VAT validation
Which registry, when
Section titled “Which registry, when”The country prefix decides the check:
- GB → HMRC’s Check a VAT Number service. Response includes the registered business name and address.
- EU prefixes (DE, FR, IE, NL, …) → the European Commission’s VIES service. Response confirms validity and, for most member states, the registered name.
Format problems (wrong length, failed GB checksum) are caught instantly, before any registry call – same logic as our free VAT number checker.
The evidence trail
Section titled “The evidence trail”Every successful check stores: the number as validated, registry response (name/address where provided), timestamp, and registry consultation ID (VIES provides one; it’s your proof of due diligence for zero-rating). This evidence is attached to the application and the company record permanently – audits are a search, not an archaeology dig.
Review queue › Harbour Lane Living
| Number | IE 6388047V |
| Registry | VIES (European Commission) |
| Registered name | HARBOUR LANE LIVING LIMITED |
| Checked | 24 Jul 2026, 14:02 |
| Consultation ID | WAPIAAAAYxKzE9wq |
| Next revalidation | Oct 2026 (quarterly) |
Name matching
Section titled “Name matching”If the registry returns a business name that doesn’t resemble the applicant’s legal name, the application is flagged Name mismatch in the review queue – not blocked. You decide; sometimes it’s a trading-name difference, sometimes it’s someone using a stranger’s VAT number.
When the registry is down
Section titled “When the registry is down”HMRC and VIES both have outages. If a live check can’t complete:
- The buyer can still submit; the application is marked Validation pending.
- Transactful retries automatically (15 min, 1 h, 6 h, 24 h) and updates the application when the registry answers.
- You can approve anyway – the pending state is shown clearly, and the check completes retroactively.
Revalidation
Section titled “Revalidation”VAT registrations lapse. Transactful revalidates every approved company’s number quarterly; a number that stops being valid flags the company for re-review and (optionally, default on) pauses their tax exemption until resolved.