Overit Ireland
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Checking an Irish company's VAT registration

An Irish company becomes liable for VAT by registering with the Revenue Commissioners. On registration it is assigned a VAT number in the form EE — seven digits and a letter, sometimes with a second letter, written with an IE prefix for a counterparty abroad. That number is the only reliable way to confirm a partner really accounts for VAT.

The check runs against VIES (the VAT Information Exchange System) operated by the European Commission. It returns the current registration status across the whole EU, so a foreign supplier is verified exactly the same way.

What you can enter

  • CRO number — digits only, exactly as the register writes it. We find the company and check its VAT number.
  • VAT number — for example 1234567FA, or IE1234567FA. Checked directly in VIES.
  • Company name — we return the matches and you pick the right company.

Related

Revenue's list of tax defaulters: what it says, and what it does not →CRO number and VAT number: the difference, and how to check both →Search companies by name or CRO number →

Frequently asked questions

How do I check whether a company is registered for VAT?
Enter the company's CRO number, VAT number or name in the search above. If the company has a VAT number, we verify it directly against the European Commission's VIES system and show the current result.
Is there a public list of VAT payers in Ireland?
Revenue does not publish a browsable list of VAT-registered businesses. What is public is a lookup: any EU VAT number, Irish ones included, can be validated in the European Commission's VIES service. That is what the check above calls, and it answers for one number at a time rather than a whole list.
What is the difference between a CRO number and a VAT number?
The CRO number is the registration number the Companies Registration Office assigns a company on incorporation. It is digits only and it never changes. A VAT number is issued by Revenue, and only to a business registered for VAT: seven digits and a letter, sometimes with a second letter. Every company has a CRO number; not every company has a VAT number, and neither can be derived from the other.
Why does a partner's VAT number matter?
If a supplier puts an invalid VAT number on an invoice, it can cause problems when deducting input VAT. Checking it in VIES is a routine part of vetting a new business partner.