A VAT (value-added tax) number is unique to each business that is registered for VAT. For any VAT-registered business to get back any VAT it has paid, it needs to know the VAT registration number of other businesses it buys from. If it’s hard for you to find your VAT number, we’ve written out the whole process here.
Anyone who doesn’t have a VAT number can’t make a claim that gets them a lot of money, and you’ll waste a lot of time working with it.
It can be hard and take a lot of time to find a business’s VAT number, especially if they don’t work in the EU. But it is important to make sure that any VAT number is correct before sending in any legal paperwork.
You will learn what a VAT registration number is, why it is important, and how to find one in this short post. Let’s look around!
What is a VAT Registration Number?
It is a unique code that HMRC gives to businesses when they sign up for VAT. This number has nine digits and starts with GB (in the UK). Keep in mind that each EU country has a different VAT number.
| Country | Country code | Format | Characters |
| United Kingdom | GB | 123456789 | 9 |
Why VAT Number is Important?
If you try to get back the VAT from your seller to HMRC using an invalid VAT code, they will probably turn down your claim. You will either have to pay for it or take the time to fix the problem.
How to Get your VAT Number?
The HMRC will give you a certificate with your VAT registration number after you sign up for VAT. You will use this number for all of your business activities from now on. That means you need to keep it safe. The document can also be found on the HMRC business account.
Where to Find a VAT Number?
If you want to find out another business’s VAT number, the first thing you should do is look at their bills. If the company you’re doing business with is registered for VAT, its VAT ID is easy to find on its bills. On the other hand, you should get in touch with the dealer right away if you have paid VAT but do not have their VAT number. To get back any VAT you’ve paid, you need a current VAT ID.
Even if you can’t find the VAT number, you must still have the full name of the business, its official name, and the address of its main office. You can go to Companies House with this information to get one, or you can look up the stock price of the company.
Finding VAT Registration Number of EU Companies
If a business is in the EU, you must first find its VAT code before you can get its VAT number. The country code is the two-letter code that goes with the ISO code of the country. In the UK, the VAT number starts with GB, in Germany it starts with DE, and in France it starts with FR.
Remember that the country name can be different depending on the language. In English, Italy’s VAT code is IT, but in Italian, it’s IVA. Because of this, you need to use the right VAT code based on who will be receiving the information.
How to Verify a VAT Number in the UK?
You need to have a legal VAT number in order to make a reclaim, as fixing a wrong VAT number can be expensive and take a lot of time. So, it’s best to make sure it’s correct before sending in the papers. To check the VAT number of the right company, the EU’s VIES page can be useful.
In addition, if you can’t check it with VIES, you can call the country’s customs office or business bureau to get a tool that will allow you to check the VAT number. There are some countries that don’t make their VAT numbers public. For help with VAT, you can call 0300 200 3700 if you’re in the UK.
How To Reclaim VAT?
In the UK, you need to fill out a VAT report in order to get your VAT back. You can send your VAT returns by hand, or you can use an online account or accounting tools to breeze through the process.
Quick Sum Up
Thus, we trust you now know how to locate your VAT number, why it is important, where to find it, and how to make sure it is correct. To get back the VAT you pay, you need a correct VAT number. You can’t get a refund from HMRC if you give them the wrong VAT number on your return. It is important to make sure the VAT registration number is correct in the ways listed above.
