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Free Irish business tool

Verify an Irish Business

Four checks establish whether an Irish counterparty is real, registered and authorised to do what it says it does. Work through them in order. Each one runs on this site and each one cites its source.

Use this before you pay a new supplier, sign a contract, onboard a customer for reverse charge, or hand over data. Every single lookup below is free and needs no signup.

  1. 1

    Check the VAT number

    Is this business VAT-registered and cleared for intra-EU trade?

    The checker queries the EU VIES service live and returns the registered trader name and address for a valid number. Match that name against the one on the invoice before you pay it.

    VAT number checkerBulk VAT checker(a supplier list, EUR 19 for up to 100 rows)

    If it comes back empty: A number that fails on VIES is not proof of fraud. Ireland issues domestic VAT registrations separately from VIES-enabled ones, so ask the supplier which they hold, then move to step 2 and verify the company itself.

  2. 2

    Match the CRO record

    Does the company exist on the Irish register, and is it still active?

    Search the Companies Registration Office register by name or company number. The record gives you registration date, company type, status and registered address, from the CRO open data. A trading name with no company behind it shows up here.

    Irish company searchCompany records(filings and register changes)

    If it comes back empty: No CRO record means you may be dealing with a sole trader or a business registered outside Ireland. Neither is a problem in itself, but it changes who you are contracting with, so get that in writing.

  3. 3

    Check Central Bank register status

    If they handle money or advise on it, are they authorised to?

    Anyone taking deposits, moving funds, broking insurance, arranging mortgages or acting as a trust or company service provider has to appear on the relevant Central Bank of Ireland register. Pick the register that matches what they do and search the name.

    Credit institutionsPayment and e-money firmsInsurance undertakingsInsurance intermediariesMortgage intermediariesMiFID investment firmsFund service providersCredit unionsTrust and company service providers

    If it comes back empty: Skip this step if the counterparty is outside financial services. If they are inside it and the register has no entry, stop and ask them for their authorisation reference before you go further.

  4. 4

    Check Peppol readiness

    Can they receive a structured e-invoice, or will this stay on PDF?

    A business listed on the Peppol directory can receive structured e-invoices today. Worth knowing before you agree invoicing terms with a supplier you expect to keep.

    Peppol Ireland

    If it comes back empty: Not being on Peppol is a timing question rather than a red flag. The Peppol Ireland page covers the e-invoicing mandate and which software is already Peppol-capable.

Keep the evidence

Keep a record of the VIES check behind a zero-rated intra-EU supply. Save the registered name, the VAT number and the date of the check with the invoice. The VAT checker prints the request date VIES returned, and the bulk checker exports the whole run as a CSV report you can file.

Questions

How long does the full check take?

Steps 1 and 2 return in seconds. Step 3 applies only to financial-services counterparties. Step 4 is a one-off you do when you set up invoicing with a supplier, not on every transaction.

Which step matters most before paying an invoice?

Step 1, because the VIES result gives you the registered trader name to match against the invoice, and step 2, because it tells you the company is still active. A valid VAT number on a dissolved company is the combination worth catching.

Does a clean result on all four checks mean the business is safe to trade with?

No. These four checks establish that a business is registered, active and authorised for what it does. They say nothing about whether it pays on time or can deliver. Credit terms and references are a separate exercise.

Published for general information and not legal, tax or credit advice. Sources: EU VIES, the Companies Registration Office, the Central Bank of Ireland registers and the Peppol directory.