Docs & FAQ
Setup and common questions.
VAT Sentinel is designed to work with minimal setup. Review your tax settings and test checkout before using it on a live store.
Getting started
- Install and activate VAT Sentinel.
- Open WooCommerce → VAT Sentinel and review the settings.
- Enter your own business VAT number if you want VIES consultation references where available.
- Test checkout with a valid VAT number and an invalid VAT number.
- Review the order notes, tax total, and validation record before using it with live customers.
Replacing another VAT plugin
VAT Sentinel validates new checkout activity from the point it is active. Historical orders are not changed. Before replacing another plugin, test your checkout fields, tax settings, order emails, invoices, and any accounting tools.
Frequently asked questions
What does VAT Sentinel do?
It adds VAT validation to WooCommerce checkout, checks EU VAT numbers against VIES, applies reverse charge where appropriate, and records validation results.
Does this make my store VAT compliant?
No. VAT Sentinel validates numbers and records checks. It is not tax advice and does not guarantee compliance.
Why doesn’t the VAT number field show at checkout?
The most common reason: your store uses the legacy classic (shortcode) checkout, where the field does not appear — VAT Sentinel works on the block checkout (the WooCommerce default). Beyond that, the field appears when the cart is taxable, and it requires WooCommerce 8.9 or newer. If another plugin replaces or heavily customizes your checkout, the field may not render there.
The VAT number is valid — why was VAT not removed?
Reverse charge only applies to cross-border EU B2B sales: the buyer’s billing country must be an EU country different from your store’s base country. Domestic orders keep VAT even with a valid number. If VIES was unreachable at the time, the default safe mode also keeps VAT charged and flags the order for re-check.
What happens when VIES is unavailable?
By default (safe mode) the order is accepted, VAT stays charged, and the order is flagged “VAT pending verification” with a manual re-check button. An opt-in setting can apply reverse charge provisionally instead, clearly marked “at your own risk”. Your checkout never breaks because VIES is down.
Does it work with block checkout?
Yes — the block checkout (the WooCommerce default) is fully supported. The legacy classic (shortcode) checkout is not: the VAT number field does not appear there. Stores on the classic checkout should switch to the block checkout to use VAT Sentinel.
VIES returned no business name or address. Is something wrong?
No. Some EU member states do not return the trader’s name or address (Germany, for example). The validity result and the consultation reference still stand; the log shows “not provided by VIES”.
Does it change my invoices or PDF documents?
No. VAT Sentinel adjusts the order’s VAT via the standard WooCommerce exemption and writes an internal order note plus an audit record. It does not generate or modify invoices and does not add reverse-charge wording to invoice documents — your invoicing plugin must do that.
What is a consultation reference?
An official reference number VIES issues when the validation is made with your own (merchant) VAT number configured as the requester in VAT Sentinel’s settings. It is stored with the check as dated evidence that the validation was performed. Without your merchant VAT number configured, checks still work but no consultation reference is issued.
Do you see my customers’ VAT numbers?
No. VAT Sentinel stores everything in the merchant’s own WordPress database: an append-only audit table plus meta on each order. Flexpoint does not receive customer VAT numbers through the plugin.
How long are records kept?
Validation records are store records. Merchants should keep them according to their own legal and tax retention obligations and document that policy in their own privacy notice.
What happens if I uninstall the plugin?
Uninstalling removes the plugin’s settings but deliberately keeps the audit table and order data, because validation records are tax evidence you are commonly required to retain. Remove the table manually if you truly want it gone.
Can records be deleted?
Records can be removed from the merchant’s database when appropriate, but tax retention obligations may require keeping some records. Store owners should handle erasure requests according to their own legal obligations.
Can I run it with another VAT plugin?
Use one VAT validation plugin at a time. Two plugins that both set the customer’s VAT exemption will fight each other and can produce wrong totals.
VAT Sentinel is a validation and record-keeping tool. It is not tax advice and does not guarantee tax compliance.