Plain-language explanations for terms you’ll see in VAT validation.
VAT
Value Added Tax — a consumption tax applied in EU countries.
VAT number
A business identifier for VAT registration, usually starting with a 2‑letter country code.
VIES
The EU’s official VAT number validation system. BridgeSync checks VAT numbers against VIES in real time.
Reverse charge
A B2B rule where eligible intra‑EU sales are charged with 0% VAT and the buyer accounts for VAT locally.
Swiss UID (CHE)
Switzerland’s business identifier, starting with CHE. BridgeSync can validate it through the Swiss UID register (BFS).
Intra‑community delivery
A B2B sale between EU countries. These orders are often eligible for reverse charge when the VAT number is valid.
SOAP (PHP extension)
A PHP module used to connect to the VIES API. It must be enabled on your server for VAT validation to work.
Country mismatch
When the VAT number’s country code doesn’t match the selected billing country at checkout.
Company name validation
An optional check that compares the entered company name with the official name returned by VIES or the Swiss UID register.