Checking the VAT ID in SAP Systems
Marlin VAT ID Check enables companies to automatically check the sales tax IDs of their business partners in SAP. This is done in real time when master data or FI transaction data is changed. In addition, Marlin offers functions such as whitelisting, a transliteration module and integration in SAP MDG.
SAP VAT ID Validation with the Marlin Suite
With the Marlin VAT ID Check, you can check the VAT registration numbers of your business partners directly when you create or change a customer in your SAP system. All relevant data is used for a qualified check to determine whether a foreign company has a valid VAT ID and whether the information provided on the company name, company location, postal code and street matches the registered data in the company file of the respective EU member state.
Your Requirements
Our Solution
In accordance with § 6a para. 4 UStG, the delivering company is obliged to check the customer's details with the “care of a proper businessman”. We help you to fulfill your duty of care and to check the VAT registration number of your recipient.
Our SAP-certified, integrated add-on from the Marlin data quality product suite checks the accuracy of the VAT ID within SAP.
Marlin VAT Validation for SAP offers the option of connecting to the interfaces of the financial institutions – in SAP ERP as well as in S4/HANA. Currently, the Federal Central Tax Office (DE), the Federal Ministry of Finance (AT) and the EU Commission (VIES) are connected and accessed via web services.
How does the Marlin VAT ID Check work?
All relevant data is used for a qualified check to determine whether a foreign company has a valid VAT ID and whether the information provided on the company name, company location, postal code and street matches the registered data in the company file of the respective EU member state.
Automatic Checking of your Master Data – anytime, anywhere
Our solution enables the automatic online verification of VAT IDs in real time – directly when master data is created or changed, or in relevant SD transaction data. The result is immediately displayed in a pop-up so that users can react promptly. Each check is stored in its own audit-proof table to ensure maximum transparency and traceability.
Monitors for Transparent Testing
- One monitor displays all the successful verifications.
- A second monitor lists the failed verifications and allows direct navigation between data sets to make corrections to the VAT ID (and, in the case of qualified verifications, to the name and address if necessary).
Flexible Exam Options
You can check individual business partners or carry out mass data checks using your own transactions. In addition, all other VAT IDs of a customer or vendor can be flexibly verified using an individual, mass or dialog check.
This revised version emphasizes the benefits and flexibility of the solution in a more concise and clear way.
The Marlin VAT ID Check for SAP can be integrated into our Marlin Data Governance Process product solution or into the SAP MDG.
What additional functions does the Marlin VAT ID Check offer?
Master records for which the validity check of the VAT ID returns negative results can be overridden by specifying fixed reasons. The reasons are agreed upon together with the relevant department.
The whitelist reason controls how long (limited, unlimited, until change) the combination of customer master record and VAT ID remains on the whitelist. A reason for whitelisting could be, for example, a different spelling that the user is sure of (unlimited whitelist reason).
The transliteration module ensures a successful VAT validation despite different character sets between the validation interfaces and the SAP system used.
If a master record is created in Latin, the information of which the interface to be validated has stored using different character sets, the validation of the VAT registration number, for example, cannot successfully compare the name or address (relevant for the German and Austrian interface). With the help of the additional integrated transliteration module, the information of the interface can be converted into Latin so that a comparison is possible for the user and a white-list can be carried out.
These and other functions can be activated via the product's own customization. Automatic order, delivery and billing blocks, for example, can be set up in the customer master record. The system also recognizes which of your companies is accessing a master record via the company code or user.
What Extensions and Integrations are available?
There are two additional solutions for the VAT registration number check.
The address validation add-on corrects and amends the address entered.
The add-on content enrichment checks whether a company exists and enriches it with information such as the correct VAT ID.
Frequently asked Questions about Marlin VAT ID Check
The Marlin VAT ID Check is a certified SAP add-on that automatically verifies the validity and accuracy of VAT Identification Numbers (VAT IDs) of business partners—directly within the SAP system (ERP, S/4HANA, or RISE).
The verification is important to comply with legal requirements (e.g., for intra-community supplies within the EU) and to ensure that a valid VAT ID is used for each business partner, which is essential for tax compliance.
The Marlin VAT ID Check can be integrated into SAP ERP ECC6, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP RISE.
The solution calls the web services of the relevant authorities (e.g., BZSt in Germany, FinanzOnline in Austria, VIES in the EU) and compares the entered master data with the official records.
- The EU interface checks whether the VAT ID may be used.
- The Austrian interface checks whether the VAT ID matches the company name.
- The German interface verifies the correctness of name, address, and VAT ID.
The check can be executed in real time during master data creation or modification, as well as during relevant financial or SD transactions.
Yes, the solution includes mass verification functions with monitoring to efficiently check large data volumes.
Invalid VAT IDs can be added to a whitelist for defined reasons—for example, when known and accepted variations in spelling exist.
It ensures that address and name data from other character sets are correctly translated into the verification system, improving the accuracy and success rate of the checks.
Yes, the verification can be integrated into SAP Master Data Governance (MDG) and combined with other Marlin tools such as address validation.
Results are shown immediately (e.g., via pop-up) and are additionally logged in a revision-safe manner.
Yes, monitoring tools display both successful and failed verifications and allow direct navigation to the related master data records.
The add-on is installed using SAP transport requests—no additional hardware is required.
Yes—the solution is SAP-certified, meaning its integration and functionality comply with SAP standards.
Yes—it helps companies fulfill their legal obligation to verify VAT IDs in accordance with § 6a (4) UStG and reduces risks such as tax back payments.
Yes—for example, automatic blocking of business processes in the event of a negative verification result is configurable.
Yes—the verification can be triggered by external systems via web service or BAPI.
Yes—via the EU interface, address information for certain countries can be retrieved based on the VAT ID. These addresses can then be compared with and applied to the existing master data.
Marlin VAT ID Check can validate VAT IDs at all points where addresses may be created—for example, for one-time customers or different goods recipients.
Since some country interfaces are frequently overloaded or unavailable, Marlin caches successful verifications and reuses them before performing another external query. This significantly reduces the number of service calls.
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Experience the advantages of the Marlin VAT ID Check directly in your SAP system – efficient, targeted and reliable.