---
title: Make the VAT Field Required Only for Businesses
description: Make the WooCommerce VAT field required only for businesses, for example only when the company field is filled.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/require-vat-number-conditionally/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: How to
---

# Make the VAT Field Required Only for Businesses

To make the VAT field required only for businesses, go to WPFactory > EU VAT (also reachable at WooCommerce > Settings > EU VAT), General sub-tab, and set VAT field will be to Required if customer fills the company field. EU/UK VAT Manager for WooCommerce also offers country-based rules. These requirement options are free.

### Set the requirement rule

1. Go to **WPFactory > EU VAT** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > EU VAT**), on the **General** sub-tab.
2. Set **VAT field will be** (`alg_wc_eu_vat_field_required`) to the rule you need.
3. For the country-based rules, pick the countries in **Required / Optional in countries** (`alg_wc_eu_vat_field_required_countries`).
4. Save changes.

### Requirement options

| Option | When to use it |
| --- | --- |
| Optional | You sell to both consumers and businesses and do not want to block anyone. |
| Required if customer fills the company field | The cleanest B2B rule: only shoppers who identify as a business must supply a number. |
| Required in the following countries | You only need numbers from specific markets. |
| Required in all countries except following countries | You require a number everywhere except your home market. |
| Required | A pure B2B store where every buyer is a business. |

### Let the customer decide

If you set the field to Required but still sell to some consumers, enable **Let customer decide** (`alg_wc_eu_vat_field_let_customer_decide`) on the same sub-tab. It adds a checkbox (default label *I don't have a VAT ID*, set by `alg_wc_eu_vat_field_let_customer_decide_label`) that a private individual can tick to make the field optional for their order. This option only takes effect when the field is set to Required.

### Show the field only when a company is entered

To hide the field entirely until it is relevant, enable **Show/hide by billing company** (`alg_wc_eu_vat_show_hide_by_billing_company`). The VAT field appears only after the billing company field is filled in.

![EU VAT General tab with field label, placeholder and the VAT field will be selector](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/eu-vat-general-frontend-options.png)

### Get more control

These requirement rules are free. [EU/UK VAT Manager for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/eu-vat-for-woocommerce/) Pro can also show or hide the field by country and user role. [See what Pro unlocks](https://wpfactory.com/item/eu-vat-for-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [Enable the VAT Field in Block-Based Checkout](https://wpfactory.com/docs/vat-field-in-block-checkout/)
- [Add the EU VAT Field to the Registration Form](https://wpfactory.com/docs/add-vat-field-to-signup-form/)
- [How to Add and Validate a VAT Number Field in WooCommerce Checkout](https://wpfactory.com/docs/intro-how-to-use-woocommerce-eu-uk-vat-numbers-validation-plugin/)
- [EU VAT Number Field Settings in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/configure-eu-vat/)
- [Restrict the VAT Field and Payment Methods (Pro)](https://wpfactory.com/docs/restrict-vat-field-and-payment-methods/)