |
One API, full global coverage
Global Database exists to solve exactly this problem. We're connected directly to 400+ official government registries across 200+ countries. For any company in our 600M+ company coverage, a single API call returns:
- The VAT or tax identifier in the correct national format
- The company's full legal name and registered address
- Company registration number and status
- Ownership structure and ultimate beneficial owners (UBO)
- Financial statements where filed publicly
- Director and shareholder information
- Source attribution and last-verified timestamp on every field
No VIES outage handling. No per-country rate limits. No scraping. One endpoint, one contract, one invoice.
Stop stitching together 80 government websites.
Global Database's API returns VAT ID, legal name, ownership, and financials for any company in 200+ countries — direct from the registry. Built for KYB, compliance, onboarding, and finance teams at Mastercard, LSEG, Experian, and PwC.
See the API →Frequently asked questions
What is a VAT number and why does it matter?
A VAT number is a unique tax identifier issued to a business by its national tax authority. It is used to charge, collect, and reclaim Value Added Tax on goods and services. For cross-border trade, a valid VAT number is the material requirement that allows zero-rated intra-Community supplies in the EU — an invalid number means the seller must charge VAT and bear the risk of the error.
How do I verify a VAT number in the EU?
EU VAT numbers are verified through the VAT Information Exchange System (VIES), which connects to the databases of all 27 EU member states plus Northern Ireland. VIES confirms whether a number is currently valid and can return the registered name and address. Note that VIES only returns data that each member state has agreed to expose — some countries provide fuller detail than others.
What is the difference between a tax ID and a VAT number?
A tax ID identifies a business for general tax purposes. A VAT number identifies a business specifically for Value Added Tax. In some countries they overlap (in Italy, the Partita IVA is both); in others they are separate (Germany's USt-IdNr is distinct from the Steuernummer). In countries without VAT, such as the United States, there is no VAT number at all — only a general tax ID like an EIN.
Do US companies have VAT numbers?
The United States does not operate a VAT system, so US entities do not automatically have a VAT number. A US company selling into the EU, UK, or other VAT jurisdictions may be required to register for VAT there and obtain a local VAT registration number. Domestically, the closest federal identifier is the Employer Identification Number (EIN).
What is the UK VAT registration threshold in 2026?
The UK VAT registration threshold is £90,000 of taxable turnover on a rolling 12-month basis, or £90,000 expected in the next 30 days alone. The deregistration threshold is £88,000. These figures have been in place since 1 April 2024 and HMRC has confirmed they remain unchanged into the 2026/27 tax year.
What is the UAE VAT registration threshold?
In the UAE, mandatory VAT registration applies at AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and imports over the past 12 months (or expected in the next 30 days). Voluntary registration is available from AED 187,500. Non-resident businesses making taxable supplies in the UAE must register from the first sale — there is no threshold for non-residents.
Why do EU VAT number formats differ from country to country?
Each EU member state issues its VAT number based on its own national tax register, which predates EU harmonisation. The EU VAT Directive sets common rules for how VAT is charged and reclaimed, but leaves identifier structure to each country. The only common rule is the two-letter country prefix; everything after it follows local format — hence Italy's 11-digit Partita IVA, Germany's 9-digit USt-IdNr, and the Netherlands' 14-character Btw-id.
Can a business have more than one VAT number?
Yes. A business may need to register for VAT in every country where it has a taxable presence, local sales above the registration threshold, or stock held for distribution. Schemes like the EU's One-Stop Shop (OSS) and Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) simplify this for cross-border e-commerce sellers by allowing a single registration to cover multiple EU markets — but they don't apply in all scenarios.
What happens if a customer's VAT number is invalid?
Since 1 January 2020, a valid customer VAT number is a material requirement for applying the 0% VAT rate on intra-Community supplies in the EU. If the number is invalid on the day of the transaction, the seller cannot zero-rate the supply and must charge VAT — with retroactive liability if the error is discovered later. This is why continuous verification (not a one-time check at onboarding) is now standard in compliant finance teams.
How does Global Database provide VAT data for 200+ countries?
Global Database is connected directly to 400+ official government registries worldwide. Our API returns VAT and tax identifiers alongside the company's legal name, registered address, status, ownership structure, and financials in a single call — with full source attribution and a last-verified timestamp on every field. One integration replaces the engineering work of maintaining 80+ separate lookup integrations.