Setting customer VAT using Admin API

Topic summary

A user is attempting to set a customer’s VAT number via Shopify’s GraphQL Admin API but cannot locate the appropriate field—only tax exemption options are available.

Current API Limitation:

  • The GraphQL Admin API does not support directly setting a customer’s VAT number as a built-in field
  • Tax exemption status can be configured, but this differs from storing an actual VAT number

Suggested Workarounds:

  • Store VAT numbers in customer notes
  • Use metafields for structured data storage
  • Implement a custom app field for internal reference

The issue remains unresolved as a native API feature, requiring developers to use alternative data storage methods for VAT number tracking.

Summarized with AI on October 27. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.

Is it possible to set customer VAT number using graphQL Admin API? I can only find tax exemptions on the input object =(

Hey there!

At the moment, Shopify’s GraphQL Admin API doesn’t support directly setting a customer’s VAT number. What you can do is mark a customer as tax-exempt (which helps with handling tax rules), but the actual VAT number itself isn’t a built-in field you can set through the API just yet.

If you’re looking to store the VAT number somewhere, a common workaround is to use a customer note, metafield, or a custom app field to hold that info for internal reference.

Hope that helps clear it up a bit!