# UK VAT number checker (`novotnyj/uk-vat-number-checker`) Actor

This actor uses https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/ to check if UK VAT number is valid or not.
It can check multiple VAT numbers in one run.
If VAT number is valid then business name and address are fetched.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/novotnyj/uk-vat-number-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Jan Novotny](https://apify.com/novotnyj) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Open source
- **Stats:** 37 total users, 4 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 2 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## UK VAT Number Checker

Authenticates and verifies one or more UK VAT (Value Added Tax) numbers using the official HMRC VAT check service.

This Actor accepts a list of VAT numbers as input and returns detailed validation results, including the company name and address for each valid VAT number.

***

### 🧠 Features

- ✅ Validates UK VAT numbers
- 🧾 Returns company name and address for valid entries
- 📊 Supports bulk validation in one run
- ⚡ Suitable for automation and integrations

***

### 🚀 How It Works

The Actor programmatically interacts with the official UK VAT check service to determine:

- Whether a VAT number is valid
- The registered business name (if valid)
- The registered address (if valid)

This makes it easy to integrate VAT checks into automation workflows, compliance checks, partner onboarding flows, or data enrichment processes.

***

### 🧾 Input

Provide an array of UK VAT numbers as strings:

```json
[
  "GB123456789",
  "GB987654321"
]
```

#### Input Requirements

- UK VAT numbers typically start with `GB`
- No spaces required
- Multiple VAT numbers supported

***

### 📤 Output

The Actor returns an array of result objects — one per VAT number checked:

```json
[
  {
    "vatId": "GB220430231",
    "isValid": true,
    "businessName": "TESCO PLC",
    "checkedAt": "2025-03-28T13:33:56.267Z",
    "address": "CIRRUS A SHIRE PARK KESTREL WAY WELWYN GARDEN CITY AL7 1GA GB"
  },
  {
    "vatId": "GB123456789",
    "isValid": false,
    "businessName": null,
    "checkedAt": "2025-03-28T13:34:12.415Z",
    "address": null
  }
]
```

#### Output Fields

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `vatId` | Input VAT number |
| `isValid` | Boolean result of validation |
| `businessName` | Registered business name (if valid) |
| `address` | Registered business address (if valid) |
| `checkedAt` | ISO timestamp when the check was performed |

***

### 📦 Example Use Cases

- Validate supplier VAT details before invoicing
- Automate VAT compliance checks
- Enrich CRM or accounting datasets
- Verify business partners during onboarding

### ⚠️ Notes

- This Actor uses the publicly available UK VAT check service.
- It does not use the official HMRC commercial API.
- For high-volume or compliance-critical usage, consider using HMRC’s official API service.

# Actor input Schema

## `vatIds` (type: `array`):

UK Vat numbers to check.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "vatIds": [
    "GB123456789"
  ]
}
```

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "vatIds": [
        "GB123456789"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("novotnyj/uk-vat-number-checker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "vatIds": ["GB123456789"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("novotnyj/uk-vat-number-checker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "vatIds": [
    "GB123456789"
  ]
}' |
apify call novotnyj/uk-vat-number-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,novotnyj/uk-vat-number-checker"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/VB96jbBA9Na6OSbJG/builds/kVphcxbJka7Clx4hi/openapi.json