Check a VAT ID
Enter a VAT ID. We check the format and, for Austrian numbers, the check digit, then ask VIES of the European Commission live and show the name and address the member state shares.
At most 20 checks an hour and 100 a day from one connection. For software the check is part of the API. VAT ID check in the API
What the check tells you
An Austrian VAT ID starts with ATU and eight digits; the last digit is a check digit. VIES, run by the European Commission, answers valid or not valid and often the name and address. It does not say whether a company still trades; the company register does. The confirmation of the Austrian Ministry of Finance (Art. 28(2) of the annex to the VAT Act) is requested by the business itself through FinanzOnline; our check does not replace it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the check free?
Yes. We ask VIES, the free service of the European Commission, and show the answer. Visitors confirm a short security check before each query.
Does a valid VAT ID prove that the company still trades?
No. VIES only says that the number is active for VAT. Whether the company is still registered, deleted or in insolvency proceedings is shown in the company register.
Does this replace the confirmation via FinanzOnline?
No. The confirmation of the Federal Ministry of Finance under Art. 28(2) of the annex to the VAT Act is requested by the business itself through its FinanzOnline access. We do not run it and do not store a confirmation.
Do you store the VAT IDs I check?
No. We count checks per day, without the number. A VIES answer is kept in the edge cache for 24 hours so that the same number does not reach VIES twice.
Information, not tax advice. Sources: VIES of the European Commission (as of each query), Austrian VAT Act 1994 in RIS.
Source: Austrian company register (Firmenbuch), Republic of Austria, represented by the BMJ, open data under CC BY 4.0.