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Interface & Validation

This section controls the interface configuration, how outages are handled, and whether further country-specific interfaces are used. All fields can be found under Stores → Configuration → (Sales) EU VAT Enhanced.

Interface settings

Interface settings
Interface settings
  • Enable VAT field functionality (enable_vat_validation, default: Yes): Enables or disables all validation features. When set to "No", numbers are neither checked online nor validated syntactically.
  • Offline validation fallback (use_offline_validation, default: No): Accepts a VAT ID as valid as long as the syntax is correct but the interface is unreachable (offline, member state offline, or timeout). The number can later be revalidated online automatically.
  • Offline validation countries (offline_validation_countries, default: all EU countries): Restricts the offline fallback to the selected countries. Visible only when the fallback is enabled.

The VIES/MIAS interface acts as a proxy to the national registers; some countries have poorer availability than others. Under "Offline validation countries", it is best to select only countries for which you are aware of specific availability problems, rather than all of them across the board.

VIES interface

EU-wide validation is performed via VIES (referred to as MIAS in Germany). VIES is currently the only implemented interface.

VIES interface settings
VIES interface settings
  • SOAP Service URL (soap_url, default: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/services/checkVatService.wsdl): Endpoint of the VIES SOAP service. Only change this value if the official URL has demonstrably changed. The field can be reset via "Use Default".
  • Retry count (retry_count, default: 3): If a request fails due to unavailability, the validation is retried with exponential backoff (base delay 1 second). The recommended value is 3. Values above 5 are not recommended, as they lead to long waiting times for the customer.
  • IPv6 compatibility (ip_compat, default: No): Binds the outgoing request to your IPv4 instead of your IPv6 address. Enable this option if you experience connection problems with VIES – some interfaces still have issues with IPv6.
  • Your server's IPv4 address (ipv4_address): The IPv4 address to use (e.g. 192.168.100.10). Visible and required only when IPv6 compatibility is enabled; the field is validated against a valid IPv4 address.

Requester's VAT ID

  • Requester's VAT ID (requester_vat_number, in the VAT settings section): Your own VAT ID. It must belong to the configured domestic country and is sent with every validation request. VIES then returns a request identifier – proof that the requester checked the number at a specific point in time.

Whether the request identifier counts as valid proof under your local tax law should be clarified with your tax advisor.

Norway interface

Optional treatment of Norway (MVA) as an EU-equivalent country for the reverse-charge procedure.

Norway interface
Norway interface (enabled)
  • Enable Norwegian MVA treatment (norway_settings/enabled, default: No): Treats Norway like an EU country for reverse charge and validates Norwegian MVA numbers against the Brønnøysund Enhetsregisteret.
  • Brønnøysund service URL (norway_settings/service_url, default: https://data.brreg.no/enhetsregisteret/api/enheter/): Endpoint of the Norwegian register. Visible only when Norway treatment is enabled; resettable via "Use Default".

For the correct rate or reverse charge to actually apply for Norway, the remaining tax prerequisites (tax rule/rate, dynamic tax class) must be met as described under Tax Classes & Calculation.