Why am I receiving an “Invalid VAT Number” error when registering on TechSoup?

Value-added tax (VAT) is a consumption tax applied to goods and services at each stage of the supply chain—from production to the final sale. VAT also applies to most cross‑border transactions.

In 2025, TechSoup Global transitioned from working through local partners to directly managing:

• Product donations and discounted offers
• All related customer service

In addition, administrative fees will now be issued via foreign invoicing and a foreign bank account instead of through the local partner.

Because these transactions are now cross‑border, TechSoup must charge VAT on all orders from most countries, unless an organization’s VAT number is listed and validated in the VIES Database. 

If your organization DOES NOT have a VAT number listed in VIES:

• Leave the VAT field blank when registering your organization for TechSoup.
• You will be charged VAT on all orders.

If your organization DOES have a VAT number listed in VIES, but receives an error:

Try the following troubleshooting:

1. Verify the VAT number is entered correctly. The 2 letter country code should be included.
2. Clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
3. Try a different browser.

If the issue continues, contact TechSoup Customer Service in your country: https://www.techsoup.global/