How to Add a VAT Number to a WooCommerce Invoice

To add a VAT number to a WooCommerce invoice, turn on WooCommerce’s tax settings so VAT is calculated correctly, then use an invoicing plugin such as Challan to display the VAT ID field on the invoice and collect it at checkout. WooCommerce can calculate and display VAT rates on its own, but it has no built-in field for printing a VAT number on an invoice.

A VAT number is the unique ID a tax authority assigns to a VAT-registered business. It identifies who charged the tax and who can reclaim it, and most EU and UK invoices are required to show it.

This guide covers both parts: setting up VAT tax rates in WooCommerce, and adding the VAT number field to your invoices with Challan.

How to Add a VAT Number to a WooCommerce Invoice Using Challan

Step 1: Install and Activate Challan

Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard, search for Challan, then install and activate it. Challan generates PDF invoices automatically and attaches them to WooCommerce order confirmation emails.

Step 2: Enable the VAT ID and SSN Fields

Go to Challan > Settings > Invoice tab. Scroll to the VAT ID & SSN section and turn both fields on, then save your changes. This adds the fields to your invoice template.

Step 3: Add Your Business VAT Number

Open the Buyer & Seller tab in Challan settings. Enter your company’s VAT number in the seller information box. This number now prints on every invoice Challan generates.

Step 4: Collect Customer VAT Numbers at Checkout

Go to Pages > All Pages and edit your Checkout page. Add the WooCommerce VAT number checkout shortcode to the page, or build a new Checkout page with the shortcode included. This adds VAT ID and SSN input fields for customers at checkout, and their entries appear automatically on the resulting invoice.

Step 5: Download the Invoice and Confirm the VAT Number

Go to WooCommerce > Orders and open any order. Challan adds a document panel to the order screen. Click to download the invoice and confirm that both your VAT number and the customer’s VAT number appear correctly.

Step 6: Fix a Missing Company VAT Number

If your VAT number isn’t showing on the invoice, check the Buyer & Seller tab again and confirm the VAT number field is filled in under your company information. Save your changes and generate a new invoice to test.

How to Set Up VAT Tax Rates in WooCommerce

Adding a VAT number to your invoice is separate from calculating VAT itself. If you haven’t set up VAT rates yet, do this first.

Enable Tax Calculations

Go to WooCommerce > Settings > General, confirm your store address, then scroll down and select Enable tax rates and calculations. Save your changes, and a new Tax tab appears in the settings menu.

Add VAT Rates

Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Tax > Standard Rates and click Insert Row to add a rate. Enter the two-letter country code and the VAT percentage that applies. A UK rate, for example, uses the country code GB and the standard rate of 20%. Repeat this for reduced rates under Reduced Rate, and for other countries you sell to. To add many rates at once, use the Import CSV button and upload a file with your rates in bulk.

Display VAT-Inclusive or Exclusive Prices

In WooCommerce > Settings > Tax > Tax Options, set whether prices include or exclude VAT, and choose how VAT appears on the cart and checkout pages. For dual pricing that shows both VAT-inclusive and exclusive prices at once, you’ll need a separate plugin, since WooCommerce doesn’t support this natively.

Set Up VAT Exemptions and Handle Refunds

For customers who qualify for a VAT exemption, such as registered charities or B2B reverse-charge transactions, configure an exemption under the Tax tab. For automatic VAT number validation or EU reverse-charge handling, pair WooCommerce with a dedicated EU VAT compliance plugin, since Challan focuses on invoice generation rather than validation. For refunds, issue a credit note in WooCommerce and adjust the VAT portion manually.

Best Invoicing Plugin for Adding VAT Numbers to WooCommerce Invoices: Challan

Challan is a WooCommerce invoicing plugin that generates PDF invoices automatically and attaches them to order confirmation emails, with a dedicated setting to display VAT ID and SSN fields on both the invoice and the checkout page.

The free version covers VAT ID display, automatic invoice generation, and packing slips. Challan Pro adds features aimed at stores with more complex compliance needs, including VAT and SSN fields at checkout, order-language invoicing for multilingual stores, and region-specific compliance options. Check the official pricing page before purchasing, since plans and features can change.

Key Features

Automatic PDF invoice generation: Invoices generate and attach to order emails without manual work. VAT ID and SSN fields: Display your business VAT number and collect the customer’s VAT number at checkout. HPOS compatibility: Works with WooCommerce’s High-Performance Order Storage. Multi-language invoicing: Generate invoices in the customer’s order language using WPML, Polylang, or Weglot (Pro). Packing slips and shipping labels: Create and bulk-download these alongside invoices from the same dashboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

• WooCommerce calculates and displays VAT rates natively, but it has no built-in field for printing a VAT number on invoices.
• Challan adds a VAT ID and SSN field to both the invoice template and the checkout page.
• Enable the fields under Challan’s Invoice tab, then add your business VAT number in the Buyer & Seller tab.
• Add the VAT number checkout shortcode to your Checkout page to collect customer VAT numbers automatically.
• Setting up VAT tax rates in WooCommerce (Settings > Tax) is a separate task from displaying the VAT number on invoices.
• Most EU and UK VAT-registered businesses are legally required to show their VAT number on invoices.
• Check the official Challan pricing page for current plans before choosing free or Pro.