VAT / TIN registrant lookup
Check whether a business appears on the Department of Inland Revenue's published VAT registrants list or TIN list, for example before paying an invoice that charges VAT. Search by business name, trade name or TIN.
Search the lists
This is a convenience search of public lists, not an official verification. Official confirmation must come from the Department of Inland Revenue.
How this is calculated
Once a month we download the lists the Department of Inland Revenue publishes, and search them here. We show only the details the official list contains, and the date of the list we searched.
- VAT registrants list: businesses registered for VAT. Only these may charge VAT on their invoices.
- TIN list: Taxpayer Identification Numbers issued by Inland Revenue. A TIN on its own doesn't allow a business to charge VAT.
Names are matched ignoring capitals, punctuation and words like "Ltd" or "Company", and each word you type can be the start of a word in the name. A search made entirely of digits is treated as a TIN and must match exactly.
Worked example
You receive an invoice from "Island Hardware Co. Ltd" that charges VAT. Searching island hardware finds it, labelled VAT registered, with the TIN shown on the official list. Compare that TIN with the one on the invoice. If the business appears only on the TIN list, or isn't found, ask the business about its VAT registration and check with Inland Revenue.
Frequently asked questions
Why check whether a business is VAT registered?
Only VAT-registered businesses may charge VAT. If an invoice charges VAT, checking that the business appears on the published registrants list is a sensible first step before paying, especially if you plan to claim the VAT back.
What is the difference between the VAT registrants list and the TIN list?
The registrants list shows businesses registered to charge and account for VAT. The TIN list covers Taxpayer Identification Numbers issued by Inland Revenue, which can include people and businesses that are not VAT registered. Appearing on the TIN list alone does not mean a business may charge VAT.
The business I searched for isn't found. Does that mean it isn't registered?
No. The list may be out of date, or the business may be registered under its legal name rather than its trading name. Try other spellings or the TIN, and confirm with the Department of Inland Revenue.
Is this an official verification?
No. This is a convenience search of the lists Inland Revenue publishes. Only the Department of Inland Revenue can officially confirm a registration.
How do I get an entry corrected or removed?
Contact us through the contact page and we will act promptly. Because we only show what Inland Revenue publishes, also ask Inland Revenue to correct the official list.
Sources
Personal data: sole traders may be listed under their own names. We show only what the official list shows and honour correction and removal requests promptly.
This is a convenience search of lists published by the Department of Inland Revenue, not an official verification. See our terms.