Validating VAT

iMIS does not automatically validate VAT Codes, but there are several validation options you can configure:

To set VAT validation options

You can decide whether to validate VAT codes, and whether to force a user to enter a valid VAT code before proceeding.

  1. From Customers, select Set up Module > General.
  2. Select Advanced, Edit.
  3. Under VAT Validation Options, select one of the following:
    • None – Disable the VAT validation options
    • Allow User to Override Validation – The user can proceed even with a code the VAT validation process finds invalid
    • Enforce Validation – The user cannot proceed with a code that the VAT validation process finds invalid

To hyperlink to VAT validation websites

You can hyperlink to the EU website that provides VAT validation (or any other VAT validation site). The hyperlink you set up will appear on the VAT tab on the Manage Customers window.

  1. From Customers, select Set up module > General.
  2. Select Advanced, Edit.
  3. Under VAT Validation Hyperlink Options, select Show. Default values appear in the Text and URL fields, which you can override.
    • If Text is blank but Show is selected, iMIS uses the default text VAT Country Validation.
    • If URL is blank, iMIS uses the default value: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/vatRequest.html.
  4. Select Save, close all windows, and restart iMIS for the changes to take effect.

To validate VAT codes with a stored procedure

To automatically validate VAT codes, you can write a VAT validation stored procedure and attach it. Sample VAT validation stored procedures can be found in the Files\VAT_Validation folder on the iMIS 10.6 installation CD.

  1. Go to Customers > Set up tables.
  2. Select Country Names.
  3. In Current Countries, select the target Country for the stored VAT validation procedure.
  4. Select Edit.
  5. In VAT Country, enter the desired country code.
  6. In VAT Validation Procedure, enter the name of the stored procedure to run against any VAT codes entered into the system.
  7. Select Save, close all windows, and restart iMIS for the changes to take effect.

To validate the number of VAT code characters

To automatically validate the number of characters in VAT codes entered (since code lengths vary by country), you can specify VAT code length parameters:

  1. Go to Customers > Set up tables.
  2. Select Country Names.
  3. In Current Countries, select the country for which you want to set parameters.
  4. Select Edit.
  5. In VAT Country, enter the country code.
  6. In the VAT Validation area of the open window, enter a Minimum Size of VAT Number and/or a Maximum Size of VAT Number.
  7. To test the limits you specified, enter a value in the Test Value field and select Test.

    8. Note: If you set up a stored procedure, this will also test the value against that procedure.

  8. Select Save, close all windows, and restart iMIS for the changes to take effect.

To display the VAT tab

  1. Go to Customers > Manage Customers.
  2. Display the Customer Portfolio Tab.
  3. Open the Edit Tab Preferences options:
    • Right-click the tab label area at the top of the Detail or History pane and select Edit Tab Preferences or
    • Click any field and select Ctrl+T.
  4. From the Other available Detail Tabs list, select VAT and add it to the Visible Details Tabs list.
  5. Select Save, close all windows, and restart iMIS for the changes to take effect.