How to Add VAT Number to Shopify - Complete Guide 2025

Why Add a VAT Number Field?

You sell to business customers in Germany, Belgium or France. Those businesses need to be able to enter their VAT number to order without VAT. But Shopify doesn’t have a VAT number field in checkout by default.

The result? Business customers pay too much, you get support tickets and have to manually create credit notes. Not ideal.

This article shows how to add a VAT number field - the right way, with automatic validation and compliance.

Two Ways to Add VAT Number Field

You have two options:

1. Manual custom field - Free but a lot of work
2. EU Tax Exemption App - Automated and compliant

We’ll cover both methods, so you can choose what fits you.

Method 1: Custom Form Field (DIY)

What you need

• Shopify admin access
• Time to do validations manually
• Max 2-3 business orders per week

Step 1: Create custom field

Go to your Shopify admin:

1. Settings → Checkout
2. Scroll to Form options
3. Add custom field
4. Fill in:
   • Label: “VAT number (for business customers)”
   • Type: Text field
   • Required: No

Done. The field now appears in checkout.

Step 2: Check order notes

After each order:

1. Open the order in Shopify
2. Check if there’s a VAT number in the notes
3. No number? Then customer just pays VAT
4. Has number? Go to step 3

Step 3: Manually validate

Open the VIES website:

1. Enter the VAT number
2. Check if it’s valid
3. Take screenshot as proof
4. Save this with the order

Step 4: Refund VAT

If the number is valid:

1. Calculate the VAT amount
2. Create a credit note in Shopify
3. Refund via original payment method
4. Email customer with confirmation

Why this method is difficult

Time investment:

• 10-15 minutes per order
• At 20 orders/month = 5 hours work

Risks:

• Forget to check an order
• Wrong calculation of VAT refund
• No systematic documentation
• Bad customer experience (waiting time)

Compliance:

• Tax authorities require proof of VIES validation
• Screenshots are not professional documentation
• Retention period 7 years - difficult to organize

Conclusion: Only do this if you have < 2 business orders per month.

Method 2: EU Tax Exemption App (Automated)

The Tax Exemption App automatically adds a VAT validation field and handles everything behind the scenes.

How it differs from custom field

Custom field	EU Tax Exemption App
Customer fills in number	Customer fills in number
Number in order notes	Number validated real-time
You check manually	App checks automatically
You refund	VAT removed directly
No documentation	Automatically documented

Installation in 3 Steps

Step 1: Install the app (30 seconds)

• Go to Tax Exemption App
• Click “Add app”
• Log in with your Shopify account
• Click “Install”

Step 2: Configure the widget (5 minutes)

You see the configuration screen with these options:

Position

• Above cart items
• Below cart items
• Before customer details

Choose what fits best with your checkout flow.

Texts

• Label: “VAT number”
• Placeholder: “DE123456789”
• Help text: “Enter your VAT number for business purchase”
• Success: ”✓ Valid number - VAT exempted”
• Error: ”✗ Invalid number - Check your input”

Design

• Primary color (buttons): #000000
• Background: #FFFFFF
• Text color: #333333
• Border: 1px solid #CCCCCC
• Border radius: 4px

Customize until it matches your webshop branding.

Step 3: Test (2 minutes)

Open your webshop in incognito:

1. Add product
2. Go to checkout
3. Test with valid number: NL002065958B01 (example)
4. Check if VAT disappears
5. Test with invalid: NL000000000B00
6. Check if error message appears

If both tests work → you’re done!

What Customers See

Before input:

Product: €100
VAT (21%): €21
Total: €121

[  VAT number (optional)  ]
Enter your VAT number for business purchase

After valid number input:

Product: €100
VAT (21%): €0 [VAT exempted]
Total: €100

✓ Valid VAT number - VAT exemption applied

After invalid number input:

Product: €100
VAT (21%): €21
Total: €121

✗ Invalid VAT number - Check your input

Immediately clear for the customer what’s happening.

Video: See it Live

Dashboard & Documentation

After your first orders:

Overview page:

• Number of validations today
• Total number of validated customers
• Success rate (valid vs invalid)
• Most recent validations

Validations list:

• Order number (clickable to Shopify order)
• Customer name
• VAT number
• Country
• Status (✓ Valid / ✗ Invalid)
• Date & time
• Automatically saved 7 years

Export function:

• CSV export for bookkeeping
• Filter on date range
• Filter on country
• Filter on status

Perfect for your accountant or tax audit.

Common Problems

”Widget is not visible”

Cause: Theme compatibility or cache

Fix:

1. Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete)
2. Test in incognito mode
3. Check if app “Enabled” in admin
4. Check compatibility in app settings

”VAT is not removed”

Cause: Number is invalid or wrong format

Fix:

1. Check format per country (see table below)
2. Test number on VIES website
3. Ask customer to verify number

”Wrong language is shown”

Cause: Language detection wrongly set

Fix:

1. App dashboard → Settings → Language
2. Choose specific language (manual)
3. Or: “Auto-detect” for international customers

VAT Number Formats per Country

Country	Format	Example	Length
Netherlands	NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits	NL123456789B01	14
Belgium	BE + 10 digits	BE0123456789	12
Germany	DE + 9 digits	DE123456789	11
France	FR + 2 chars + 9 digits	FRXX123456789	13
Italy	IT + 11 digits	IT12345678901	13
Spain	ES + 9 chars	ESX1234567X	11

All 27 EU countries supported by EU Tax Exemption App

Best Practices

1. Make the field optional

Individuals don’t need to enter a VAT number. They just order with VAT.

Business customers see the field and can choose to fill it in.

2. Give clear instructions

Good:

“Business customer? Enter your VAT number for purchase without VAT”

Bad:

“VAT number (optional)”

Clear text works better for customers.

3. Test regularly

Test monthly if:

• Widget still visible (after theme updates)
• Validation still works (VIES is sometimes offline)
• Design still correct (after checkout updates)

4. Inform your customers

Add info to:

• FAQ page: “How to buy as business?”
• Footer: “Business ordering”
• Email signature: “Business customer? Use VAT number at checkout”

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the field required? Yes, in app settings. But I don’t recommend this - individuals can’t enter a VAT number.

Does this work with Shopify Markets? Yes, EU Tax Exemption App works with all Markets and currencies.

What about Shopify Checkout Extensibility? EU Tax Exemption App is compatible with the new checkout. Updates happen automatically.

Can I save multiple VAT numbers per customer? Yes, if a customer has multiple numbers (multiple locations) they’re all saved.

Does this work for Shopify Plus? Yes, EU Tax Exemption App works for all Shopify plans: Basic, Shopify, Advanced and Plus.

When Which Method?

Choose custom field if:

• You have < 2 business orders per month
• Budget is absolutely zero
• You have time for manual work

Choose EU Tax Exemption App if:

• You have 2+ business orders per month
• You want to save time
• You want to be compliant
• You want professional checkout

Ready to start? Install EU Tax Exemption App →

More guides:

• Complete VAT exemption setup
• Remove VAT from checkout
• When not to charge VAT

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Last update: October 2025