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Short guide: VAT fraud
VAT-free sale, invalid VAT ID? Every VAT ID checked first. A valid VAT ID is the basis for reverse charge and VAT-free supplies within the EU.
This guide is available in 21 languages; on this page you download the English version. Free, no registration.
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MoreWhat's inside
- The problem
- The way with PaperOffice
- In the app
- An example
- Checklist
- Frequently asked questions
- How to start
Who it is for
A new business customer from another EU country places an order, the VAT ID is on the form. For an invoice without VAT, it has to be valid. Looking it up on the VIES portal takes time, and at best the result ends up as a screenshot in the file. With suppliers, often nobody looks.
Key facts
- Format first
- Query VIES
- Fresh or stored
- Every incoming invoice
- Add document and partner
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions about this download
Which register is checked?
VIES, the VAT Information Exchange System of the European Commission. source names where the result came from, vies_request_date the time of the query.
Why are name and address sometimes missing?
Because some member states withhold them via VIES. For a valid number, company_data_status distinguishes disclosed_by_member_state from not_disclosed_by_member_state.
What happens if VIES is down?
The API tries a fallback source. If an older result is available, it comes with warning and cache_source database_stale, and reverse charge counts as unconfirmed. Otherwise it returns VIES_UNAVAILABLE.
Does PaperOffice rate my business partners?
PaperOffice reports what VIES returns, plus signals on the country of registration from three public statistics: the EU VAT gap, a corruption index and investigations of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. You decide about the partner.
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