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Why can’t all companies be searched using the VAT ID in Germany?

VAT IDs are not published for most German companies, so they can’t always be used for the search.

The VAT ID (USt-IdNr.) is not a mandatory field in the German commercial register. As of 2026, only around 21% of active companies on North Data have a publicly accessible VAT ID.

Some of the reasons include:

  • The VAT ID is mainly needed for cross-border business transactions

  • Many companies operate exclusively within Germany or are small businesses

  • Publishing the VAT ID in the website imprint (Impressum) is optional

We are continuously working on enriching this information from publicly available sources (e.g., imprint data from third-party providers like Dealfront) where possible.