Look up a VAT number by name or address
You don’t need to know the VAT number to look up a company. Type a company name or address and Databakkes will find the matching VAT number, enterprise number and CBE data. Useful when you need to create an invoice and only know the company name.
VAT number format and notation
A Belgian VAT number always starts with "BE" followed by ten digits. The format is BE 0XXX.XXX.XXX or BE 1XXX.XXX.XXX. It’s the same as the enterprise number, but with "BE" in front. Not every company has an active VAT number. Only VAT-registered entities receive one. On Databakkes you can also search using the enterprise number without "BE".
More details in our guide difference between enterprise number and VAT number.
Check a list of VAT numbers
Reviewing a client file for the year-end close or for e-invoicing? With Check a list you paste up to 500 numbers at a time, in any spelling, or choose a CSV file. Each number gets one row showing whether the check digits are right, whether the enterprise is active or ceased, with its name and legal form, and whether it can receive e-invoices through Peppol. Filter on invalid or ceased numbers and download the result as CSV.
Check a listCheck and validate a VAT number
Type a VAT number and Databakkes first checks its two check digits: if the sum is off, the number does not exist and it is almost always a typo. A valid number is looked up in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) right away: you see whether the company is active or ceased, its legal form, its seat and the latest figures from its annual accounts.
Look up a company’s VAT number
Every result can be exported as PDF or CSV. Useful when you need a company’s VAT number for your accounting, an invoice or a quote. You can also copy the number directly to your clipboard.
- VAT number and enterprise number (CBE number)
- Status in the CBE: active or ceased, with the legal situation
- Legal form: BV, NV, VOF, CommV, VZW, sole proprietorship
- Registered office and number of establishments
- NACE activities and sector
- Revenue, profit, equity and staff from the latest annual accounts
Free VAT number lookup
Databakkes is free to use. No account needed, no limit on the number of searches. Basic data (VAT number, enterprise number, address, legal form, status) is available to everyone.
Related lookup tools
Peppol check
See whether a company can receive e-invoices and copy its Peppol ID.
Annual accounts lookup
Profit, revenue and equity of every Belgian company.
Company lookup by address
See which companies are registered at an address.
Search companies
Browse all Belgian enterprises by name, address or number.
Guides on the VAT number
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up a VAT number?
Type the company name in the search field above and pick the right company from the suggestions. The VAT number is at the top of the result, with the legal form, the seat and the status. Already have the number? Type it in: from the tenth digit you see whether it exists and whether the company is active.
What is the difference between a VAT number and an enterprise number?
The enterprise number is the unique number every enterprise receives when it registers with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE): ten digits, for example 0203.430.576. The VAT number is that same number with BE in front (BE0203430576) and only applies to an enterprise registered as a VAT payer with the VAT administration. An enterprise that is not liable for VAT, like many non-profits, has an enterprise number but no active VAT number.
What does a Belgian VAT number look like?
BE followed by ten digits, for example BE0203430576. Dots and spaces (BE 0203.430.576) are only notation. The first digit is 0 or 1, and the last two digits check the first eight: 97 minus the remainder of dividing by 97. An older nine-digit number gets a leading 0.
How do I check whether a VAT number is valid and active?
Type the number in the search field. We first check the check digits: if they do not match, the number does not exist. A valid number is looked up in the CBE, and you see whether the enterprise is active or ceased and what its legal situation is, for example a bankruptcy. Whether the number is also valid for trade within the EU is confirmed by the European Commission’s VIES check.
Where do I find a company’s VAT number?
A Belgian enterprise must state its enterprise number on invoices, quotes, letters and its website, usually at the bottom with the legal notices. Can’t find it there? Type the company name in the search field above: you get the VAT number at once, straight from the CBE.
How do I find the VAT number of a self-employed person or sole proprietorship?
Private individuals have no VAT number. A self-employed person with a sole proprietorship does: the enterprise number of the natural person, with BE in front. It is on every invoice and quote. Type it in above to see at once whether it exists and is active. We do not show the address of a sole proprietorship, to protect the self-employed person’s privacy.
Is looking up a VAT number free?
Yes. Looking up and checking is free and needs no account, as often as you like. Copying the table or downloading it as CSV or PDF is free too.
Can I check several VAT numbers at once?
Yes. Choose Check a list above the search field and paste up to 500 numbers, one per line or separated by commas, in any spelling (BE0203.430.576, 0203430576, 203430576), or choose a CSV or TXT file. Duplicates count once. For each number you see whether the check digits are right, whether the enterprise is active in the CBE, with its name and legal form, and whether it is on Peppol. You download the result as CSV, with the source and date. Sole traders are shown without an address.
Can I also look up a Dutch or French VAT number?
Databakkes focuses on Belgian enterprises. A VAT number from another EU member state is checked with the European Commission’s VIES check.