In v8 of HLMSW, we have added a small utility that can perform a validity check on EU VAT Identification Number.
For companies that are members of the EU, to create a tax-free invoice using the tax number provided by a EU customer should be checked for its validity before issuing an invoice (otherwise penalties may apply).
So now there is a little button you can use to check the status of any tax number.
The tax number must be entered in the Tax field and should take the format
XX########
where XX is the country code and ###### is the number (eg IT012345679)
More information about this service is available here: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/faq.html