Short answer: Supplier VAT number, customer VAT number (B2B), VAT rate, net amount, VAT amount, gross total, reverse charge notation.
Required VAT Fields for EU Compliance
Mandatory Fields on All EU VAT Invoices:
- Supplier VAT Number: Your company's VAT identification number
- Invoice Date: Date of invoice issue
- Invoice Number: Unique sequential identifier
- Supplier Details: Full company name and address
- Customer Details: Full billing name and address
- VAT Rate: Percentage applied (e.g., 19%, 21%, 0%)
- Net Amount: Pre-VAT subtotal
- VAT Amount: Tax charged
- Gross Total: Total including VAT
Additional Fields for B2B Transactions:
- Customer VAT Number: Required for reverse charge
- Reverse Charge Notation: "Reverse charge applies" or similar text
CSV Columns You Need for VAT Invoices
When exporting from Stripe, ThriveCart, or payment processor, include:
- Customer VAT Number: VAT_number, Tax_ID, VAT_ID
- Billing Country: Customer_country, Country_code
- VAT Rate: Tax_rate, VAT_percentage
- Net Amount: Subtotal, Net_amount, Amount_before_tax
- VAT Amount: Tax_amount, VAT_charged
- Gross Total: Total, Amount_paid, Gross_amount
Our EU VAT invoice generator lets you map your CSV columns to these required fields.
VAT Field Requirements by Transaction Type
B2B Cross-Border (Reverse Charge):
- Your VAT number: Required
- Customer VAT number: Required
- VAT rate: 0% (reverse charge)
- Net amount: Required
- VAT amount: €0
- Gross total: Same as net
- Reverse charge notation: Required
B2C Transactions:
- Your VAT number: Required
- Customer VAT number: Not applicable
- VAT rate: Standard rate (19-27%)
- Net amount: Required
- VAT amount: Calculated
- Gross total: Net + VAT
VAT Number Format Requirements
VAT numbers must follow country-specific formats:
- Estonia (EE): EE123456789 (9 digits)
- Germany (DE): DE123456789 (9 digits)
- France (FR): FR12345678901 (11 characters)
- Spain (ES): ES12345678A (9 characters)
- Netherlands (NL): NL123456789B01 (12 characters)
Our system validates VAT number format automatically for all 27 EU member states.
Common Mistakes with VAT Fields
- Missing Customer VAT: Required for B2B reverse charge
- Wrong VAT Rate: Must be 0% for reverse charge
- No Reverse Charge Text: Must include notation
- Incorrect Calculations: VAT amount must match rate
- Missing Your VAT Number: Always required