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Verify a VAT number

VIES check is a useful VAT Filing feature for validating VAT numbers for B2B transactions.

VAT Information Exchange System (VIES) is the VAT number verification service provided by the European Commission. It serves as an online repository containing all VAT-registered businesses within the European Union. VIES facilitates the validation of VAT numbers for your business-to-business (B2B) transactions using an external engine. This engine verifies your batches and transactions against a regularly updated database, ensuring the accuracy and legitimacy of your customers' VAT identification.

Run a VIES check

Learn how to run a VIES check for one or more batches in VAT Filing.

  1. Go to Invoices > Run VIES Check
  2. Use the Filters icon to search for specific batches.
    Note:

    By default, this page shows all batches imported in the current month.

  3. Select one or more batches. Then, click the Run Vies Check icon.
  4. Refresh the page to see the updated Processing status column for all selected batches, which can have the following values:
    Not Started
    No checks were performed yet for that batch.
    Enqueued
    The processing has not started yet.
    In Progress
    The processing is still in progress.
    All Valid
    Shows the company's name and address.
    Invalid
    The VAT number you searched for is not registered in the system. This is due to one or more reasons:
    • The VAT number does not exist.
    • The VAT number has not been activated for intra-EU transactions.
    • The registration process is not finalized.
    • The VAT number format is incorrect.
    • The country is not valid.

View a processed batch

Learn how to view a batch that has been processed using VIES check.

  1. Go to Invoices > Run VIES Check
  2. Use the Filters icon to search for specific batches.
  3. Click the row of a processed batch.
  4. On the VIES Check Result page, use the available filters to show specific transactions:
    Status
    Use it to show all statuses or only transactions with valid or invalid statuses.
    Search
    Use it to search for specific transactions.
    Filters
    Use it to shown only some transactions.
  5. To download the VIES Check results, click Download.

Run a VIES check on the return details page

The VIES check functionality is available for all ESL reports and the Polish JPK V7M returns on the return details page, within the Overview tab.

VIES Check runs in the background and is only executed for the included transactions.
  1. Click Run VIES Check.
  2. When the VIES check is finished, click the Download icon to get the results in an Excel file.
    Note:

    The Comments section provides a record of the VIES check that includes the Excel file, the name of the user who ran the check, and the date and time of the check.