Check VAT No.........

Ashish Jain (.Net Developer) (641 Points)

27 June 2011  

CHECK VAT NUMBER TO MAKE SURE IT'S VALID

VAT registration is not valid if the VAT number is not correct!

It is possible to check whether a VAT registration number shown on an invoice is valid. This is important because the purchaser cannot recover VAT incorrectly charged by an unregistered trader unless Customs & Excise allow them to do so by concession. Therefore, registration numbers should be tested as follows:

  1. The first seven digits of the VAT registration number are listed vertically.
  2. Each digit is multiplied by a number, starting with 8 and decreasing to 2.
  3. The sum of the multiplications is calculated.
  4. 97 is subtracted from the sum as many times as is necessary to arrive at a negative number.
  5. The negative number should be the same as the last 2 digits of the VAT registration number if it is valid.


 

Example

VAT registration number 339 0727 47

3 *8 = 24
3 *7 = 21
9 *6 = 54
0 *5 = 0
7 *4 = 28
2 *3 = 6
7 *2 = 14

Total = 147

147 - 97 = 50 - 97 = - 47

As the negative number(- 47) is the same as the last two digits of the VAT number, the number is valid.