VAT Sense
VAT Sense is an API for businesses and developers that need VAT number checks and related tax data in their own services.
What VAT Sense is
VAT Sense is an API for businesses and developers that need VAT number checks and related tax data in their own services. Its REST API validates VAT numbers against live records in the UK, EU, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, South Africa, and Brazil. It also provides EU VAT rates and VAT or GST rates from other countries, currency conversions to GBP and EUR using HMRC and European Central Bank rates, country data, and VAT-compliant invoicing. When a requester includes its own VAT number, a validation can return an official government consultation number for an audit trail.
The API requires HTTPS and HTTP Basic Auth; VAT Sense says it does not allow client-side CORS requests because account keys could be exposed. Official libraries are available for Python, Node.js, PHP, Go, Ruby, C#/.NET, and Java, and the documentation links to Postman collections. General limits are 300 requests per minute, with UK VAT validation limited to 3 requests per second. There is a free plan, and the pricing note lists paid plans from $6.99/mo. Prices exclude VAT; plans can be paid in GBP, USD, or EUR.
Good
- Validates VAT numbers against live records in seven regions.
- Provides VAT and GST rates across countries.
- Currency conversions use HMRC and ECB rates.
- Official client libraries cover seven programming languages.
- Free plan available.
Watch out
- General rate limit is 300 requests per minute.
- UK VAT validation is limited to 3 requests per second.
- Client-side CORS requests are not supported.
- Prices exclude VAT.
Who it suits
VAT Sense suits developers integrating tax checks, rate lookups, currency conversion, or invoicing data into software. It may also fit teams that need VAT validation across the listed jurisdictions and an audit consultation number.
Verdict
VAT Sense brings VAT validation, rate data, currency conversion, and invoicing information together in one API. Check its request limits and the paid-plan pricing note against your expected usage.
Plans and prices
From VAT Sense's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | — | 2,000 requests per month · €11.99/mo; or pay €115.10/yr |
| Free | — | 100 requests per month · €0.00/mo |
| Plus | — | 25,000 requests per month · €69.99/mo; or pay €671.90/yr |
| Premium | — | 50,000 requests per month · €119.99/mo; or pay €1,151.90/yr |
| Standard | — | 10,000 requests per month · €34.99/mo; or pay €335.90/yr |
| Starter | — | 500 requests per month · €5.99/mo; or pay €57.50/yr |
The facts
Each one read from VAT Sense's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audit trail
- VAT Sense can return an official government consultation number with each validation when the requester includes its own VAT number.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Currency conversion
- Currency conversions to GBP and EUR use official HMRC and European Central Bank rates.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Developer tools
- Official client libraries are available for Python, Node.js, PHP, Go, Ruby, C#/.NET, and Java, and the documentation links to Postman collections.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Product
- VAT Sense provides a REST API for VAT number validation, VAT and GST rates, currency conversions, country data, and VAT compliant invoicing.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Rate limits
- The documentation states general rate limits of 300 requests per minute and UK VAT validation limits of 3 requests per second.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Rates
- The API provides EU VAT rates and VAT and GST rates from other countries.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Security
- The API requires HTTPS and HTTP Basic Auth, and the maker says it does not support client-side CORS requests because of the risk of exposing account API keys.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker provides a support page for contacting VAT Sense.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Transport security
- The maker says the API is delivered via 256-bit SSL secure sockets layer protocol.checked 4 Oct 2026
- VAT validation
- The API validates VAT numbers against live records in the UK, EU, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, South Africa, and Brazil.checked 4 Oct 2026
The company
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdomchecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Plan details
- Every plan includes the full API, prices are exclusive of VAT, and plans can be paid in GBP, USD, or EUR.checked 4 Oct 2026
The full review of VAT Sense
VAT Sense is a REST API for developers adding VAT checks, tax data, currency conversion or invoicing support to software. It fits teams that can keep credentials on a server and need the full API at a request volume matched to a paid tier. Its breadth is a strength; the 100-request monthly free cap and UK validation throttle call for careful capacity planning.
Overview
VAT Sense combines VAT-number validation, VAT and GST rates, currency conversions, country data and VAT-compliant invoicing in one API. Since every plan includes the full API, upgrading increases the monthly request allowance rather than adding features.
Validation checks live records in the UK, EU, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, South Africa and Brazil. The service also supports VAT calculation across 179 jurisdictions. Currency conversion to GBP and EUR uses HMRC and European Central Bank rates. For an audit reference, a validation can return an official government consultation number when the caller includes its own VAT number.
Key features
- Tax and currency data: EU VAT rates and VAT and GST rates for other countries make the API useful beyond number checks. Official HMRC and ECB rates for GBP and EUR conversions give users a defined basis for those conversions.
- Integration tools: Official libraries cover Python, Node.js, PHP, Go, Ruby, C#/.NET and Java, with Postman collections linked from the documentation. This should suit teams using those stacks; other developers can still work against the REST API.
- Server-side security: Requests require HTTPS and HTTP Basic Auth, and the maker says the service uses 256-bit SSL. Client-side CORS requests are not supported because exposing API keys in that context risks credential theft. That is sensible for key protection, but means browser-only integrations need a server-side component.
- Request limits: General limits are 300 requests per minute, while UK VAT validation is limited to 3 requests per second. High-volume users should account for the stricter UK-specific throttle as well as their plan's monthly quota.
Pricing
VAT Sense has a free plan and paid tiers, with the overall paid-from note at $6.99/mo. The plan prices below are shown in euros; all prices are exclusive of VAT, and payment is supported in GBP, USD or EUR. Every tier has the full API.
- Free: €0.00/mo for 100 requests per month. It is suitable for a small proof of concept, but the cap is modest for routine production traffic.
- Starter: €5.99/mo or €57.50/yr for 500 requests monthly. This is the lowest paid allowance; the yearly option lowers the effective monthly cost but still suits only light use.
- Basic: €11.99/mo or €115.10/yr for 2,000 requests monthly. Choose it when the free or Starter quota is too tight but a few thousand calls will cover the workload.
- Standard: €34.99/mo or €335.90/yr for 10,000 requests monthly. It is a more realistic tier for regular integration traffic without paying for the largest quotas.
- Plus: €69.99/mo or €671.90/yr for 25,000 requests monthly. It suits growing usage that would exceed Standard's allowance.
- Premium: €119.99/mo or €1,151.90/yr for 50,000 requests monthly. This is the largest stated allowance and best suited to heavier API demand.
The plan prices are stated in euros, while the paid-from note is in dollars; compare the applicable billing currency and expected monthly volume before choosing. The plan ladder scales requests rather than API access, so a low-volume user does not lose functionality by starting on a cheaper tier.
Platforms
VAT Sense is delivered as an API. It is a fit for software and workflows that can make server-side requests, not a standalone app for a device platform.
Who it's for
Developers and businesses building VAT-related workflows can use one integration for validation, rates, conversion and invoicing information. It is particularly useful when the caller needs validation across the covered regions or an audit reference tied to its own VAT number. It is less suitable for browser-only implementations that cannot add a server component, or for workloads whose monthly volume or UK request bursts exceed the selected limits.
Pros and cons
- Pro: Every plan includes the full API, so moving to a low-cost tier does not mean giving up features.
- Pro: Validation, tax rates, conversion and invoicing support are grouped in a single API, reducing the need to combine separate integrations.
- Pro: The consultation number can provide an official audit reference when a request includes the caller's VAT number.
- Con: The free plan allows only 100 requests per month, limiting how far it can support ongoing use.
- Con: Client-side CORS is intentionally unsupported, so browser applications must protect keys through server-side requests.
- Con: UK VAT checks have a lower per-second limit than the general request rate, which can constrain bursts.
Alternatives
For a broader shortlist, browse VAT Software.
- LOVAT may suit teams seeking a freemium option with Android, iOS and web access as well as an API; its free plan includes one data import integration.
- VAT Direct is worth considering for UK businesses needing free bridging for VAT and Income Tax Self Assessment, including digital records for below-threshold businesses up to 500 transactions per period.
- Vatstack may fit developers who want a free-for-life plan for unlimited quotes, dummy validations and dummy supplies, rather than VAT Sense's monthly allowance of actual API requests.
- VATlayer is another freemium API option; its free plan provides 100 monthly requests for non-commercial use with limited functionality.
- Kintsugi is an API alternative with a free plan that includes global physical and economic nexus monitoring, exposure and historical liability auditing, and risk assessment.
- BTCHub may suit users looking for desktop or web software with an annual licence and HMRC VAT filing support instead of an API-first service.
- Taxually is an alternative for teams seeking paid tax-authority payment or yearly reporting services.
- VAT MTD is an alternative for users who prefer iOS or macOS apps and a free trial.
Verdict
Choose VAT Sense if you are building server-side software and want validation, tax rates, currency conversion and invoicing support through one API, with request tiers that can grow from a small trial to 50,000 calls monthly. Look elsewhere if you need browser-only access, more than the free cap at no cost, or UK validation bursts above 3 requests per second.
