Invoices and professionals · Everyday tools
Check a Belgian enterprise or VAT number
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A Belgian enterprise number has 10 digits and starts with 0 or 1; its last two digits equal 97 minus the remainder of the first 8 divided by 97. Example: for 0878.065.378, 8,780,653 divided by 97 leaves 19, and 97 − 19 = 78. The VAT number is the same, preceded by BE: BE0878065378.
Since 19 September 2023, new numbers have started with 1. The tool checks the format without sending anything, then, if you wish, opens the public record in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE). Rule checked on 8 October 2026.
The check calculation, step by step
| Number | Remainder of the first 8 digits ÷ 97 | 97 − remainder | VAT number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0203.201.340 | 57 | 40 | BE0203201340 |
| 0878.065.378 | 19 | 78 | BE0878065378 |
| 0787.277.635 | 62 | 35 | BE0787277635 |
| 0437.910.359 | 38 | 59 | BE0437910359 |
An old 9-digit number (before 2005, the VAT number had 9) is completed with a 0 at the start. A valid number may belong to a deregistered business: only the CBE tells you whether the business is active.
Find the business in the CBE
The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises’ public search (Public Search) gives the business’s name, address, legal form, status and activities. Indexo does not query this register itself: the tool’s link opens the record in your browser.
Check an enterprise number
Paste the enterprise or VAT number, with or without BE, dots or spaces.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the VAT number the same as the enterprise number?
Yes: the Belgian VAT number is the enterprise number preceded by BE. A business that is not VAT-registered has an enterprise number but does not use a VAT number.
Why do some numbers start with 1?
Because the numbers starting with 0 have run out, the CBE has been assigning numbers starting with 1 since 19 September 2023. Existing businesses keep their number.
How do I know whether a business is still active?
Look up its record in the CBE public search: the status (active, ceased) and the start date are shown there. Checking the digits does not tell you that.
What next?
- Check an IBANThe supplier’s account, before you pay.
- Calculate VATExcluding VAT, including VAT, several rates.
- Accountant’s toolboxThe seven everyday calculations: VAT, interest, payment reference, IBAN, CBE, deadlines, depreciation.
Sources
Parameters in force on 1 October 2026. Each parameter links to its source, the official one where it exists; a secondary source is flagged as such.
- Guide des identifiants fiscaux belges : numéro d’entreprise et contrôle 97 − (8 premiers chiffres modulo 97) (15 May 2026), LookupTax (secondary source).
- Les numéros d’entreprise passent au « 1 » : premier numéro attribué le 19 septembre 2023, Forum for the Future (secondary source).
- National Bank of Belgium: enterprise number 0203.201.340 (registration authority RA000025, Crossroads Bank for Enterprises), GLEIF (LEI register), via Bloomberg.
- Crossroads Bank for Enterprises: public search (Public Search), FPS Economy.