NAME

Business::Tax::VAT::Validation - A class for european VAT numbers validation.

SYNOPSIS

  use Business::Tax::VAT::Validation;
  
  my $hvatn=Business::Tax::VAT::Validation->new();
  
  # Check number
  if ($hvatn->check($VAT, [$member_state])){
        print "OK\n";
  } else {
        print $hvatn->get_last_error;
  }
  
  =head1 DESCRIPTION
  

This class provides you a easy api to check validity of european VAT numbers (if the provided number exists).

It asks the EU database for this.

CONSTRUCTOR

new Class constructor.

    $hvatn=Business::Tax::VAT::Validation->new();
    
    If your system is located behind a proxy :
    
    $hvatn=Business::Tax::VAT::Validation->new(-proxy => ['http', 'http://example.com:8001/']);
    
    Note :

PROPERTIES

member_states Returns all member states 2-digit codes as array

    @ms=$hvatn->member_states;
    
    =cut
    

sub member_states { my $self=shift; (keys %{$self->{re}}) }

regular_expressions - Returns a hash list containing one regular expression for each country

If you want to test a VAT number format ouside this module, eg. embedded as javascript in web form.

    %re=$hvatn->regular_expressions;

returns

    (
        AT      =>  'U[0-9]{8}',
        ...
        SK          =>  '[0-9]{10}',
    );

METHODS

check - Checks if a VAT number exists into the VIES database

    $ok=$hvatn->check($VAT, [$member_state]);

You may either provide the VAT number under its complete form (e.g. BE-123456789, BE123456789) or either specify VAT and MS (member state) individually.

Valid MS values are :

 AT, BE, BG, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES,
 FI, FR, GB, HU, IE, IT, LU, LV, MT, NL,
 PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK

local_check - Checks if a VAT number format is valid

    $ok=$hvatn->local_check($VAT, [$member_state]);

    This method is based on regexps only and DOES NOT asks the VIES database

get_last_error_code - Returns the last recorded error code

get_last_error - Returns the last recorded error

    my $err = $hvatn->get_last_error_code();
    my $txt = $hvatn->get_last_error();

Possible errors are :

• 0 Unknown MS code : Internal checkup failed (Specified Member State does not exists)
• 1 Invalid VAT number format : Internal checkup failed (bad syntax)
• 2 This VAT number doesn't exists in EU database : distant checkup
• 3 This VAT number contains errors : distant checkup
• 17 Time out connecting to the database : Temporary error when the connection to the database times out
• 18 Member Sevice Unavailable: The EU database is unable to reach the requested member's database.
• 257 Invalid response, please contact the author of this module. : This normally only happens if this software doesn't recognize any valid pattern into the response document: this generally means that the database interface has been modified, and you'll make the author happy by submitting the returned response !!!

If error_code > 16, you should temporarily accept the provided number, and periodically perform new checks until response is OK or error < 17 If error_code > 256, you should temporarily accept the provided number, contact the author, and perform a new check when the software is updated.

Why not SOAP ?

Just because this module's author wasn't given such time to do so. The SOAP module available at CPAN at time of writing is farly too complex to be used here, simple tasks having to be simply performed.

Other documentation

Jetez un oeil sur http://www.it-development.be/software/PERL/Business-Tax-VAT-Validation/ pour la documentation en français.

Feedback

If you find this module useful, or have any comments, suggestions or improvements, please let me know.

AUTHOR

Bernard Nauwelaerts <bpn#it-development%be>

Credits

Many thanks to the following people, actively implied in this software development by submitting patches, bug reports, new members regexps, VIES interface changes,... :

Sorted by last intervention :

• Dave O., POBox, U.S.A.
• Kaloyan Iliev, Digital Systems, Bulgaria.
• Tom Kirkpatrick, Virus Bulletin, United Kingdom.
• Andy Wardley, individual, United Kingdom.
• Robert Alloway, Service Centre, United Kingdom.
• Torsten Mueller, Archesoft, Germany

LICENSE

GPL. Enjoy! See COPYING for further informations on the GPL.

Disclaimer

See http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/viesdisc.do to known the limitations of the EU validation service.

  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY;
  without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.