When a buyer registers through your Wholesale Signup Form with an EU tax ID, the Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B app can look that number up in the European Commission’s VIES registry in real time and record the result on the customer in Shopify. On the Global plan, the app can also set the customer as tax-exempt when the number is found.
Both settings are off by default. They apply to new registrations only and do not change anything for customers who registered before you turned them on.
Plan availability
| Plan | Tax ID lookup and result recorded | Tax exemption set by the app |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | No | No |
| Professional | Yes | No. You set it in Shopify |
| Enterprise | Yes | No. You set it in Shopify |
| Global | Yes | Yes, if you turn it on |
Before you start
- Your Wholesale Signup Form is set up and live on your store.
- Your form includes a Tax ID field.
- You are on the Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B's Professional plan or higher.
Turn on tax ID checking
- In the app, open Wholesale Signup Form > Customize settings.
-
Scroll to the Tax ID setting, and tick the checkbox Check tax IDs at signup (supports EU).
- Global plan only: turn on 'Make customer tax exempt if tax ID is valid' if you want the app to set customers as tax-exempt when their number is found. This setting appears only after checking is turned on.
- Click Save.
What happens when someone registers
| Situation | What the app does | What the applicant sees |
|---|---|---|
| EU tax ID found in VIES | Creates the customer and records the result and date in their notes. On Global, sets the customer as tax-exempt if you turned that on | A normal successful registration |
| EU tax ID not found, or entered in the wrong format | Does not create the customer | A message on the tax ID field. They can correct the number and submit again |
| VIES registry temporarily unreachable | Creates the customer and flags them for your review. | A normal successful registration |
| Applicant is outside the EU | No lookup runs | A normal successful registration, the same as before this feature |
Where to see the result
Open the customer in your Shopify admin and look at their notes. When a lookup finds the number, the app adds this line:
Tax check. Checked against VIES on [date]. Result: found.
On Global, if the app also set the customer as tax exempt, a second line records that.
If there is no tax check line, one of these applies: checking was off when the customer registered, the applicant was outside the EU, or the registry was unreachable at the time.
A “found” result means the number appeared in the VIES registry on that date. It is a registry lookup, not an assessment of the business or of whether a tax exemption applies. Decisions about a customer’s tax status stay with you.
Set tax exemption yourself (Professional and Enterprise)
On these plans, the app records the result but does not change the customer’s tax status. To exempt a customer after reviewing the result:
- In your Shopify admin, go to Customers and open the customer.
-
Edit their tax settings and turn off tax collection for that customer.
- Save.
Note: Only the Global plan has the app set to exempt.
Supported countries
Lookups run for tax IDs from EU member states. Applicants from every other country, including the UK and US, register exactly as they did before, and you review them manually.
Tips for EU tax ID format
- Enter the number with its two-letter country prefix, for example DE312456789 for Germany.
- Greece uses the prefix EL, not GR.
- Length and characters differ by country. Some include letters, so a number that looks unusual may still be correct.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
1. The lookup found the number, but my customer is still being charged tax
On Professional and Enterprise, this is expected. The app records the result but does not change tax status. Set the exemption on the customer in Shopify (see above), or upgrade to Global to have the app apply it.
2. An applicant could not complete registration
The most likely cause is that the tax ID they entered was not found in VIES. Ask them to check the number, including the country prefix. If they are certain it is correct and it still fails, contact our support team.
3. A customer was created even though their tax ID was wrong
This usually means the VIES registry was temporarily unreachable. Rather than block a buyer, the app creates the customer and flags them for review. Review that customer manually before granting wholesale access or tax exemption.
4. Does turning this on affect my existing customers?
No. It applies to new registrations only.
5. Can I run a lookup on customers who registered earlier?
Not currently.
6. Do I need Shopify Markets?
No. Neither setting depends on Markets.
7. Are UK tax IDs checked?
Not today. UK applicants register as before and you review them manually.