[DOCS] MISSING VAG NUMBER
Documentation Type
Missing documentation (feature not documented)
Documentation Location
_No response_
Section/Topic
VAT / Tax ID billing documentation and EU tax exemption behavior
Current Documentation
The billing settings page allows entering a VAT number, and the invoice preview (“Calculated tax” section) shows $0 VAT — implying the reverse charge exemption has been applied. However, the final issued invoice still includes VAT, contradicting what the preview shows.
What's Wrong or Missing?
Current Documentation
The billing interface allows entering a VAT number for EU B2B customers, and the “Calculated tax” section does not show VAT — implying the reverse charge mechanism has been applied correctly.
Issue
Despite successfully saving a valid EU VAT number (HU32998001), VAT continues to be charged on invoices. The “Calculated tax” field shows no VAT at the checkout/preview stage, suggesting the exemption is recognized — but the final issued invoice still includes VAT deducted. This is inconsistent and incorrect for EU B2B reverse charge transactions.
Expected behavior: As an EU-registered business providing a valid VAT number, invoices should be issued VAT-free under the reverse charge mechanism (Article 196 of EU VAT Directive).
Steps to reproduce:
- Add EU VAT number in billing settings
- Observe “Calculated tax” shows $0 VAT
- Review issued invoice — VAT is still present
Suggested Improvement
The billing system should either:
- Correctly apply VAT exemption on the final invoice when a valid EU VAT number is provided, consistent with what the “Calculated tax” preview shows; or
- Clearly document that VAT will still be charged despite entering a VAT number, and explain under what conditions the reverse charge exemption actually takes effect.
Currently the UI is misleading — it implies VAT exemption is applied but the issued invoice contradicts this.
Impact
High - Prevents users from using a feature
Additional Context
Issue #51310 was closed without any solution.
3 Comments
This tracker is for the Claude Code product itself; VAT and invoice questions for your Claude subscription are handled by the billing team. Please contact support at https://support.claude.com (or use the help option in your billing settings) with your VAT number and an example invoice so they can review the reverse-charge treatment. Closing here since it isn't a Claude Code documentation issue.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
@bcherny So, does this mean that this is "expected to work" with the billing platform as it currently stands? Asking since I've seen this behaviour myself, which others can also validate. It's easy to get the feeling that this is indeed a bug/broken part of the platform rather than something that needs to be addressed individually, particularly as it displays $0 for the VAT first, but then adds it during the payment step.
FWIW - I paid for new credits some week ago, and VAT was charged despite a valid EU VAT ID. I submitted a support request and today I got an email that the VAT has been credited back to me. 🎉 Writing this in the hope that it might help others.