This article explains why the VAT ID (USt-IdNr.) is not available for all companies in Germany and what the reasons are.
The VAT ID (USt-IdNr.) is not a mandatory field in the German commercial register. Only around 21% of active companies have a publicly accessible VAT ID.
Some of the reasons include:
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The VAT ID is only required for cross-border business transactions
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Many companies operate exclusively within Germany or are small businesses
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It is not a mandatory field when registering with the commercial register
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Publishing it in the company’s website imprint is voluntary
We are working on enriching this information from publicly available sources (e.g., imprint data from third-party providers like Dealfront) where possible.