What is VAT Number?
A tax identifier issued to businesses registered for value-added tax, formatted as a two-letter country prefix followed by a country-specific block of digits or characters. EU VAT numbers can be validated for free through VIES, which confirms whether the number is currently valid and, where the member state allows it, returns the registered name and address.
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Related Terms
KBO / BCE Number (Belgium)
The 10-digit Belgian enterprise number issued by the Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen (Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises). It doubles as the Belgian VAT number when prefixed with BE, and identifies the entity across every Belgian public register. The KBO public search publishes legal name, status, legal form, address, activities and establishment units.
Company Registration Number
The permanent identifier a national business register assigns to a legal entity when it is incorporated — a Companies House number in the UK, an SIREN in France, a CVR in Denmark, an organisasjonsnummer in Norway. It never changes when the company is renamed, which makes it the safest key for storing, matching or monitoring a company record.
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Pull the official record for any company in 18 countries — then watch it for name, status, address and director changes.