內容簡介
VAT Sentinel 是一款專為 WooCommerce 設計的外掛，為歐盟/歐洲經濟區的商業買家在結帳時新增增值稅（VAT）號碼欄位，並透過歐洲委員會的 VIES 服務進行驗證。當 VAT 號碼有效時，將自動應用跨境 B2B 反向徵稅，並記錄每次檢查的時間戳。
【主要功能】
• 結帳時新增 VAT 號碼欄位（適用於 EU/EEA）
• 實時 VIES 驗證及基本格式檢查
• 有效的跨境 EU B2B 訂單自動反向徵稅
• VIES 當機時接受訂單並標記為「VAT 待驗證」
• 每國 VIES 狀態面板即時顯示
• 最近檢查的螢幕日誌，包括商業名稱及地址
外掛標籤
開發者團隊
原文外掛簡介
VAT Sentinel adds a VAT number field to your WooCommerce checkout for EU/EEA business buyers, validates it against the European Commission’s official VIES service, and applies the cross-border B2B reverse charge when the number is valid. Every check is recorded with a UTC timestamp.
The difference: when VIES is unavailable (which happens regularly and is outside any vendor’s control), VAT Sentinel does not break your checkout. It accepts the order, flags it as “VAT pending verification”, and lets you re-check it once VIES recovers.
VAT Sentinel is a validation and record-keeping tool. It is NOT tax advice and does not guarantee tax compliance. Always consult your own tax advisor.
Works on the block checkout, the modern WooCommerce default (it uses the WooCommerce Additional Checkout Fields and Store API, so it requires WooCommerce 8.9 or newer). The VAT number field does not currently appear on the legacy classic (shortcode) checkout — if your store still uses the classic checkout, switch to the block checkout to use VAT Sentinel.
Free
VAT number field at checkout (shown for EU/EEA, taxable carts)
Live VIES validation with basic format checks
Reverse-charge zero-rating for valid cross-border EU B2B carts, recorded with an internal order note (invoices/PDFs are not modified)
Accept + flag orders when VIES is down, with a manual re-check button
Live per-country VIES status panel
On-screen log of recent checks, including the business name and address VIES returns (when the member state provides them)
Pro (planned)
A paid Pro version is planned for the future. It is not available yet, and this free version is complete and usable on its own.
External services
This plugin connects to the European Commission’s VAT Information Exchange System (VIES), a third-party service operated by the European Commission (a separate data controller). It is used to validate VAT numbers. When a buyer enters a VAT number, the plugin sends that VAT number and country code (and, if you configure it, your own merchant VAT number as the requester) to the VIES REST endpoint at https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/rest-api/ to confirm whether the number is valid and to obtain a consultation reference. The plugin also makes a periodic request to the VIES /check-status endpoint to display per-country availability; no personal data is sent on that call. No data is sent to VIES except what is required to perform the validation. VIES terms and privacy information are available at https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/ .
The VIES “consultation number” is evidence that a validation was performed at a given date and time. It is proof that you checked. It is not proof of tax compliance or of the order’s correct VAT treatment.
Privacy
VAT numbers and validation results are stored locally in your own WordPress database as part of your order/tax records. You (the site owner) are the data controller for this data; the plugin and its author do not receive it.
A VAT number can be personal data (for example for a sole trader), so: the lawful basis for keeping it is your legal obligation to retain VAT evidence, commonly for 7 to 10 years depending on your country. Because the validation log is kept as tax evidence, records are retained for that period and are not deleted automatically on uninstall. To act on a data-subject erasure request you can remove the relevant rows from the database; note that your legal obligation to retain VAT evidence may justify keeping a record despite an erasure request. Document your own retention policy in your store’s privacy notice.
This free version sends no usage statistics or telemetry of any kind.
The plugin’s full privacy policy is at https://vatsentinel.eu/privacy.html . The plugin is published by Flexpoint Solutions OÜ; questions and support are at https://vatsentinel.eu/support.html .
