How to Customize Order Notes with VAT Information in Shopify

When a B2B customer places an order with a validated VAT number, you need that information attached to the order. But the default format might not match your workflow – maybe you need it in a specific format for your accounting software, or you want a cleaner look for your order exports.

With EU Tax Exemption Easy, you can fully customize how VAT details appear in your Shopify order notes.

The Default Format

Out of the box, when a customer checks out with a validated VAT number, the order note looks like this:

VAT Number: NL123456789B01
Company: Bakkerij de Groot B.V.
Country: NL
Checked on: 2025-01-15 14:30 UTC

This works fine for most merchants. But if you need something different – a single line for easy copying, a specific format for your ERP system, or just less clutter – you can change it.

How Custom Templates Work

You create a template using simple placeholders. The app replaces these placeholders with the actual customer data when the order is placed.

Available placeholders:

• {{vat_number}} – The VAT/tax ID number (e.g., NL123456789B01)
• {{company_name}} – The registered company name
• {{country_code}} – Two-letter country code (e.g., NL, DE, BE)
• {{timestamp}} – Full date and time of validation
• {{date}} – Date only
• {{time}} – Time only

Example Templates

Compact single-line format:

VAT: {{vat_number}} | {{company_name}} | {{country_code}} | Verified: {{date}}

Result: VAT: NL123456789B01 | Bakkerij de Groot B.V. | NL | Verified: 2025-01-15

Minimal format:

VAT: {{vat_number}} ({{country_code}})

Result: VAT: NL123456789B01 (NL)

Detailed format for accounting:

TAX EXEMPTION
Company: {{company_name}}
VAT ID: {{vat_number}}
Country: {{country_code}}
Validated: {{timestamp}}

Setting Up Your Custom Template

The template is stored in a Shopify metafield. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Go to Settings → Custom data in your Shopify admin
2. Click Shops under metafield definitions
3. Add a new definition with namespace tax_exemption_easy and key order_note_template
4. Set the type to Multi-line text
5. Save, then enter your custom template

Once saved, all new orders with validated VAT numbers will use your custom format.

Smart Handling of Missing Data

If a placeholder’s data isn’t available (for example, the VAT registry didn’t return a company name), that entire line is automatically removed. You won’t see awkward empty fields like “Company: “ in your order notes.

When to Use This

Custom order note templates are useful when:

• Your accounting software expects VAT data in a specific format
• You export orders and need clean, consistent formatting
• You want minimal clutter in your order notes
• You’re integrating with other systems that parse order notes

Why This Matters for ERP and Bookkeeping Systems

Some systems choke on Shopify’s default multi-line notes. If you rely on external software that parses order notes, formatting becomes crucial.

Examples:

• Shopify + Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Business Central often ingests order notes as a single raw field. Multi-line VAT notes from other tax apps can break parsing rules or fail to map into custom fields, causing VAT IDs to be lost during import.
• Testing with another VAT Validation app We’ve seen competing apps generate notes with inconsistent spacing, extra line breaks, or non-standard labels. In Business Central, this resulted in the VAT number not being recognized, leading to orders being imported without the tax-exempt flag.
• Exact Online (Exact Bookkeeping software) Exact’s order import tools expect predictable formatting. Extra whitespace or blank “Company:” lines can cause the note field to be truncated or force manual correction during reconciliation.

If your ERP or bookkeeping system requires strict formatting, a custom template is the safest way to guarantee clean, parseable VAT data every time.

Getting Started

Custom order note templates are available on all EU Tax Exemption Easy plans. If you’re not using the app yet, start your free trial to automate VAT validation and tax exemption for your B2B customers.

Need help setting up a specific format? Reach out to our support team and we’ll help you configure it.