Re: VAT number in invoice

How can customers add their VAT number during checkout?

GP__2014
Tourist
9 0 3

Hi

 

Some customers would like VAT number to be contained in their Invoice

The problem is, as I know it is only possible for customers  to add VAT number when they register

but I don't support and has no plan to support Login function for simple payment processing

 

Is there someway for customers to fill out their own VAT number in cart page, save somewhere and

contain the info in invoice? or alternative way.

 

Thank you.

 

Replies 80 (80)

Elias
Shopify Staff
3076 300 542

Hello, @GP__2014.

 

Elias here with Shopify Support. That’s a great question!

 

You can set up individual taxes for countries outside of US and Canada, this is based on the countries in your shipping zones. You can change the wording of the tax to VAT for your invoices. However, this does not help capture customer’s VAT numbers. 

 

Alternatively, I recommend taking a look at a third-party app, called Sufio: Professional Invoices. Sufio can automatically capture customer’s VAT and create invoices for them. If you require assistance with Sufio, you can also reach out to the developers directly through the contact information found in the Support section of the app’s page. 

 

Is this what you were looking for? If you have any further questions regarding this topic, feel free to reply to this thread and I’d be happy to help.

Elias | Social Care @ Shopify 
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Sufio
Shopify Partner
182 2 58

Hi @Elias,

 

Thanks for mentioning Sufio in your reply!

 

I just wanted to add that we have a series of articles on our website explaining how to set up the VAT capture and validation which @GP__2014  might find useful.

 

You can always write to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Have a great day!

Liam

Support Manager

Sufio

MixedWorlds
Excursionist
12 0 19
Hi,
I have the same problem, in that I need to add the clients VAT number to their invoice for EU cross-border transactions.
Surely Shopify can simply add a field to allow this!!!

Instead of pushing SME's to buy another App...
Elias
Shopify Staff
3076 300 542

Hey, @MixedWorlds.

 

Thank you for sharing this feedback and I’m happy to send this over as a feature request to our developers. I can appreciate that you prefer not to use an app and Shopify should have something like this. You can also do this by making a couple of theme adjustments and creating a template for invoices.

 

You can do this by using the cart page to collect more information from your customers, which will allow you to capture the VAT number. After that, you can use our free app, Order Printer, to show the cart attributes that was captured on the invoices. If you need to show VAT prices before customers add any items to their cart, you can also modify your theme to show VAT prices on your product pages. Please note that these are an advanced coding guides that is not supported by our Theme Support team. If you have limited knowledge of HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Liquid, feel free to hire a designer or developer from Shopify Experts.

 

If you have any more questions on this topic, feel free to reply to this thread and I’ll be happy to help.

Elias | Social Care @ Shopify 
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Jakob2
Excursionist
11 0 50

Elias: modifications to the cart page are the current workaround for capturing EU business customer's VAT-id. It work okay'ish... The proper place to collect this information for EU based web stores is in the checkout-section. Accounting regulations then require the seller to actually verify the given VAT-Id before capturing the payment. It should be a small feat for Shopify's developers to implement this properly. Please prioritise this feature.

 

Best regards,

Jakob

Elias
Shopify Staff
3076 300 542

Hey, @Jakob2.

 

Thank you for posting and sharing this feedback with me. While modifying the checkout is only available on Shopify Plus and capturing the VAT on the cart page is compliant as well, this is a valid feedback as this is a popular request from some of our merchants. That said, I’m happy to pass this feedback as a feature request to our developers, and if Shopify moves forward with this feature request - you will be able to find it in our changelog or announcements page. If you have any other questions or feedback on this topic, don’t hesitate to let me know in this thread!

Elias | Social Care @ Shopify 
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Reincarnated
Pathfinder
103 8 37

If your not currently using Cart notes, you could setup that to capture it (optionally) and should be able to call the cart notes in the invoice.

Jakob2
Excursionist
11 0 50

Hello Elias,

 

Thank you for replying. I know that you are aware of the frustration that many merchant are having because Shopify does not handle EU B2B Vat properly. You can see it in many very long forum threads, and it seems clear that many EU customers have decided to switch to WooCommercer, Prestashop or Magento since these platforms integrate and support EU VAT properly (or allow for checkout modifying plugins).

 

In many of these threads, 3rd-party plugin developers advertise their plugins (Exemptify / Sufio). While these work to some degree, it is just not good enough for professional use.The EU VAT-ID must be captured and verified on the CHECKOUT page and be part of a customer's shipping address. That way it would also be possible to capture it on Draft Orders, which is not properly possible with Exemptify or Sufio.

 

I am getting the feeling that Shopify does not understand the extent of negative impact this has on EU merchants and that Shopify is rather holding its hand over the 3rdparty plugin developers (and monetise on the cut).

 

Best regards,

Jakob

 

 

acasademont
Shopify Partner
9 0 13

My thoughts exactly, proper VAT ID validation is important for our B2B sales. Right now we have to issue refuns of the paid VAT to our intra-EU customers.

Elias
Shopify Staff
3076 300 542

Hey, @Jakob2.

 

Thank you for following up and I appreciate you for sharing the extra details. We definitely value your feedback and I'll be adding this information to the feature request. As previously mentioned, I'm afraid there isn't a timeframe I can share on when features get implemented. However, I do hope to see a solution to this as well. Thank you!

 

Hey, @acasademont.

 

I'd also like to thank you for joining this thread and voicing your concern. I understand VAT ID validation is important for your business and having to issue refunds is a cumbersome solution. I'd be happy to add your store to the feature request as well, as this will help Shopify in prioritizing the features for development. Once again, thank you! 

 

Elias | Social Care @ Shopify 
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GreenHuiz
Visitor
1 0 1

Hi @Elias,

Please let me know if this feature gets implemented.

It would make life so much easier to have a 'VAT verification' process as a checkout option for VAT registered customers.

Very much looking forward to your response.

Kind Regards,

Elias
Shopify Staff
3076 300 542

Hey, @GreenHuiz.

Thank you for joining the thread and sharing this feedback. I can understand how a VAT verification process at checkout for VAT registered customers would make things easier for you and many of our merchants. That said, I'd be happy to include your feedback with this feature request. Since there isn't an ETA that I can provide for feature requests, it'll be difficult for me to follow-up directly on this thread. However, if Shopify moves forward with this feature, you'll be able to find it in our changelog or announcements page.

If you have any other questions or feedback on this topic, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

 

Elias | Social Care @ Shopify 
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MixedWorlds
Excursionist
12 0 19
Thanks for your mail.

To be very honest, I really don't understand why at least a 'box' can't be
added to the client details so the VAT number can be added correctly.

This is a minimum requirement for B2B transactions in Europe.

Thnx

Sylvester Henry
Miguel_FFB
Tourist
8 0 13

Hi Elias,

I hope this email finds you well.

In the south of Europe, it is mandatory that the invoices have VAT information. Right now, after the sale, the customer needs to send an email with the VAT number... as you can imagine, this is very un-efficient. 

Please push this update forward.

Kind regards,

Miguel

Miguel_FFB
Tourist
8 0 13

Hi again @Elias 

I have seen this field on the checkout settings:

Miguel_FFB_0-1597353472041.png

But it still does not appear on my check out. Does it only work for certain countries? (if you click "Learn more" it will talk about Brazil...)

Thank you,

Miguel

 

Tira
Shopify Staff (Retired)
1260 92 223

Hi, @Miguel_FFB.

Tira here, from Shopify. 

Thank you for posting this screenshot. This option was added recently and the full update can be seen in our changelog, here: Country Fields in Checkout (Brazil). It is currently available only for merchants located in Brazil. Enabling this option will allow the merchant to collect CPF/CNPJ numbers at checkout. You can check out our help doc or click on the "Learn more" button on the Checkout page in the Shopify admin to view the steps to enable this: Set up order processing and archiving/Enable country-specific information fields

I understand that it's important for you to be able to add additional fields at checkout for your business. I would be happy to add your name to our feedback list. Is there a specific country you would like to have this enabled in? Where are you located? 

Talk soon,

To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Community Blog.

Miguel_FFB
Tourist
8 0 13

Hi @Tira 

I am located in Portugal and Spain, in the south of Europe. 

A field like you have for Brazil would work, where the customer would introduce the VAT number. This way the invoice would be done without an intermediate step.

If you have this option for Brazil, the development cost to implement something very similar to Europe (for example a box with: VAT Number (optional)) is relatively cheap. 

We would be acting according to the law, mainly when selling to B2B. 

Hope you can help us,

Kind regards,

Miguel

Tira
Shopify Staff (Retired)
1260 92 223

Thank you for getting back to me, @Miguel_FFB. I appreciate you letting me know what it is you need and where you're located. 

I've gone ahead and added your feedback to our list. If we move forward with this, we will update you and all of our merchants as mentioned here in Elias's post earlier. 

Please reply to this post if you have any feedback to add or have any questions. We're here to help.

Cheers,

To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Community Blog.

LightBurn_
Visitor
2 0 1

Add us too.  We get daily requests for VAT numbers on invoices, and it's a big time sink.

Miguel_FFB
Tourist
8 0 13

Hi @Tira 

Do you have some news about this?

Thank you,

Miguel

Elias
Shopify Staff
3076 300 542

Hey, @Miguel_FFB and @MixedWorlds.

Thanks for following up and sharing this feedback. I understand this is an important feature for everyone in this thread; however, I'm afraid there isn't an ETA that we can provide for feature requests or platform changes.

For the time being VAT-compliant invoicing can be accomplished with Order Printer (free) or Sufio: Professional Invoices, as mentioned earlier in the thread. Order Printer is a solution for many of our merchants in the EU, as indicated by @JHKCreate, and our Theme Support can help with adding a VAT field to the template. Sufio has built-in features that can help validate VAT and they've provided a detailed guide with options for capturing VAT from customers

With that being said, if Shopify moves forward with this change - You'll be able to find it on our announcements page or changelog

Thank you!

Elias | Social Care @ Shopify 
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FC1
Excursionist
10 0 9

Hello @Elias 

I´m sure Sufio and Order printer are amazing apps for invoicing, but neither of then solve the main issue - to have a field in the checkout to include VAT numbers. This is fundamental for both B2C and B2B business in Europe (I´m located in Portugal).

Sincerely,

FC

Tira
Shopify Staff (Retired)
1260 92 223

Hi, @LightBurn_.

Thank you for your feedback. We hear you. I have added this feedback to our list. If we move forward with your request, we will update our changelog and annoucements page as listed here in Elias's post. 

Cheers,

To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Community Blog.

Bram_VD
Tourist
8 0 12

Listen, Shopify peeps, for real, stop telling us time and time again that you "hear us". You clearly do not. This has been an issue since forever, I have used a clumsy workaround since 2015. I still get daily requests from people that simply do not see the Tax number field on the cart page, because they overlook it and do not expect it to be there.

Stop with all the talk and make this your top top priority. Simply open up the "Enable fields for additional information" to all countries that wish to use it, and your problem will be SOLVED.

MixedWorlds
Excursionist
12 0 19

Tira,

Your answer does not answer the question, or deal with the issue.

Constantly Fobbing Us (your clients) Off with "I have added this feedback to our list" and "If we move forward" [sic] or pushing us to buy external app's, that don't 100% fulfil our requirements, is NOT a conclusive answer.

Stating the VAT identification number on a European B2B invoice is a LEGAL requirement.

Our monthly European B2B invoices received from you, Shopify Ireland, states both parties VAT identification numbers, as is required by European law, making 'your' invoices compliant, but you don't offer the same facility to your paying clients... 

It can't be 'rocket science' for Shopify to add this legally required field, making us all legally compliant.

Why can't it just be dealt with and done...!!!

Remember Shopify is NOT the only e-commerce platform available!!! 

 

Rgds.

Sylvester Henry

www.mixed-worlds.com

MixedWorlds
Excursionist
12 0 19

Tira,

Your answer does not answer the question, or deal with the issue.

Constantly Fobbing Us (your clients) Off with "I have added this feedback to our list" and "If we move forward" [sic] or pushing us to buy external app's, that don't 100% fulfil our requirements, is NOT a conclusive answer.

Stating the VAT identification number on a European B2B invoice is a LEGAL requirement.

Our monthly European B2B invoices received from you, Shopify Ireland, states both parties VAT identification numbers, as is required by European law, making 'your' invoices compliant, but you don't offer the same facility to your paying clients... 

It can't be 'rocket science' for Shopify to add this legally required field, making us all legally compliant.

Why can't it just be dealt with and done...!!!

Remember Shopify is NOT the only e-commerce platform available!!! 

 

Rgds.

Sylvester Henry

www.mixed-worlds.com

fred2020
Visitor
1 0 0

Hello Miguel, do you have any updates on this issue?

Também sou de Portugal e não consigo arranjar uma solução para este problema.

Obrigado

Miguel_FFB
Tourist
8 0 13

Hi Fred,

Unfortunately, Shopify did not provide yet with a solution... 

FC1
Excursionist
10 0 9

Hello @Tira 

 

I´m also located in Portugal and, like other stores here, we would like  feature like to to be implemented to include cosutmers VAT numbers.

 

Sincerely,

FC

 

Tira
Shopify Staff (Retired)
1260 92 223

Hi, @FC1,

Thanks for letting us know you would like to be added to our feedback list for showing VAT numbers on your invoice. I have gone ahead and added your name to our list. 

If we move forward with this feature, we will announce it in our changelog or announcements page

Thank you for your feedback. If you have any other feedback to add, we're open to adding it to our list.  

Cheers,

To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Community Blog.

Bram_VD
Tourist
8 0 12
Please add me as well!
Tira
Shopify Staff (Retired)
1260 92 223

Hi, @Bram_VD.

Thanks for hopping into the thread and for letting me know you want your name added to our feedback list. I have gone ahead and forwarded it to our developers. If we go ahead with this request we will mention it in our changelog or announcements page

Cheers, 

To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Community Blog.

Steven_Mathews
Tourist
3 0 23

When is this feature going to be implemented? Just add VAT number as an optional field in the customer's address FFS. Should be a five minute fix on Shopify's part, yet here we are years after the issue was first raised still asking for it. No, I'm not buying a $50usd/month third party app for it, it's not an optional accessory - it's a legal requirement that VAT numbers for businesses are specified, I don't understand why this has not been addressed as it should be exceedingly simple to fix.

Frankly the whole Shopify app ecosystem sucks. It absolutely hobbles the basic functionality of Shopify because it seems that you guys refuse to offer updates that might pull the rug out from under the feet of your app developers, even when they are basic, absolutely necessary and fundamental to the platform. A third party invoicing app doesn't even solve the problem because when you pull that data into a shipping service it doesn't appear on the address or their commercial invoices. These painfully basic things make me want to take my store and the $20k/year we pay you in payment processing fees to some other provider.

UKPreppingShop
Explorer
47 0 18

well said steven, its shocking this billion dollar enterprise is not following the basics what is required!!

Hoch1
Tourist
3 0 6

Hello,

we are also missing this very important feature. For us it is a massive blocker to move along with migrating to shopify as shop solution. We are located in Germany, operating in b2b.

Please give us an personalized update to increase transparency about the actual status and priorisation of the development roadmap. (I have read mutliple times, that it is going to be announced in the changelog, this is not helping.)

 

Thank you

MixedWorlds
Excursionist
12 0 19

Hi All, 

after starting this subject/ thread a long time ago, I've now gotten to the point where I'm given up...!!!

Shopify seems to be, too busy driving b2b business to 3rd. party payable apps, to earn their commission(s).

well, I for one have had enough, I've decided to 'quit' Shopify, and move forward with a platform that meets my requirements as a b2b/ b2c user,

with a payment plan that's more attractive than what shopify currently charge me.

I wish you all well in your quest of getting the right result...

 

Good Luck

Mixed Worlds/ Belgium.

PSOOG
Visitor
1 0 1

Hi,

we are about to start with our new shop soon. Unfortunately I didn't thought that something so basic might not be available in a serious shop service.

I made a mistake and already invested some time in our shop otherwise I would not think for a second and use something else than Shopify.

Despite invested money and effort I'm considering to use something else than Shopify. Seriously, if something so basic can't be fixed in a reasonable time...

 

Greets,

PG

midger
Tourist
6 0 0

Hello @MixedWorlds,

what provider did you migrate to? We're facing the same problem and are looking for a way out.

Cheers!

Meytec
Visitor
1 0 2

It's a LEGAL requirement. How can we do B2B sales without the option of a VAT number? 

5 minutes, that is all it takes for you to code this. 

Does anyone know how long it takes to migrate to Whoo? I'm not accepting this for an answer. 

JoostS
Visitor
1 0 0

Shopify... you are an embarrassment to the web and web development. I have tried Shopify for a few clients and they are all VERY dissatisfied. Shopify is nice for hobby projects, but not for serious business to business websites in the EU. Checkouts are (sometimes) miscalculated (as reported), VAT is not handled properly, and using Shopify might become illegal in the EU region, because of the fallen Privacy Shield. Shopify only brings me (legal) problems. Time to move on.

donjondodi
Visitor
2 0 2

Another dissatisfied merchant using Shopify in the EU. I have been hanging on as long as possible but my customers are not happy with the VAT number capturing process in Shopify. This needs to be a fundamental function of the platform.  

HudsonAtlantic
Excursionist
64 0 10

This just became mission critical for us as well because of Brexit and changes to EU law. Shopify we need you to get some of these critical features into the native version ASAP. Here's another one while you're at it that has been asked for for years: reply to blog comments INSIDE the admin. It is completely baffling to me that such basic functionality is not part of this. 

pyo
Tourist
4 0 3

Hi folk,

Belgian peer here facing the same issue as everyone!

It prevents us moving our B2B shop to Shopify.

Regards

Jakob2
Excursionist
11 0 50

Hi @Tira 

Could you please tell us; is Shopify refusing to implement this to protect 3rd party app developers?

I'm sorry to say, but current 3rd party apps are merely workarounds. They don't work well, do not fully integrate and are costly. We will have to move away from Shopify.

I hope this thread (and the others) functions as a warning to all businesses considering Shopify for european B2B. Don't do it!

Sincerely Jakob 

MixedWorlds
Excursionist
12 0 19
This issue is becoming a real pain in the butt. and Shopify seem not want to
implement such a minor change.!!!

It is mandatory for us in Europe to state the clients VAT number for B2B
transactions..

@ Shopify. why is this so difficult to implement.!!!
MixedWorlds
Excursionist
12 0 19

So several years on... still no credible Shopify solution... 

Why is it that Shopify invoices issued by Shopify Ireland, (EU based) to Shopify Web Clients are EU compliant, but the invoices raised via Shopify Web portal aren't...???

BrunoAlves
Visitor
2 0 2

Hi,

 

Just to agree that it is very urgent to implement EU VAT field and if possible EU NEW VAT 2021 RULES! It is a legal problem. Otherwise we will migrate to other platform. It is just a critical feature that shopify must have and it is not acceptable that Shopify admin in not doing nothing to solve this problem.

UKPreppingShop
Explorer
47 0 18

We are seriously looking at Bigcommerce after years with shopify, too many issues!

FranciscaR
Visitor
1 0 0

There is still no solution to this! how did you solve it?