Validation process of VAT numbers in SAP | Tax Management Consultancy http://richardcornelisse.com/2013/02/07/validation-process-of-vat-num...

RICHARD CORNELISSE

Tax Management Consultancy

0% RATE, AUTOMATED PROCESS, CONTROL, CUSTOMER MASTER DATA, DATA ANALYSIS, DETECTIVE CONTROL, EROOR, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, EUROPEAN UNION, FORMAT, GST, INDIRECT TAX, INVALID, KEY GROUP, MASTER DATA, MATERIAL, MEASURE, NATIVE SAP, ONLINE DATABASE, PROCESS, RISK TOLERANCE, RISKS, ROBBERT HOOGEVEEN, SAP, SAP AG, SYNTAX, TAX CONTROL FRAMEWORK, TAXMARC, VALID, VALIDATION, VALUE-ADDED TAX, VAT, VAT FRAUD, VAT INFORMATION EXCHANGE SYSTEM, VAT NUMBERS, VIES, WARNING

Validation process of VAT numbers in SAP

In Audit Defense, Business Strategy, EU development, Indirect Tax Strategic Plan, Processes and Controls, Technology, VAT planning on 07/02/2013 at 8:09 pm

By Robbert Hoogeveen (http://www.linkedin.com/profile /view?id=13942200&locale=en_US&trk=tyah), CFO of the KEY Group (http://www.key-group.nl/en/home/) and Director Technology of Taxmarc (http://taxnewsreader.files.wordpress.com/2012/10 /robbert_linkedin.jpg)
An important control measure in terms of material indirect tax risks is checking whether the 0% rate is correctly being applied. A prerequisite for the application of the 0% rate for cross-border transactions within the European Union is a valid VAT number of the client. The valid VAT number must also be mentioned on the invoice. Adequate monitoring of this is crucial to eliminating risks as much as possible.

Validation of VAT numbers

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Validation process of VAT numbers in SAP | Tax Management Consultancy http://richardcornelisse.com/2013/02/07/validation-process-of-vat-num...

In native SAP is it possible to check the syntax the format of the VAT number, including the number of positions. However, it is not possible to check whether the VAT number is valid. To this end, the European Commission has provided an online database, VAT Information Exchange System (VIES) for the validation of VAT numbers. Standard SAP does not have an interface with the VIES database. In practice, it appears that 5 to 25 percent of the VAT numbers is incorrect or invalid. The KEY Group checked the VAT numbers through a data analysis for a client: Description Total in customer master Without VAT number Unique BE VAT numbers Validation in VIES: Valid VAT number Incorrect format Invalid number 2.777 35 816 77 percent 1 percent 22 percent Records 9.194 2.972 These could also be bill to/payer or ship to customers Only Belgium VAT numbers are validated. Comments

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The number of erroneous VAT numbers is close to 25%. From a VAT perspective this implies material risks that exceed every risk tolerance (0 percent, client acceptance with regard to preventing VAT fraud).

Taxmarcs solution for validation of VAT numbers in SAP

Taxmarc can automatically check the VAT numbers when a VAT number is added to the customer master data. A real time link to VIES is made to validate the entered VAT number. The client can choose to treat the result of the VIES validation as: An error: it is not possible to enter invalid VAT numbers in the customer master data or A warning: invalid VAT numbers can be entered but are reported separately. The list could be used to check the VAT number with the customer.
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Validation process of VAT numbers in SAP | Tax Management Consultancy http://richardcornelisse.com/2013/02/07/validation-process-of-vat-num...

VAT numbers can expire or change due to changes in the legal structure of customers. It is therefore important to periodically check the validity of the VAT numbers. In Taxmarc it is also possible to periodically carry out these controls as detective controls within the Tax Control Framework. This can be done in a fully automated process.

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