WHMCS 9.0 Improved VAT Compliance: Validation & Setup 2026
WHMCS 9.0 Improved VAT Compliance: Validation & Setup 2026
WHMCS 9.0 delivers more accurate and transparent VAT handling at checkout, with format validation for VAT numbers in many European countries and optional automatic VAT rule updates. This guide covers what's new and how to set it up.
VAT Compliance. Streamlined.
VAT is automatically calculated and displayed based on a user's location, with validation for country-specific formats.
Tax rates update automatically, reducing manual work and minimizing compliance risk.
What's New in WHMCS 9.0
VAT Number Format Validation
WHMCS can now check whether a VAT number uses a valid format for 28 European countries (including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) during checkout.
VAT Number Validation Setting
At Configuration > System Settings > Tax Configuration, the VAT Number Validation setting now offers:
- Validate format only
- Validate with relevant authority
- Both
- Do not validate (disabled)
When upgrading from WHMCS 8.13 to 9.0: if validation was ON, it defaults to Validate with Relevant Authority; if OFF, it defaults to Do Not Validate (Disabled).
Automatic VAT Rule Updates
You can enable Automatically Update VAT Rules in the same Tax Configuration. When enabled, WHMCS checks for and applies VAT rule updates as part of the daily cron run, so you spend less time maintaining tax rules manually.
VAT-Inclusive Pricing and Checkout
Displayed tax rates refresh automatically when customers change their country or state during checkout, so the correct VAT is shown without page reloads.
Benefits
- Location-based accuracy for VAT calculation and display
- Hands-free updates for VAT rules via cron
- Clear and compliant checkout experience