In preparation for the UK leaving the EU VAT regime from 1 January 2021, HMRC has launched an online VAT number checker service.
The provides a real-time check that a UK VAT number is valid, plus the name and address of the taxpayer holding the number. It is important when dealing on B2B transactions in particular that parties verify each otherâs VAT numbers in case of irregularities, including fraud.
This service is being launched as the UK leaves the VIES EU VAT number validation service. It can be found here.