Ireland · Revenue VAT
Irish VAT Number Checker
Validate an Irish VAT number’s format and check letter, confirm it on VIES, and see the business name and address it is registered to.
What is an Irish VAT number?
An Irish VAT number is the registration number the Revenue Commissioners issue to VAT-registered businesses: IE followed by seven digits and one or two letters, for example IE6388047V. For companies it is their Tax Reference Number; for sole traders it is based on their PPSN. The 8th character is a check letter.
Irish VAT number format
IE, seven digits, a modulus-23 check letter and — on numbers issued since 2013 — a holder-type letter.
(mod 23)
(2013+, optional)
Valid format examples: IE1234567T (pre-2013) · IE1234567FA (individual) · IE1234567WH (company)
- 8 or 9 characters: After IE, seven digits plus one check letter (older numbers) or plus two letters (issued since 1 January 2013). Spaces and dots are ignored; letters must be upper case.
- Holder letter: The 9th character is A for individuals and sole traders, H for companies, trusts and partnerships; a legacy W suffix still appears on some older numbers.
- Check letter: Weighted modulus-23 sum of the digits (weights 8 to 2, inferred from Revenue’s worked examples) plus 9 × the 9th letter’s value. The commonly shown example IE1234567A fails this check.
- Legacy style: Some very old numbers have a letter, + or * in the second position; VIES still lists this pattern (IE9S99999L).
How to check an Irish VAT number
- 1 Ask your customer or supplier for their VAT number — there is no official search by business name.
- 2 Enter it above with or without IE. The checker validates the format and check letter, then confirms the number on the EU VIES system.
- 3 Compare the registered name and address returned with the business you are trading with. Keep the result as part of your evidence for zero-rated EU supplies.
- 4 Valid in format but not on VIES? It may be a domestic-only registration — our EU VAT verification guide explains the official checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters is an Irish VAT number?
IE followed by 8 or 9 characters: seven digits and one check letter for older numbers (IE1234567T), or seven digits and two letters for numbers issued since 1 January 2013 (IE1234567FA). A few very old numbers have a letter or symbol in the second position.
What does the second letter in an Irish VAT number mean?
For numbers issued since 2013 the 9th character identifies the holder type: A for individuals and sole traders (whose VAT number is based on their PPSN) and H for companies, trusts, partnerships and unincorporated bodies. A legacy W suffix was given to married women’s numbers until the 1990s, and some are still in use.
Why does a real Irish VAT number show as invalid on VIES?
Since June 2019 Revenue issues either a Domestic-only or an Intra-EU VAT registration, and only Intra-EU registrations are loaded to VIES. A domestic-only trader is validly registered in Ireland but cannot use the number for zero-rated EU trade; they can add Intra-EU status through ROS.
Is the Irish VAT number the same as the tax reference number?
Yes, in practice. Companies invoice under the Tax Reference Number Revenue issues on registration, and partnerships and trusts also use their Tax Reference Number for VAT — prefixed with IE. Sole traders deal with Revenue under their own PPSN. The CRO company number is a different, purely numeric identifier — check a CRO number.
Does an Irish VAT number have a check letter?
Yes. The 8th character is a check letter from a weighted modulus-23 sum of the seven digits, plus 9 × the value of any 9th letter (A=1, B=2 … H=8; W or blank = 0). A remainder of 0 gives W and 1–22 give A–V — so IE1234567A fails, while IE1234567T passes.
What is the difference between an IE and an XI VAT number?
IE numbers are issued by Irish Revenue. XI numbers are UK VAT numbers used by Northern Ireland businesses trading goods with the EU and follow the UK format (9 or 12 digits). Use the Northern Ireland XI VAT checker for those.
Last reviewed: , against official sources.
Ireland business IDs compared
Every Ireland identifier Lookuptax validates.
| ID | Who has one | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish VAT number (this page) | VAT-registered businesses (issued by Revenue) | IE + 7 digits + 1–2 letters | IE6388047V |
| CRO company number | Companies and external-company branches on the CRO register | Digits only, no prefix; new companies get 6 digits | 368047 |
Validate EU VAT numbers at scale
Check Irish and EU VAT numbers against VIES in one API call — with registered name and address where the country provides it.