---
title: EU VAT Validation Options in WooCommerce
description: "EU VAT validation options for WooCommerce: real-time VIES validation and exemption (free), plus advanced checks."
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/streamline-eu-vat/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: Pro Features
tags:
  - EU VAT Manager for WooCommerce
---

# EU VAT Validation Options in WooCommerce

This article covers the validation options in the [EU/UK VAT Manager for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/eu-vat-for-woocommerce/). Real-time VIES validation and exemption are in the free version; the IP and company-name checks are Pro. Open **WPFactory > EU VAT** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > EU VAT**) and the **Validation** sub-tab.

![EU VAT validation options](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot_1-9.png)

### Core validation (Free)

- **Validate**: turns real-time VAT number validation on.
- **First validation method**: SOAP, cURL or Simple. All three ship in the free version, and the plugin falls back between them automatically. This only picks which method is tried first.

### Exemption and preserve rules (Free)

- **Remove VAT for validated numbers**: exempts a validated B2B customer from VAT.
- **Keep VAT if shipping country is different from billing country**, **Keep VAT if shipping country matches store base country**, and **Keep VAT in selected countries**: preserve VAT in specific situations.

### Advanced checks

- **Check country by IP** (Pro): confirms the customer's IP country matches the country in the VAT number.
- **Check company name** (Pro): confirms the billing company matches the VIES record.
- **Check for matching billing country code** (Free): confirms the VAT number's country code matches the billing country.

### Input flexibility and role exemption (Free)

- **Allow VAT number input without country code** and **Allow VAT number input with non-alphanumeric symbols**.
- **Always exempt VAT for selected user roles** and **Always not exempt VAT for selected user roles**.
- **Skip VAT validation for selected countries** and **Validate action trigger** (On Input or On Blur).

### Progress messages (Free)

Live checkout messages (Validating, Valid, Not valid, Validation failed, and more) are configured on the **Messages** sub-tab and are part of the free version. See [Customize VAT validation messages](https://wpfactory.com/docs/eu-vat-for-woocommerce/).

### Ready to upgrade?

The IP and company-name checks are Pro features of [EU/UK VAT Manager](https://wpfactory.com/item/eu-vat-for-woocommerce/). [Get EU/UK VAT Manager Pro](https://wpfactory.com/item/eu-vat-for-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [Customize the VAT Validation Messages](https://wpfactory.com/docs/customize-vat-validation-messages/)
- [EU VAT Validation Always Fails](https://wpfactory.com/docs/eu-vat-validation-fails/)
- [UK VAT Validation Fails](https://wpfactory.com/docs/uk-vat-validation-fails/)
- [VIES VAT Validation Blocked (IP_BLOCKED): Alternative VAT Validation in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/vies-ip-blocking/)
- [Configuring EU VAT Validation](https://wpfactory.com/docs/configure-eu-vat-validation/)

 

[![EU VAT Manager for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/EU-UK-VAT-Manager-for-WooCommerce.webp)](https://wpfactory.com/item/eu-vat-for-woocommerce/)