How to Validate VAT Numbers in Excel (Offline)
A mistyped VAT number is rejected weeks later by a tax authority, or quietly invalidates a reverse charge. The shape differs per country and most of the numbers carry a check digit — which means most typos are catchable before the invoice goes out.
Last updated: October 2026
| VAT number | → | Country | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE136695976 | → | DE | Valid |
| DE136695967 | → | DE | Checksum failed |
| AE123456789012345 | → | AE | Valid (format) |
| DE12345 | → | DE | Invalid format |
What an offline check can and cannot tell you
It can tell you a number is impossible — the wrong shape for its country, or a check digit that does not compute. That catches the overwhelming majority of real errors, which are typos and transpositions.
It cannot tell you a number is registered, active, or belongs to the company on the invoice. Only VIES or the national authority can say that, and asking them means sending your counterparties' tax numbers to a third party — which this deliberately does not do.
Four verdicts, not two
- Valid — right shape, and the check digit computes.
- Valid (format) — right shape, but that country has no check digit to test, so this says less than it looks like.
- Checksum failed — right shape, wrong check digit. Almost always a typo, and the most useful finding here.
- Invalid format — not the right shape for that country at all.
Separating the second from the first is the difference between a tool that is honest about its reach and one that implies a guarantee it cannot give.
The 1-click way (Tellsheet)
VAT Number Check
Select the column and run VAT Number Check. It adds the country, a normalized form with spacing and punctuation removed, and a verdict. Formats are checked for the EU member states and the GCC; check digits are computed for Germany, Belgium, the UK, Italy and Sweden, where the algorithm is unambiguous. Numbers without a country prefix can be checked against a default country you choose.
Frequently asked questions
Does it check the number is registered?
No — that needs VIES, and would mean sending the data away.
Which countries get a check digit?
Germany, Belgium, the UK, Italy and Sweden; the rest are format-checked.
Does it handle GCC tax numbers?
Yes, as a format check — there is no published check digit.
What about numbers with no prefix?
Set a default country and they are checked against it.
Related Excel guides
Catch the typo before the tax office does
VAT Number Check runs offline across the whole column, and says plainly what it could not check.
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