VAT number check: how to verify a UK VAT number
A UK VAT number and a company number are different things. The company number (8 characters, e.g. 01234567 or SC123456) is issued by Companies House when a company is incorporated. The VAT registration number (GB followed by 9 digits) is issued by HMRC when a business registers for VAT.
How to check a UK VAT number
Use HMRC's free "Check a UK VAT number" service on GOV.UK. Enter the number without spaces; it confirms whether the number is valid and shows the registered business name and address. For EU VAT numbers, use the European Commission's VIES service.
Then check the company
Compare the name HMRC returns with the company register: search it on UK Company Lookup to confirm the company number, status and registered office match the invoice.
Why a VAT number may not show up
- The business isn't VAT registered (turnover under the threshold is allowed).
- The number was cancelled or mistyped.
- It is a sole trader or partnership: they can have a VAT number but no company number.
Red flags
A VAT number that is invalid or belongs to a different name, VAT charged by a business that isn't registered, or a company that is dissolved. In those cases don't pay VAT until it is resolved.
